OK Gents, just a quick update, did this a while back.

When inspecting the tie rod end I removed, it looked fine. Also on this moog part anyway there was no way I could have pulled the ball from is socket. At the end of the taper near the bar the shaft has a flat spot machined in it where the shaft increases in diameter..this flat comes up against the bottom of the hole and the worst I could do was stretch the shaft...not likely.

I installed the new tie rod end torqued to 40 and dam thing lined up the exact same way ? I put a washer under the nut to raise it up and called it a day...it will stay like this.

I did forget to mention earlier I installed the bigger C-Body rod ends on my 69 B-body suspension if that would have changed anything I do not know...

Thank you all for your help.

PLAZ