Easy ball joint removal technique, especially on smaller ball joints: put the nut back on the end of the ball joint, jack up on the nut with a bottle jack, then put a prybar between the control arm and the knuckle and pull.
#automotive
If a car new enough to have an anti-theft system isn’t starting, check that the anti-theft system is working as expected before doing any further diagnostics. Could just be that the key is dead.
Wear indicators on brake pads should be oriented so that they're on the leading edge of the brake pad, on the stationary pad (since it wears faster). E.g., if the caliper is on the front of the rotor, the wear indicator should be on the top of the pad.