First, you need to get the weight of the vehicle off the ball joint, by jacking up under the control arm until the tire just clears the ground by an inch or so. Put a long pry bar under the tire, and try to lift it. More than a very slight bit of slack indicates a worn ball joint.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!