Tie rods are not the ball joints you should be checking. If you're just bumping the car up and down and it's squeaking, you need to be looking at the main ball joints on the steering knuckle where they attach to the drop arm. If the tie rods are OEM, the ball joints probably are too. When they go, they make a heck of a racket.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]