What signs should I be looking for to determine if a part is still usable? Bushings are obvious and are cheap enough to replace anyways. Other things, such as an idler arm, aren't($80 for a new one). So how do I tell if parts are good or not? I've got a whole car that's sat in a field for quite some time and I'd rather not just point the 'Shotgun of Part Replacement' at my suspension.

 

Well when it comes to idler arms, pitman arms, tie rod ends, and ball joints and such, the shotgun approach is not a bad idea. None of these parts are good one day and bad the next. They all wear a bit every day. If the car you're messing with has a lot of miles on it, then all the parts are probably getting pretty sloppy.

Best way to check all that stuff though is to get under the car and check for play by putting pressure on the joints with a prybar and looking for movement. Like you're trying to pry the lower control arm off the spindle, etc. If you see any movement that joint is pretty badly worn. Realize that most cars will seem to drive alright for the most part even with bad ball joints and such.

An alignment shop might be willing to check all that stuff out for a nominal fee.