Will an Inner Tie Rod / Rack End Show Warning Signs Before Snapping Off?

[PlutosT4r]

Will a cheap inner tie rod show play before it snaps off, or could it snap off at any moment, without warning?

I bought one of the cheapest possible racks I could find (BuyAutoParts branded). I noticed some issues with the rack, then dove deeper into the customer reviews of all the racks they sell. At least one reviewer said both of his ITR's broke off within months of each other.

This is obviously a dangerous situation, but I'm wondering if the driver was ignoring warning signs. From the photo, you can see the rack end seems to have broken off cleanly where it tapers.

Any thoughts? FWIW, I will not be putting my family in the car with the cheap rack, I'm just trying to gauge my own risk driving at lower speeds. Vehicle is for rural mail delivery, does not go offroad, does not see much highway driving.

 

[GhostRing]

I tend to rely on reviews often, but need to remind myself to take them with a grain of salt...
No single product is 100% perfect, and there are always 2 sides to every story.
I don't think the parts will suddenly snap/shear without some considerable input on the driver's part.

That said, I just choked down a fresh Toyota rack and new OTREs on a 258K '98.
I was stunned at how loose everything actually was. Heed the signs and act accordingly.

I'd rather "buy once, cry once", especially with something as critical as steering.

 

[AuSeeker]

To answer your question I doubt you will get any signs of pending failure, cheap parts break because of one and or two reasons, made with cheap metal/parts and or abusive driving habits, hitting curbs/rocks, etc. etc., best bet IMHO is since you have evidence from others of the same rack you have falling, if it were me I would replace it with a quality rack, you're not only risking your safety, but that of pedestrians and other drivers on the road.

 

[rdruss]

Is it possible to replace the existing tie rods with Toyota ones? If so, why not do that?