Hey, Apache,
I thought I'd warn you about using those cross-steering connecting rods with the later-model tie-rod ends. I purchased one of them, and had to press out the material in the spindle arms to insert them. What I learned is this: The steel in my new cross-steering rod was super hard - way too hard for this particular component - probably up around Rockwell C-70 or higher. The harder steel gets, the more brittle it becomes. Eventually, it gets like a file, which if bent at room temperature 'snaps' rather than bends. And that's exactly what mine did - snapped like a twig rather than bend ever-so-slightly. I don't think anyone wants a safety-oriented component that shatters if struck by a large rock or something. Stick with mild steel rods for this purpose. I ended up ordering a piece of 1" mild steel to replace that super-hard rod.
Good luck!
