i'm taking a guess here, but i think that the lower ball joint in your picture is the original from the factory. (being that the machine pressed lips) the replacements should have a clip that will snap in place which will work as your retaining clip.

it will make your life much easier to remove the lips before you try to press the joint out.
just a sugguestion also. since you have it tore down to this point anyway. might want to go ahead and change the upper ball joint too. they are way easier than the lower joint. Also, don't get the cheaper products.. even if they have lifetime warrenties. moog products seem to be the best. Atleast, i have had better luck with moogs. others seem to last a year, where i haven't had to change the moog joints yet after 3years.

 

I just did mine and they were the same as yours.. I just ground off the "lip" and beat them out with a hammer .. did seam to matter where I hit it once it started to move it came right out

 

Those are OEM ball joints.

 

I don't know does this upper ball joint look bad? Actually considering this truck has 220k miles on its original front end (is that even possible, for a Dakota?) its amazing that a wheel did not fall off. Although, it felt like it was about to.


Just waiting for one more lower ball joint to arrive. Purchased Moog uppers and lowers, Polyurethane Front Control Arm Bushings, sway bar bushings, and 2 bumper stoppers.

 

boot is shot. i would change it.

 

That was pretty funny.

Mine have about 255K on them (riveted 2WD). I pulled some nice uppers off a junkyard truck, but I didn't bother to install them because the issue was actually shot sway bar endlinks. I used a grease needle to refill the upper and lower BJ boots then sealed the needle hole with a dab of permatex gasket maker. Front end feels really nice right now.