Ball joint install difficult,can't keep it straight

[jonesg]

Yeah, it is. I've washed it out&cleaned the joint well, too. I'll try the 24-hour freezer,prob. put the knuckle in the oven.Pilot light makes it nice & warm in there. Thanks for the helpful input.

I gave up and took a grinder to mine.
Took most of the knurling off and still had to force it in. No problem 1 yr later.

Pretty sure I've read there are 2 sizes.
Better too big than too small.

There are two types of control arms, yours - alloy one - and the later which was fully steel. Not impossible they made two sizes of ball joint indeed.

That's what I was told previously, the parts guy said it was the correct part too.
But there's no way it was going in.