No I didn't use a one link, it happened on a wishbone though, so similar.
What about using a uniball? I have a 1" uniball with misalignments to 9/16" and it gets a ton of travel each way. Rediculous really. I am using it to build some spindles. I bet you could run a 1.5" ball with a 3/4" bolt and get even more travel. You would spend about $100-120 or so, but it would be about bullet proof.