After replacing my lower control arm bushings I took my Æ97 XJ for an alignment. The shop refused to do the alignment saying that there was too much play at the ball stud end of the track bar.

What are the symptoms of a worn track bar? The XJ seems to handle OK, except for a little drifting under hard braking.
Would tightening the castle nut take up the slack or should I just have the track bar replaced?

The quote I got seems OK ($228 out the door), it includes a new track bar and four wheel alignment. Thanks for any input.

'97 Jeep Cherokee XJ, Country, Black/Gray Leather, 4.0L, 4WD Command-Track, AW-4 Auto, 3.55:1 Gears, PowerTrax No-Slip Locker, Hi Country Tow Brackets, Spectre Air Filter, 235X75R15 Goodyear Wranglers, 126K miles