Okay, I can try and take a video of the popping. I have a few things to rule out for this sound which happens when turning while accelerating and its coming from driver side and passenger side, front area of the vehicle.
The struts: during inspection I noticed that a previous mechanic didn't have the top strut bolts/nuts lined up over the holes where the studs pass through. So I fixed that, looked at the actual strut underneath and no visible damage or wear.
The tie rods: 1 outer tie rod. Passenger side boot is damaged, torn and pulling away from the actual stud. Bought the replacement part will be installing that tomorrow.
Engine Mounts. Another area known for popping while driving. After a visual inspection they look slanted and not straight up. They have a heat shield sleeve wrapped around the majority of it so it's difficult to find any cracks. I am going to rule them out tonight by placing a flat head screwdriver on it while the engine is running to check vibrations. These could have been damaged when the engine cradle fell violently.
Rack and Pinon Assembly. This is unfortunately an expensive part, I am not sure to trust the cheaper refurbished assemblies. This could have been damaged when the engine cradle fell. I see no leaks and the inner tie rod boots are not torn or separated but this is another area that can do the popping. I am going to take the car to an empty parking lot and drive making figure 8's to try and see if I can reproduce the popping.
I have my work cut out for me and I am not up to taking it into a shop just yet. Apparently, my VIN has a recall on the airbags, so I'll need to bring it into the dealership soon after my list of To-Do's on this car are completed.
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022 AT 7:32 AM