well i heard that if you put your foot on the top of the front tires and push, if it moves, the ball joint is bad. now my question is, how much play is okay? when i do this, my truck shakes side to side on each tire, but not much. i also heard that the ball joints go bad on these trucks all the time, thats what made me check it.

 

I know the ball joints on the 4x4s are notorious for going bad, I had to replace mine when I first got the truck. I don't know if the 2wds are just as bad. Just be sure when your doing the test that way that its not sidewall roll your seeing.

 

thats true, but i did it again just to make sure, and it isnt sidewall roll. but i also thought about it, and my stabalizer bar linkage is broken on one side, so its not really connected. the roll im seeing could just be from that

 

In the 1995 service manual, pages 2-10 through 2-13 or so go over the allowable movement in the ball joints. Lower is allowed 0.020 inches of play, and upper is allowed no lateral movement. 4WD is allowed no play in any joints. I would guess the tolerances would be close if not the same for the 93 also.

 

What about the 87s, I dont want to find out that im going to have to put on some ball joints in the nearby future

 

Another indicator of bad ball joints/front end components is odd wear on the tires.....like wearing the outside of the tires, etc.

I've always been told to check mine by jacking the truck up and taking all pressure off the front suspension, and then try to move the tire....

 

Yes, I noticed that it will cup the outside tread very badly. I still have 4 tires that have at least another years worth of tread on the middle but completely smooth on the outside. I HIGHLY recommend getting MOOG replacment balljoints. MOOG is simply the best IMHO. And moog parts usually come with a lifetime warranty.

I also replaced the sway bar bushings with moog as well.