Hi,

I wish you would stop talking about galleries and cr@p (below) and talk
about the ball joint.  It is confusing to understand what exactly is
your problem in between plugs for your site.

OK.  Whichever way you use, you must compress the coil spring with
spring clamps before you can remove the ball joint.  See more below.

============================
Spring clamps are like so (and YOU MUST use them as a pair)
http://www.tool-catalogue.co.uk/tools.php/cPath/222_60/products_id/992
The above is about the cheapest style you will get.

Look at this page and it lists more tools
http://www.tool-catalogue.co.uk/index.php/cPath/222_60

From memory the above ball joint separator would be difficult :-) to
use on one of the two balljoints - bottom probably - as there is no
space between the threaded end of the ball joint and the hub(?) where
the pivoting arm of the ball joint has to fit.

==============================

The advice I remember for doing any work like you do was to put a piece
of wood under the top wishbone and the body (the opening in the inner
wing) and jam the suspension high, with the weight of the car on the
suspension hence you jammed the wishbone high (I then clamped it on top
of jamming it).

WARNING.  Inner wings have been know to collapse when used to jam the
spring in place.

Once you take the pressure of the spring from the wishbone you can try
to remove the balljoint.

First outwards ie. remove the ball joint from the wishbone then the
final separation.
===============================

I only had to remove one ball joint and by then (because of cv boot
experience) I found the easiest way for me was to:

a. jam and clamp spring as described above.
b. Remove two bolts of brake caliper and suspend from coil spring
c. remove clip from inner boot of drive shaft.
d. remove bolts of both upper and lower ball joints
e. remove drive knuckle thingie

Take the complete hub off on the bench, you can then replace ball joints
CV boots and admire it :-)

================================

Even if you don't go for complete removal you may need to do step (c)
and less likely (e) to give you enough room to pull the ball joint
outwards from the wish bone.  You will pull out first then you will take
it off the hub.

Now I hope someone will correct my recollections.

Regards
Charles

PS.  Is this photo from this job
http://www.saab900classic.net/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=
191&g2_GALLERYSID=318e53d2478e394ade7864c4aca34dbe
One wheel bolt being knackered?
Or is this an older photo?

Maybe I don't want to know the answer :-(

This is the simple way of doing classic 900 ball joints if you do not have
the `correct` tools, Take off hub cap, loosen cv nut and wheel nuts, jack up
front of car and place on axle stands at the front jacking points and remove
wheel. Swing hub outwards so the track rod end is easier to get at, undo nut
and remove tre by giving the steering arm a whack with a hammer where the
pin of the tre goes through, A two pound hammer is about the best size.Now
place a jack under the lower wishbone where the ball joint is located and
jack up until the shocker starts to compress a little, undo lower shock nut
[11/16af] and pry away shock from mounting pin, lower the jack under the
wishbone, this allows for the the tension on the joints to be released,
easier and safer than chocking up the top arm. The next two steps are not
mandatory but it makes it easier, undo brake calliper [and cable if fitted],
hang up brake calliper up to prevent strain on brake hose, undo cv nut and
tap inwards with a copper hammer, some do requre a bit of a wallop to get
them to move, undo through nuts and bolts on joint in question and swing hub
outwards by tapping hub where the joint goes through if needed, undo ball
pin nut, using the good old two pounder a few sharp wacks on the pin eye and
out she pops. It is definately worth doing both joints at the same time as
checking for play without taking the tension of first is nigh on immpossible
and I have seen 900`s pass their mot with ball joints that are on the point
of failure. Reassembley is the reverse of what you have done [quote from
Haynes manual]. HTH Tom, Saabtech.