Hi All:

I did a visual on my lower ball joints when I changed the front shocks. From what I know before I bought it last summer, I think this truck was a blacktop city commute vehicle all it's life and saw average use. The joints are dry and the rubber cups are holding grease in them. There is no cuts or leaks in them. The lowers passed safety inspection when I bought it 1800 miles ago, but the uppers were changed then. The tires showed little if any inner/outer wear when I got it. I have since changed to Falken winter tire(awesome). The truck tracks straight on highway and steers without effort or complaints.

Should I wait another 50K to have them re-checked, or does everyone do a wear test every time they work on any suspension part?

Thanks for help.

I personally run them until I either have a reason to check, or am under there for some other reason. If they don't squeak, don't have torn boots, and don't wobble about, then I don't worry about them

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2001.5 2.3 213xxx and counting
M501-HD L154 Manual
Don't bother looking for 1st gear synchros, I bought the last one

Local shop inspects them this way:
Lift the tire off the ground using the lower control arm, just enough to get a bar or pipe under the tire. While looking at the ball joint, lift up on the bar/pipe. Any movement will show on the joint.
I was a 'lift the tire off, wiggle it back and forth' kinda guy until he showed me that. I swore the joints were fine, to the point of nearly calling him a liar....SHOW ME!...and he did. I apologized and went home to change my ball joints. That was a $12 lesson in humility.

How was the wear on your tires? I heard wear would be on the inside tread for bad bj's. Hands off the wheel, it tracks straight doing highway speeds and will stay like that way for almost 45 seconds and only gradually move to the side.

Thanks guys for the posts!