It would seem safest to see if the tie rod ends and/or ball joints are actually worn. On my 95-850 a tire shop told me I had a loose ball joint on one side. I verified this by raising the car and trying to separate the hub/steering knuckle assembly from the lower control arm at the ball joint. Use a crowbar and be careful not to cut the rubber boot. I found about 3-4 mm of play on one side, not the other. It would be hard to feel this with the car on the ground, but it was obvious once I raised the car to take some of the weight off the joint. I could also wiggle the entire tire and wheel a bit once it was clear of the ground. A similar approach should apply to the tie rod ends without raising the car. My car has 119000 miles and has seen quite a few rough roads and city potholes.