You'll break the boot if you do that. Try using the back end of a big axe, mallet, or huge hammer and hit it. Dont hit the bolts and mess them up. This may not be the proffessional way, but it works. I also jack the thing up a tad, with the bolt still on the end so it wont mess the threads up. This alows it to fall after you knock the crap out of it. Also, they make a tool that seperates it that you can rent or use for free i think at at Autozone, but i've never needed it.