Hi & appreciate any help and advice what so ever!

I hope this is the right forum for asking for help, so I posted this also in the tech forum. I'm new so it's going to take alittle while to learn the forum.

I bought a nice 02 Ford Windstar SE minivan about 1 month ago with 99,000 miles well taken care of. I bought it from a private small dealer, and it comes with a 1 month/1000 mile warrenty.

RE: The van drives pretty good, but there is a slight drift or pull to the right at various times but not all the time.
I also noticed that with it running in park, that while turning the steering wheel back & forth slowly about the span of 4 inches left or right, that you could feel in the steering shaft an area of (Rub or bind or wear play) that seemed to be about 1/2" of play or what ever one could call it, but wasnt real pronounced, and could just barely feel it.

(Inspection of front suspension & components)
So I mentioned this to and took it to a Midas Shop to have an inspection dowen of the under front suspension. They said all looked fine except for maybe a slightly worn inner right passinger side tie-rod that only has a slight amount of movement in it.
I then took it to a Ford dealership and they did the very same inspection, and they said the same thing, all looked very good and maybe a slightly worn inner right side tie-rod.

So I told the small dealer that I bought it from, he said I'll have the tie-rod replaced and an alignment done.

(Whats been done)
1. The tie-rod was replaced at a small 1 man shop.
2. The alignment tech at (another shop) said he noticed the person that changed the inner tie-rod left the inner boot strap off it and the boot would need a strap installed to protect it from dirt/water damage, and he said
3. He said an area in the steering wheel could be felt that seemed to be a worn or loose steering knuckle down near the steering box, and that an alignment would not hold or be right unless that was corrected first. He told the dealer this on the phone, but the dealer told him to go ahead and alignmn it anyways. (I asked him what that is? He says it's like a small universal joint down in the steering shaft at or near the rack)

I then drive the van & its worse now with a pull to the right than it was before anything was done!....even the wheel is now off centered somewhat.

I drove to the small selling dealer, he says that he will make a few calls and see if he can get it taken care of.

He then says next Friday to have me bring it back in to have the steering knuckle replaced, but not by an authorized Ford dealer.

My question to you alignment/steering/suspension pros:

1. What seems to be your take on what the problem is with-in the steering or suspension parts of this van that may be or is the problem?
2. What suggestions or advice can you give me here?

Many Thanks, and I dont want to have something touched or fooled around with that might not be the real problem, and surely dont want to have it come out even worse than it is now.

Jimmy