a buddy of mine just snapped a tie rod and it got me thinkin..
what is the exact reason it snapped?

also is there anyway to prevent this from happening?

 

they get loose and get weak hitting thing like gutters and stuff like that

it takes two people to check them out with the engine off key on so the steering lock doesnt lock have the one person crank the wheel back and forth, while the other guy under the truck looks for movement in the joint then Jack up the front end. Use jack stands also to keep it safe.
Grasping the top and bottom of each wheel, pull on the bottom and push on the top to feel for play. Then pull on the top while pushing on the bottom. You are rocking from the side of the vehicle to the center of it to test for clearance between the ball and the socket. You really need to but your back into it. If you feel ANY play you have a bad ball joint

 

They aint the strongest tie rods out there, Theres alot of things that add up to a messed up tie rod, one being that his torsion bars are cranked up raising the font end an putting the tie rods at an angle, Metal rods dont have great compressive strength so when taking off in 4wd or mudding ot hitting curbs at a high rate of speed the wheel can get forced to the inside and it will push against the tie rod, and if the tie rod if not parallel then it has to exhibit a greater amount of force just to match the force its getting in the X direction.

I have bent one pretty good then i got sleeves and never looked back.

jacking up the front end and grabbing the wheel on the top and bottem and checking for play along the x axis is how u check for a bad wheel bearing

 

i had the same problem on my truck when i put a leveling kit on it. i purchesd a set or fabtec tie rod ends much beefer then stock and havent had a problem since... kinda expensive but its worth it!!!