Background:
The wife works in downtown Wilmington, DE (yes I usually send her in with full body armor) so after about a year the :) strut bearings are in need of replacement.

Problem:
I would like to actually FIX the issue instead of replacing the :) strut bearing... again.

Solution:
I was looking at rod ends (spherical bearings) as an alternative, except the ENTIRE weight of the car is on these poor :) bearings. Fear not, McMaster.com lists a thrust rated rod end. http://www.mcmaster.com/#rod-ends/=27z0s2

Questions:
Has anyone actually fixed this issue?
What do we think of using rod ends?
Am I better off doing a redesign for the front suspension so I could get the strut out without opening the brake system and not wear out the :) strut bearing every few months?

Thanks to all!!

Andrew