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I'm looking to replace the tie rod ends on my 99 EX w/ 160K miles. My mechanic says mine are fine, but I'm noticing a little crunchiness when whipping the wheels from side to side at low speeds. I want to keep all the clearance and maybe add to it as roads are getting worse. I'm looking for the smoothest ride possible. Any increase in cornering or shock absorbsion would be welcomed, particularly if it keeps maintenance costs down.

So my question is, is there any low-hanging fruit to replace at the same time? Entire tie rods? Bushings? I want to keep the labor costs in the range of $2-300.

 
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Ball joints are probably worn if original. Shocks could be what you are feeling. Did your mechanic check everything out?

 
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Everything is original, even the wheel bearings, which I also plan on doing at the same time. I don't think my mechanic was really being thorough in inspecting things. I'll ask him about ball joints. Anything else I don't want to miss while he's working on it?

 
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Things I would take a look at and decide since you are there:

1 - Replace tie rods - inexpensive and easy as long as the tie rod will come unscrewed. It can seize on there, especially if original 20 year old and no alignment has been done in some time.
2 - While you look at that, take a look at the Power steering rack boots, they could be torn, mine were done at this age and needed replacement. Easy to do since you need to take the tie rods off to replace
3 - For other suspension, if in your budget, I would replace the shocks and springs. I used the Monroe QuickStruts (I just wanted the stock replacement feel, so nothing fancy for me) and they were great and fast to put on.Also gave me everything new so no old bushings.
4 - I would while there replace the upper control arms while replacing the shocks. can make a big difference
5 - Consider looking at front sway bar links for replacement.

For me, the car started to feel like brand new again in the steering and handling once I replaced these. no wobble or weird vibrations in steering, smooth ride up to 80MPH. Even takeoff was changed with little wheel hop or shuddering.

 
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Thanks so much. This is great and very helpful. Exactly what I wanted to know. I'm just a newcomer, here, but it seems like stuff that a lot of people would want to know - how to make an old Civic feel like a new one in the most direct way.

 
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Bring it to a better mechanic. You can even watch youtubes to learn how to test suspension and steering yourself. Not a good idea to dump money into it blindly without testing first. 6th gen Civics are not known for a soft/cushy ride, if anything they are set up to be a nimble, fairly well handling ride but the driver/riders will definitely feels bumps in the road. In general the lower the ride height the better the handling but worsens jarring and bumps. If, after testing the struts/shocks need replacing KYB is the factory brand stocks and are a very good value for the price.

Inner and outer tie rods are easy to inspect. I agree with GolNat that it's most likely the ball joints you are hearing. Ball joint test: https://www.wikihow.com/Check-Ball-Joints. At 160k miles it's very likely some steering bushings are worn out and need to be replaced but inspect/test first.

 
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Exactly what I was thinking. To me, this is an inexpensive car, so throwing a new suspension like what I recommended is not a big expense and since your car is not down you can buy a bit at a time. I bought the shocks and springs one month, the rest of the suspension the following, and installed it the third month all at once. If you've owned the car for time or not, most people just don't tend to maintain the suspension, so that's why to me it's a no-brainer to just throw it in and mark it down that you are good for years and years to come. Time and money. You might laugh but I have had several people get in the car expecting a hooptie ride and being surprised how "tight" and decent the ride felt because that stuff was refreshed.