Quattroporte 4.7s inner tie rods impossible to find

Dear members,

The steering rack for the QP is made by TRW. The inner tie rods that screw in to the steering rack do wear over time.

Here is the challenge:

1. Maserati do not supply the inner tie rod without buying a new rack!
2. The cost of the RHD steering rack is about £2500 (the LHD version is EURO 1,400!)
3. There must be an inner tie rod, maserati or otherwise, that is a identical to the one on the QP
4. The cost of inner tie rods is generally about £80 for the pair (for the 4200)

For those of you die hard technical innovators out there, can you find a solution to this conundrum? What inner tie rods are available that can be used in the QP without having to buy a steering rack too? Is the inner tie rod on the 4200 compatible with the QP?

It would be a great help for those QP or Granturismo owners who will no doubt in the future be subjected to unnecessary financial abuse from Maserati when they need to replace the inner tie rods.

I am researching to find an answer, i will post if I find one.
Best
Razz

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-inner-tie-rod-Maserati-GrandTurismo-08-16-/272748528610?fits=Make%3AMaserati%7CModel%3AGranTurismo&hash=item3f811443e2:g:etsAAOSwVJhZW-Uy&vxp=mtr#vi-ilComp

Have a look!

I just saw those pop up in my eBay searches too. they look a little questionable and $270 still seems high for a metal rod. hasn't tempted me enough to replace my slightly bent one.

as an FYI, they unscrew easily.