clunking?

[GPXtC02]

First post!

Just looking for some help i.d'in where the "clunking" this suspension is giving me is coming from. I'd assume it's either due to the ball joints going bad or something else (preferably less costly) like the bushings. Suspension clunks and creaks every bump on the road. Is there any way to do a DIY just by look inspection, for the less-mechanically inclined? I'm about to take a 2k mile trip this next week and I can't afford what it would cost to get ball joints replaced if that was the problem so I'm just wondering/hoping a) what it is, b) if it was the ball joints, would it be safe/smart/practical to run for 2000 miles, and c) if it wasn't the ball joints and is something like the bushings, if it would be safe/smart/practical to run for 2000 miles.

2wd XLT 98' with about 89000 miles.

Thanks in advance.

 

[rngrdngr]

is your truck lifted? if it is it is the top of the spindle slaming the frame. yea they are noise bastereds. i greased all my bushings and there still squiky. put a jack under the lower control arm, jack it up, and grap the top and botom of the tire and push and pull. if it wobbles look at the upper balljoint as you do it. yea if there bad replace them now cause if they break