I too am having tie rod end troubles.....Look at this
link . Your original tie rod ends should look like the drawing. There is ball-stud in the steering arm and the old-style tie rod end is kind of barrel shaped with cups and springs and a threaded end plug like olblu49 described. It has female threads and screws on the ends of the tie rod and has a clamp. Do the new ones you bought look like the picture? I think the TF series (55-2nd and later) tie rod ends have the male threads. Maybe somebody else will add-to the discussion. Good luck.
