well if the boots have gone you DO need to remove it and replace the Ball joints with out a boot there life is very limited, and will soon become dangerous

 

Beating on the red arrow does cause the tapered joint to pop out but when I don't have the patience for that I and I am replacing the ball joints I just cut the ball joint stem with a grinder blade attached to a drill. It takes about 15-20 mins. After that it takes about 3 or 4 taps to pop the stem out of the knuckle. Pressing the ball joints out without the ball joint stem in the way is easier too.

 

good luck getting the ball joint body out, I had to cheat to get mine out they had been in 20 years

 

The common C-clamp press worked for me although it gets exciting. They didn't smoothly press out but instead jumped 1/8 of and inch with a loud bang. How did you cheat?

 

I took the top off with a 9in grinder, then profiled ground the top with a small grinder nice a smooth in line with the housing, then I got my stick welder and ran round the centre of the ball joint an got it nice and hot, careful not to weld on the axle housing, let it cool down then 2 taps with a hammer it dropped out