In a message dated 6/17/05 11:15:04 AM, korkwood@WSHOST.NET writes:

<< Comments very welcome >>

Leon,

From what I know of you, you have been around the block more than once, so,
I'm sure you can tell the difference between
"stiff-it'll-loosen-to-a-proper-fit-with-use" and "somebody-screwed-up-at-the-factory".  I think you have an
example of the later.

A couple of years ago I got some new outer tierod ends.  When I went to put
them on, they seemed to be bound up solid.  I called the parts guy about them
and after telling me about the state of the art factory which he had toured
where the tierod endo's were made, he told me something I already knew - tierod
ends are stiff when new.  I told that they seemed to be well beyond stiff, but
he assured me all was right and told me in not so many words to stop whining
and just install the damn things.  Within a month, I was in his parking lot so
that he could hear for himself the moaning and groaning coming from the tierod
ends.  He replaced the parts without question.  He won't be so lucky the next
time because I have found out since then that reputable manufacturers have in
place a form of backcharge they call a "labor charge" to compensate a jobber
for the time and materials he spends replacing their DOA parts.

George