How much play?

[6.0kansaspowerstroke]

How much if any play should the ball joints have on a 04 f-250? I have a bad shake at highway speeds. I jacked the front end up and put a pry bar under the tire and picked up on it and the tire moved just a little bit in the up and down direction.

MY streering stabilizer is also covered in oil so im thinking that it has went out and it doing no good. would that cause the shake? Im trying to figure this out hoping its not my ball joints. I can not afford that adventure at this point in time. Ford wants a 1000 bucks to replace them.

Im not sure what they are called but to me it looks like the sway bar behind the front axle the links that are monted to that then the frame the bushings on them are gone. what is the exact name of the and maybe fords part number? With those out and my steering damper out would the cause the shake? I have not noticed any wierd tire wear at all. IT just started doing this a few months ago. Thanks for any help

[jesilvas]

You can look at the ball joints while someone moves the tire like you did and see them moving if they're that bad. Mine were VERY obvious.

[2006PSDSD]

Any play in your ball joints, is no good. A steering stabilizer will not cause a shake, but improperly balanced tires will. Maybe you threw a weight

Those bushings are just that, sway bar link bushings. You can do the ball joints yourself for less than 300 bucks, probably closer to 200

[sinner6.0L]

the way you checked your balljoints is the way I do it too. It'll show you play where otherwise you might not feel anything up or down.

Have someone else pry up on the wheel while you actually look at the joints, you'll be able to see which ones move, any obvious movement and your joints are bad.

Also check your steering, with the wheels on the ground and the vehicle off (steering wheel unlocked) have someone gently shake the wheel back an forth so the tires are just barely scrubbing the ground. look for any looseness in your tierods, draglink or track bar this way.

[6.0kansaspowerstroke]

i found a write up on superdutypsd.com which is awesome. My question is do the part numbers he gives work on a 04 6.0. it says its for a 2000 f-250 i think. Im just making sure before i walk into the part store with numbers that wont work. Im also thinking about changing all the bearings while im in there even tho i dont think any of them are going bad. what do you guys think about that? Am i just making more work for myself or is it a good preventive maint. idea?