I had a real "problem" with those things too, until I found out it's OK to pull or pry them (not yank them) off. Put some lube in on reassembly, a little grease is good. It's possible to mess up the circular little springs if the joint is really old and rusty, but I've only done that once. A screwdriver or small open end wrench will do the trick nicely

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.