Secret Chimp

I replaced my driver's side inner tie rod last summer. Within the last few days, it's suddenly gone bad again.
I haven't taken a look at the part yet (Have to replace it after class tomorrow) but the previous one failed because I had a big gaping hole in my boot and water had ruined the ball joint. I replaced the boot and the joint last time.

Looking in the factory manual, it said to use "steering grease" on the ball joint side of it that screws in to the rack. I had no idea what the hell this was, and just used your standard reddish-pink wheel bearing grease.

If my boot looks OK and the part looks clean, did I just get a shitty part or something? Previously I had a bent front wheel that was wobbling back and forth and subsequently jerked the tie rod's ball joint out of shape, but after replacing that part I replaced my steelies with some straight EX aluminums a few weeks afterwards. I've been driving with this part for a good 8 months, I just replaced my PASSENGER side wheel bearing and upper A arm and this just decided to die on me. Luckily this time I know what it is (last time I was driving with it for maybe a month plus thinking "durr the dumb tire shop did a bad alignment")
I'm wondering if the NTB sabotaged my car somehow since they're lazy and keep doing a one-tie-rod alignment (I have a new pin on my driver's side castle nut but old crusty rusty is always there on my passenger side). Then again I'm nuts.

SlammedAccord96

What makes you think it went bad, did you jack it up and feel for play in that part? What brand was it (OEM/autozone/etc.)? About the alignment thing, when we do alignments we don't have a reason to take off the outer tie rod (removing the castle nut/cotter pin), it's just a matter of adjusting the tie rods (cracking the nut loose and loosening/tightening the inner into the outer). So they probably did it right, it takes like 10 minutes to do an average Honda alignment so I doubt they would have a reason to half-*** it.