Hey guys i just recently purchased a 2002 chevy s10 4x4 with 48,000 miles. The second day of driving i could hear a clunk coming from the front endwhen i woulddrive after a stop, sounded like a ball joint. I drove it on a rack and lifted it from underneath the control arms and felt a lot of play. So I took it to the dealer and complained that i think this car has a ball joint issue, and they called back saying it was a bad idler arm and that the ball joint was within spec.I was just wondering if i checked them properly, should i have lifted it from under the frame or pinch welds?

 

believe it or not, GM has set tolerances for play in front end parts. So what you may consider a bad ball joint, a tech may measure the play, and according to the specs, it is allowable.
In my opinion, when doing a safety inspection, ANY play is too much especially in ball joints.

 

Shawn I agree 100% I appreciate your replay and I think I'm just going to replace them on my own, thanks again.