I guess I don't get it... do you use AE CVAs? I do, and there's no play on either side.. Yes, if I disassemble the hexes and remove the CVA, the bearings will, with a gentle tap, both fall out. But once it's all put together, nothing. On the inside, the CVA boot has a thin washer between it and the inside bearing, there's a crush tube between the bearings, and on the outside, I use another thin shim outside the bearing, that the hex butts up against. There is no play.
Maybe I'm lucky, or maybe my bearings are a different size, but this problem has eluded me.
I'm with you on this one,disassemble it all and the bearings are loose,when i reinstall it all with the hexs everything is tight,my problem is the hinge pin going through the arm on the hub,the hinge pin moves to much in the arm itself,i even tried a new set and the same deal,other then that my car is pretty tight for the most part