Yeah it bloody flew out like it was strapped to a rocket. I'm glad my foot wasn't under it at the time. I think the right thing to do is to leave the nut loosely attached so that when the joint separates (ie explodes apart), it catches it.

Probably similar to working on the e39, but I think the steering knuckle on the e53 is just that little bit bigger which made it hard for me to get the jaw of the tool to open up enough to get over the head of the bolt and get a good grip on it. This guy explains it best, skip to around 4:50 to see how it pops!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jotYlVj09xM

This is what I bought.

BGS Germany ALL Ball Joint Puller Shifter Remover 50mm | eBay

Note it says only suits joints up to 50mm, e53 must be >60mm because I had to cut about 10mm off the ball joint bolt to get it to seat. But it's all fun and games - even when you buy the right tools, it's never straight forward!

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2005 3.0d Sport - Sapphire Black
Engine : Bluefin Superchip Tune,
Wheels & Sus: Style 168s (10.5s all round), H&R RDA Spacers, Bilstein B12, Eibach 40mm drop, Whiteline RSB
Exterior: Le Mans flares, 4.6is kit F&R
Interior: Dynavin N6, Blackvue DR650 dash cams

My Build Thread: http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...run-sheet.html