Bah. So the Firestone guys may have used the term "rolling death trap" or something or another when they refused to do my alignment last week. Anyway...

I've been ordering parts here and there, some to rebuild the aftermarkets I already have on.
You'd thing Tie Rod Ends would be the easy things.

I went to Napa and picked up a pair of inners (my IFS has both) for $110.
Then I got all up underneath it all and pickled off one of the old ones that was really bad. Uh-oh, the Napa ones are opposite thread. Great, now I have to drive a stock little Jeep baby limo around town to rectify the situation. I go to a "close" Napa and turns out they've had the problem before with their computer numbers on this part and someone Xterra owner returned a pair the other day. With a receipt of course, which... ah hell where is it? We can't help you sir.
I drive on to a PepBoys - none there.
Now Checkers - only have them at the main
Get honked at by crazy black jag
Drive to the main - Pick up another set of $110 TRE's. I'm assured they match the old one I have with me now.
Get up underneath and . . . nope try again cursed reverse thread.

Today I call the dealer. They have none in town but would love to have them for me in 3 days for $220. Yes that's twice the amount, or the total amount of unusable ones currently sitting on my floorboard.

Anyway, the part I was worried about most that I had to pound off had to go back on until I find new ones that thread on correctly.
I am quietly wondering if some mechanic pre-Michael switched the setup around or something therefore maybe causing the threading issues with the actually correct parts. I really don't know.

I did do my upper ball joints and some other bushing stuff is on the way.
Just posting to post. I don't expect any answers.
In theory I think I could flip the assembly if I bought outers too...maybe...I dunno

Ouch... my head hurts now...

mine too... but I think I get it: buy a jeep and use our old parts. Got it.

OK, I took one last trip down to Napa on my hunch.
Giving them a brief story description, I asked them to see one of their outers. The clerk assured me they would be too different for my flip flopped theory to be correct.
He brought one out and they matched up perfectly except now opposite threading. He was surprised.
So I bought a third set of TRE's and will give mine the switcharoo tomorrow. Might as well replace them all and keep a spare.
Thanks for listening :)

lol that is quite the adventure. Glad ya got it though!

thats kinda funny in a sick way cause ive been there before. glad you got it figured out.

Story close: I put the work into it on Saturday with OffroadAZ'a company and shade, and it turns out my theory rings true because only one side was switched wrong. Luckily I had one of the first purchased pairs still and one of the new pairs. I used one of each and was set. So someone at some point put the passenger side TR assembly on backwards.
I ended up finding the Napa receipts but they will only accept returns at the specific store you purchased them at. So two trips with receipts are in order.
At Checker, they didn't care what store or if I even had a receipt.

Good times.

this makes me happy!