HELP TRW brand tie-rods

[davem]

So I got some TRW tie-rods assemblies because my supplier was out of Lemforder. After I got them the Lemforders are now in stock, go figure.
http://www.autopartsway.ca/autoparts2/index.cfm?fetch=part~ID=1991~BMW~325is~241621

Anyways so the TRW tie-rods look a bit different than the Lemforders and the tierods that are in the pictures of both of the sources I'm using as a guide. If you look at the end that screws into the rack, the Lemforders have two deep grooves that you bend the securing plate over (little washer with a tab). The TRWs have four grooves, but they're shallow and it's difficult to imagine how to bend the securing plate. The grooves are just too damn shallow.

What the heck should I do? Why the heck did TRW design these differently? Or did I somehow buy non-E30 tierods?

See the pics:

TRW


Lemforder

[txtorquemade]

I use TRW and they fit fine. Work fine. All fine.

[JGood]

I had the same problem with my Meyle's when I did my e36 rack conversion. I just bent the tabs as far as I could (which was virtually impossible, and did nothing useful). One of them came loose, on my track car, on the track. Luckily I caught it before it fell out completely. It was still threaded in 5-6 threads. Otherwise me or someone else could have been seriously hurt. I re-tightened it, and made it very tight, and it hasn't come loose since...

That's enough motivation for me to pay the extra for Lemforders.

[McGyver]

how important are those washers? i just tightened them down and used locktite on them.

[Wh33lhop]

how important are those washers? i just tightened them down and used locktite on them.

That depends. How important is your ability to steer?

[McGyver]

meh. i guess i'll fix it properly when i put the springs in.

[KenC]

I used a chisel and just hammered the plates into the notches.