tie rod/drag link

[lt1fire]

when i grab the tie rod and drag link i can twist them a fair bit... is this normal or is it time to replace the ends??? or get some extreme duty rods??

 

[Cruiser Jimmy]

If you can turn one tire from left to right and feel some slop in it, then it's time to replace.

(Grab the tire from the front end and rear end and with some force try and move the tire on the horizontal axis.)

My GOOD rod end can rotate about 10º.

 

[-Spike-]

Normal for a ball joint. They're tight when brand new, and loosen up enough to move by hand fairly quickly. If you feel play in them, they're junk. The easiest test is to watch them while someone else moves the steering wheel and see if they behave under load.

-Spike