I found checking the ball joints pretty tough when installed on the car. I
check BJs by grabbing the tire in the verticle and rocking it checking for
any play especially rocking the lower part of the wheel. If the BJ is really
worn you can see and feel movement. In my experience the lower BJs wear much
faster than the upper BJs. The uppers can be adjusted or screwed down a
little tighter to get rid of any movement or disassembled to check the ball
for wear. The right way to check is to remove the spindle from the BJs and
checking for play with no force on them.
If you find there is wear on the lower BJ get a ballpean hammer and smack
the bottom of the BJ to tighten it up a bit. Not really a long term fix but
it helps in a pinch.
Mike
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