Abstract: A method and apparatus for cold forging a workpiece having a non-circular opening. The workpiece may be, for example, a ball joint housing having a non-circular opening in the bottom. The housing made be made of metal, such as carbon, alloy and stainless steels, aluminum, titanium, brass, copper, and high-temperature alloys that contain cobalt, nickel or molybdenum. The non-circular opening is preferably oblong in shape for providing uni-axial movement of a toggle or shaft. The workpiece is preferably cold forged using the backward extrusion process in which the metal flows back and around the descending punch or ram. The punch and stool are designed such that they are slightly more elongated in the transverse direction than the non-circular opening in order to compensate for the tendency for the finished workpiece to be elongated in the longitudinal direction due to the cold forging process.