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That is definitely a picture of a dead joint. Well, a split boot to be more precise.

The fix is to replace the whole thing. Partly because there may be more damage or some dirt in there, but mostly because the cost of a boot from the dealership + the work involved tends to eb the same price as getting a whole new assembly.

A dealer could do it and so can most small shops around town. In the grand scheme of things it's not a difficult item to replace.

At least you found it! (Noticed you missed the meet, LOL)

 

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It *sounds* like a creaking sound from an upper strut mount. When you turn the wheel, the strut & spring and etc. move with it. Above that is a piece that bolts to the car. In between, the pieces slide on each other. Sounds like something in there is worn out. I mentioned it because my last car had a similar noise and that's all it was.

As an idea, lift the front of the car off the ground with a jack or something, and see if the noise is still there. If it is, that's actually great. You can take off the wheel and have someone turn the steering wheel while you take a look. Should be easy to find then. On the other hand, if it happens only with the weight of the car on it (and this is probably the case), then you could still have someone turn the wheel while you take a look. May not need the engine running either.

If you can get more specific about where it's coming from, that would help (LOL... Obviously ). Noise is vibration. It will be 2 parts rubbing on each other. It *sounds* to me like something coming through a sheet of metal (like a strut) as opposed to somethign solid (like a brake rotor). That's just an opinion of course

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Jeez, just noticed the name / location. If it can wait 2 weeks, I'm sure some people at the MNSC meet (Sat the 24th) can give it a shot