Originally Posted by InspGadgt

You may find that just popping the ball out and back in is enough to loosen it up. I have a pivot ball popper tool that works really good at putting the ball in but it is too big to use it to remove the ball. Basically on the pivot balls that my tool doesn't work on I'll make my own makeshift tool that works on the same principal. Use a really long 3mm screw cap head screw through the pivot ball. On the other side stack up some sort of washers or spacers wide enough for the ball to pass through and deep enough for the ball then cap it off with washers and a nut. Then all you got to do is tighten the screw and nut and it will pop the ball right out without damaging anything.