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Aside from being able to feel play by pulling/pushing the wheel from side to side, how do you know if the tie-rod ends, or pitman arms are worn?
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Two ways are used to detect wear and play in the steering linkage.
1. The dry park test. With the engine off, all the wheels on the ground and the front wheels straight ahead, have a helper move the steering wheel firmly back and forth. While they are doing this, put your hand over each pivot point so you are touching both parts of the joint with one hand.
You will be able to feel any play in the joint this way. Do all pivot points on both input and output sides of the steering box. When you check the sector shaft for wear, grasp the houseing and touch the shaft or pitman arm close to the housing at the same time.
The wheels must be on the ground because this provides resistance and forces the play to be taken up. This is also the position where the wear has been happining. If the vehicle is raised, the wheels and linkage move to a new unworn position and you get a false reading.
2. Rotational torque. Manufactures often specify a minimum rotational torque for a tie rod end or a ball joint. You must disassemble the joint to make the test with a torque wrench. If my memory serves me, this can be as low as 5 inlb up to 15 inlb with wear before they recommend replacement.
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However, there is a "knock, bump, pop" (call it what you want) coming from the front end somewhere while driving at very slow speeds, or in reverse while the wheels are turned. Very situational dependent. It's inconsistent but occurs like when I pull a hard left out of the drive way, or then back up the opposite way (left/right). It usually only occurs once per drive (depending on the force in which the Jeep is moving).
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If your wheels are turned tight against the turn stops, there can be some sounds as the knuckle and stop "grind" against each other. Put a bit of chassis grease on each stop and see if the sound changes. This is more common in a independent front suspension but might apply to yours too.
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My goal is to get 200K out of it...and who knows, if I keep having fun with it, I'll rebuild the engine when it's time (or drop a long block in it :-)) and keep it going on till I cannot see past the steering wheel or I cannot remember where I was going.
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And thats when you'll have the most fun
ya just won't know it......
JD