inspecting ball joints

I couldn't find a procedure in the factory service manual for inspecting our ball joints for unacceptable wear. Does anyone know what the recommended procedure for our trucks is?

I am leery of generic procedures such as "see if you can move the wheel up and down / back and forth" because they don't seem to specifically apply to any given suspension configuration.

Thanks,
Dave

PS - I ask because I am troubleshooting a highway speed front end vibration. And, I noticed a thump-type sound when going through a dirt pothole last week, which made me think a ball joint might be a little looser than ideal, but not ready to start making the classic loud clunking noise yet.