hi guys and gals
how can i tell if my ball joint and tie rod end are bad

if they are loose. I may not know to much about this stuff because i just started doing it myselft but. The difference between my new ones and old ones are very apparent. The new ones are very hard to move with you hands and the old ones i could push with one finger and move them. So basically if the ball joints are not tight replace them.

to properly check your ball joints you need to put a jack under the lower control arm towards the wheel and jack the wheel off of the ground. Now just grab the top and bottom of the wheel and check for movement in the joints....may be easier to have a helper move the wheel while you watch the joints from underneath the car...tie rod ends you can just grab them and check for excess play or have someone wiggle the steering wheel back and forth while you watch all the joints for play...