Pair of Wishbones

[Niall]

you may find that its easier to check the top bearings whilst car is NOT jacked up.

sometimes when the wheels/hubs drop as the car is jacked up it loads them and gives a red herring 'ok'

For stock mounts that's probably right, but these are spherical bearing ones, and I think they drop down when they're unloaded, and this is where the play might be...

The bearings drop down when unloaded? Thats not right at all ed! They should stay exactly where they are loaded or not.