Ive been doing a bit of work on the front suspension of the escort today, and need to replace the control arms, and the tie rod ends. Problem is, no matter how hard i tried with the ball joint splitter, i could not crack them. 
Can anyone give me any tips on how i might be able to get them to crack?
 
also, if anyone lives around the western suburbs of melbourne, and would be keen to give me a hand doing the front end (suspension, wheels bearings), let me know, as i haven't had much to do with rebuilding suspension before. 
 
 

They can be a bugger alright.
 
Only tips I can offer are - make sure you there is some load on them so they are inclined to pop out - soak them with WD40 or similar - get a good sized drift (ie, bit of bar/rod) to hit the strut with - if at first you don't succeed, go away and come back a bit later for another go!

what do you mean by hitting the strut? 
 
i wasnt even able to get the tie rod ends to crack either 

I used to have this little nifty tool that had a bolt on top and you'd slide the base in between the steering arm and the tie rod and just tighten the bolt.
 
Worked a treat and was onl;y about $20 - $0 bucks. 
 
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FIT-Screw-Type-Ball-Joint-Remover-Seperator-Puller-Installer-/270936723351?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f15164f97
 
Cheers
 
Matt
 

cool thanks for that mate. 
 
will it be large enough that i could use it on the suspension ball joints as well? 

I'm pretty sure it will though it was a lot of beers ago!
 
You could always use an angle grinder to wider it a little bit.
 
Supercheap have a different type that may also work for you.  
 
http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Stanley-Ball-Joint-Tie-Rod-Separator.aspx?pid=12568#Description
 
Do a google search and see what else turns up.
 
Cheers
 
Matt 

haha i know the angle grinder method :P my dad and i have done some dodgy things when we were doing the front end on my XF, but it all came apart a lot easier than this escort seems to be coming apart 
 
thanks for that second link. ill go have a look at one of them tomoro. 

You could always take out some frustration with a FBH!

the screw type ball joint breakers are the way to go. wind it up tight and put some pressure on it. then give it a whack with a hammer on top of the screw. but stand back as they can go flying when they let go.
 
failing that put some pressure on and heat the steering arm a little.
 
good luck. they can be a bitch.

to get onto the control arm ball joint, would you suggest removing the strut all the way out of the vehicle? I had a good look at the car before i started, and was convinced that i could get away with leaving that in, plus it would mean that the whole lot doesn't drop out when the ball joints let go.