A tie rod end includes a stud with a spherical ball at one end and a bearing having a concave spherical bearing running surface for sliding abutment with the ball. The contact area of the ball or the bearing running surface has a lubrication groove to facilitate channeling grease, wherein the grooved member is coated with a bonded lubrication coating. The lubrication coating reduces the initial preload torque from that which would be ordinarily be perceived as undesirable to a torque that is perceived as desirable. The lubrication coating is substantially consumed on the high contact area over about 100 to 500 thousand cycles, with the resulting torque being remaining greater than zero, which is also perceived as being desirable.