Rear suspension noise

[1995TS]

1995 Transport, been making thumping, banging noise for about 3 or 4 years, at low speed going over bumps or around corners.
lately been getting louder, along with louder exhaust noise. taking it into muffler shop indicates it needs some replacement of hangers and some pipe work, which will be done in about 10 days.
While examining then rear suspension, the rear track bar exhibited no play side to side, yet the bar could rotate fore and aft quite a bit.
Question for those more experienced on these systems, is this this way they were designed, to be able to rotate to accommodate movement on the bar or basically are bushings in this bar have worn out?
Not finding any play in the rear axle arm bushing, shocks have no play
Thanks
Jeff

[Blue Bowtie]

I have a different vehicle with a live axle using a track bar. The only purpose of the bar is to keep the axle from uncontrolled movement side-to-side. Everything else is the responsibility of the upper and lower control arms.

[1995TS]

This van uses a simple axle. The tie rod in question is #6.
It is part number 10208793, and the bushings in it look similar to what is on a control arm bushing, which I dont think should have much rotational play. I suspect the bushings have, after about 30 years, given up, and the rod is rattling on the brackets. rear axle pontiac.png

[1995TS]

Update on the noise:
Removed the track bar ( GM calls it a tie rod). The bolt fastening the rod to the axle could be turned by hand, even though needed heat and strong impact to take it apart. Figured with all the looseness I had found the source of the rattling, but no such luck, rattle still there. The bolt in question had quite a bit of wear on it, but being metric, couldn't obtain a replacement locally, so used grade 8 1/2 inch bolt.