Ford Explorer 2001 Rack and pinion problem

[dawnmomoffour]

I'm new here and not sure where to put this. Hopefully this is the right spot. I have been having nothing but trouble. My rack and pinion went and hubby decided to change it himself as he does all of our work. Well, turns out my 2002 (ownership says 2002) is actually a 2001 (says the vin) which we figured out AFTER we bought parts for a 2002. We go and buy another rack and pinion for a 2001. Finally we get the rack and pinion in after having to buy new hoses and getting wrong parts etc. Well, the rack and pinion fit on but the tie rod ends are too short. The tie rod ends that were on our old rack and pinion are the right size (3 inches longer) but the thread is wrong on the knuckle to the rack and pinion, so we have no tye rod ends now. Help! How many different rack and pinions are there for a 2001 and how many different length tye rods are there? How do I make sure I get the right part? I am so tired of all this money going out (over 900 dollars now) and NOT getting my truck running. I need the proper tye rods with the right length AND the right knuckle to get it on my rack and pinion. Thanks for any help you can give me. I have a 2001 Ford Explorer XLT 4 wheel drive 4 litre.
-Dawn
P.S. I had this in another section and realized it was wrong. How do I delete it from the other section? Thanks