Absolutely. The ball joints and tie rod ends hold the wheel in proper alignment. Turning the wheel left or right, or in or out on top as little as 1/16" can have a major affect on tire wear. A wheel that moves around will adversely affect handling and braking for a little while, until the worn part separates leading to loss of control and a crash. It's good that you found that now before something does break. If you can't figure out which is the offending part, have the car inspected at a tire and alignment shop.

Answered by caradiodoc (expert)
17,256 answers provided