Mitsubishi Repair: Loose steering, 2001 mitsubishi mirage, sears auto center

Question
Hi Anthony. I'm driving a 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage, 4 door, automatic transmission, with approx. 150,000 miles.

I recently had issues with loose steering, as well as a bumping sensation coming from the front end of the vehicle. I took the car to a Sears Auto Center, where I was told the problem was worn tie rods.

About three weeks ago, I had all four tie rods replaced, and then had my tires aligned. The steering was much better, although there was still a small amount of 'bumping' left in the front end (for the record, I think this bumping has to do with needing new tires/my tires balanced, although if you feel otherwise, please let me know).

In the intervening three weeks, my steering has gotten progressively looser, and it's just as bad/worse than it was prior to getting new tie rods installed.

I'm obviously not looking for a complete diagnosis, but do you have any thoughts about how to proceed from here?

Thanks in advance.

Answer
Patrick,
New tires and a proper balancing can make a world of difference.  Your mechanic most likely did a ball joint checked.  But if the ball joints are bad, it will continuously throw off your alignment and cause the loose problem all over again.  So when you get your tires replaced, be sure the mechanic does a full suspension inspection again.  New tires can go bad VERY fast if anything in your suspension system is faulty.
Good luck!