testing tie rods is simple, jack up the wheel and just grab the tire at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions and push to the left and to the right, if theres any play its shot.

and come to think of it mine were so shot the mechanic i took my car to before i bought it said id fix this first, i never saw tie rods so loose, the wheel moved like 2 inches each way, and they do and will come apart.