When do I tighten the pivot shaft nuts on my truck's suspension?

[72timemachine]

Thanks for the detailed answer. I also like to get a handle on components that don't look long for this world. In the meantime I always have the grease gun on standby with a backup cartridge on the shelf. Seems the cheapest easy way to defend yourself against worn front end parts, of course dodging potholes helps, it just look like your driving under the influence.