[shorod]

Since you mention that you stripped out the ball joint removal tool, I don't think this is the case, but I'll ask anyway.

Did you pry down on the lower control arm to see if it moves away from the spindle and ball joint? The natural resting position of the lower control arm is pretty much up where the spindle attaches. Once the ball joint is loose from the control arm you would need to pry the control arm down far enough that you can then move the spindle out of the way so the ball joint doesn't just drop right back in.

-Rod