I have a strange problem working on the lower balljoint. The lower balljoint is fine but the rubber around it gone. I decided to replace it, just to be on the safe side. The problem is, I cannot remove the BJ even after I separated the knuckle and the stud !

I know the theory, and seems like I did everything right:

1) I put the jack under the lower control arm and raised the vehicle.
2) I removed the wheel.
3) I removed the cotter pin and loosened the nut a little bit.
4) I took a puller and with loud "snap" it separated the stud from the knuckle.
5) I removed the nut completely.
6) I unbolted the 4 bolts attaching the BJ to the lower arm.

Now, the interesting part. Although the stud and knuckle are not pressed to each other anymore, and the stud can move all the way through the knuckly hole, THEY ARE STILL UNDER BIG PRESSURE AND I JUST HAVE NO STRENGTH TO OVERCOME THIS PRESSURE AND TO PULL THE STUD OUT OF THE HOLE. Something continues to pressure them together. With the puller, I can move the stud inside the hole, but once I remove the puller, the stud happily sets back into it's original position.

I checked the whole setup and I do not understand what pressures them together. As far as I understand, the upper arm must be sitting on the lower arm through the lower ball joint, and once I removed this connection, the upper arm must be moving relatively freely. Wrong. I feel like something pressures the upper arm UPWARD with a non-human force.

Obviously, I miss something in this picture. Please help me.

May be, I have to put a jack under the frame, also ? As I mentioned, I am raising the vehicle by jacking it's lower arm.

The Axiom's suspension is identical to the 2 gen Rodeos.

Thanks in advance.