When I replaced the ball joints on my NX, the new ones were very rigid and hard to move. The old ones were flimsy like a flaccid, um, you know. :D Is it the flaccidity versus the stiffness that separates a good ball joint from a bad one? Or is it something else?

Softies are probably just worn out.

When I had a busted ball joint in the 91, the wheel moved. I jacked the car up and played with the wheel, and there was over 1/4" of play, and it was moving at the ball joint. Other than that I don't know how to tell if a ball joint is bad.

I didn't have any "noticable" play in mine by jacking up the car and shaking the wheel, but I had a noticable clunking in the front end over washboard bumps.

My ball joints were flacid as a you know what as well. The new MOOG's I put in couldn't even be moved by hand.