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Put the front of the car on jackstands. Make sure it is as solid as a rock. Then you can pull back the boot, get a good light, and really watch the ball and socket connection while your assistant grabs the wheel at 9:00 and 3:00 and moves the system back and forth. The ball should not be sloppy at all within the socket. If you are very careful, you can also feel play through the boot sometimes without pulling the boot back and without exposing the actual connection. With your fingers, squeeze down, through the boot, on the exact spot where the ball dissappears into the socket and have your assistant move the system back and forth. If you can feel the ball moving in and out of the socket a little bit, you have play that should not be there. Personally, I don't think the through-the-boot way is as good as pulling back the boot, exposing the joint, and visually looking it over while your assistant moves the wheel. At this point you can also grab the the spot where the ball dissappears into the socket with your hand without the boot possibly masking movement of the joint.
I know what you mean about the peens. I filed the peen off when I replaced mine. It was a bit of a chore, but not too bad really. I was reluctant to beat on things with a chisel and hammer. Filing was a gentle way to do it, but, if you decide to do this, monitor your filing very carefully. Do not file into the shoulder of the depression that the peen is dented down into. You want the peen on the new tie rod to have a good grip.
Good luck
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Thanks to everyone for the help, Doug C. 81 242 Brick Off Blocks, stock, M46; 86 244, 140k , auto.
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