Inner Tie Rod Installation Questions

[smetzger]

Inner tie rod has is a tabbed lock ring. The tabs are bent towards the outside of the car.

1) Is this lock ring really necessary?

2) For removal I banged the tabs out with a screwdriver. How to I install the new one, since I would be bending them towards me?

 

[smetzger]

I got it on... was only able to bend one of the four sides of the lock ring...

Follow up weirdness....

• Before new inner and outer tie rods...
• Left side, I could shake the wheel side to side and top to bottom. I did not get any grinding sound when rotating the tire
• Right side, I could only shake the wheel side to side. Top to bottom was solid. I did not get any grinding sound when rotating the tire

After installation, symptoms on right and left side switched...

• Left side - can only shake side to side
• right side - can shake side to side and top to bottom

What the heck is going on here?
Do I have bad bearings? As far as I can tell the control arms are good