The tie rods look pretty beat up. I would replace them. The assembly with the tab welded on is modified. The steering damper is not stock. The tab and the piece of pipe slid over the rod and welded in place, are "fixes". The tie rod was bent and the pipe was added and welded in to try to keep it from bending again. This reinforcement is common in off roading. The tab was probably added to make the stabilizer mount more permanent. I would replace it all and not use the stabilizer. 18# is a good number. A little tight is much better than a little loose. As long as its a fairly smooth pull.