Groaning on Tight Turns

Naturally, my mechanic is away until after the long weekend!

In the last few days the car has started a loud groan when parking. It does not matter if the car is hot or cold, and does not happen when making turns while driving at any speed. It only happens when I am turning the wheel sharply to pull/back out/in to a parking space or my driveway. This has happened once or twice in the last six months, but just the kind of thing that happens once, you think "what was that", but forget about because it does not happen again. Yesterday it happened every time I parked the car.

The sound is not a metallic grind, or the screeching sound a timing belt makes, its a definite groan. A long, sustained groan for the duration of the turn. One of the kids says it sounds like a whale. :) I cannot really tell if it is coming from the back or front, but I sense it is from the front.

I do have a current issue with one of the front ball joints, which has been looked at by my mechanic. He pretty much shrugged and said it was not that bad. Nothing urgent, fix it when I had the extra cash. Could the groaning be from the ball joint? Is this an indication that I should fix it now? Or could it be something else entirely? I am aware of the GM recall on steering, and don't think this is a steering issue. I am getting no loss of power. And I do not have power steering fluid to check in this car.

We barely use this car. I just use it for shopping and such, but now I am afraid to drive it anywhere over the next few days until I can get it into the shop.

Should I be afraid? Very afraid? ;)

Thank you!