The shop that did the alignment called me up and told me I needed an inner tie rod end on the left side. Never having done an inner tie rod end, I just let them do it, because it's raining and cold today and I didn't feel like teaching myself how one changes an inner tie rod end. So the alignment ended up costing me $161, all told.
On the way home, however, the car handled like new. The steering is tight and there are no strange suspension noises, like the odd grunting that had been coming from the broken springs in back.
I guess that's kind of hard to argue with.