Is there something im not getting here?
 

I have ordered tierods for both my car and my moms car and both times i have gotten parts that do not match..

this is getting ridiculous...

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/8819/dsc049831ab.jpg

volvo:
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/7379/dsc049854le.jpg

bmw:
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/828/dsc049864gt.jpg

Why does this seem more typical than an exception? :dunno

who are you ordering from?

Alot of aftermarket parts have some cosmetic differences (Moog & TRW front end parts are good examples) but they usually perform the same or better. Just stick w/brand names. Since Ebay there's alot of "fly by nights" out there and all parts are fair game.

Yep . . for example the difference between the serrated flange nuts, compression nuts, and the nylock nuts as shown in the pics. All 3 types do the same thing, just slightly differently . . pretty much interchangeable. The parts all work the same, probably just different production runs.

The bmw ends are from autohausaz and the volvo ends are from FCP Groton.

I understand that they are all up to oe spec, but not all oe spec parts are created equal..

Lemforder>meyle>karlyn, hamburg technic, ocap, etc, etc... its just that i expect to get fricking matching parts.. these parts are from different manufacturers and therefore of different grades... i want the same balljoints around the car, suspension parts should be symetrical in all aspects if you ask me....

What a pain in the ass :angry