how to check ball joints and shocks.

[gradall]

I recently installed zone upper control arms after my factory upper ball joints popped out of their control arms. I had a little popping noise when the bj's first went, the zones helped a lot but now I still have a slignt popping from the front. I rechecked all the nuts and bolts in the control arms and new upper ball joint. They are all tight.
My thought process is now leading me to think maybe the 3000 miles I was unaware of the popping ball joints I might have messed up the factory lower ball joint or possibly the factory strut with the hbs 2" puck on top. Obviously the dealer can't/ won't be any help.

So to the b and b how can I check my lower ball joints or is there a tell tail?

How to check the strut? I get the truck shaking from pushing on it so the whole thing shakes and it waves for bout 4 times then stops. Any other ways to know?

 

[Ghengis_Khandrey]

I've checked em by lifting the truck, removing the wheel and squeezing the ball joint connection with a big pair of channel-locks to check for play

 

[jdogbyo]

Is the top of your shock (the stud) hitting the 2" spacer? This is from another post in the lifted section and that is what was causing a popping sound after he installed the Zone UCA 2" kit. Scroll down in the link below and you can see pics.

http://www.ramforum.com/f40/zone_offroad_2_adventure_series_uca_lift_system-48904/index3.html

 

[gradall]

I'm taking the spacers out tomorrow and putting in 5100s. I hate the spacers, they are causing crazy stuff to happen in my suspension.

 

[jdogbyo]

Do you have a 4WD?

 

[gradall]

Yes 4wd, I got the bilsteins in at 2.8 and she rides like a champ.