Thanks for all the comments guys. Definitely one of my bigger forehead slapping moments.. just need to have the wife replicate the problem while I'm under there to confirm the panhard bar bushings. Hopefully that is all it is! Will also check out the steering shaft ujoints.

 

ExpeditionMan, did you ever confirm what the issue was? I have what sounds like the same thing you had going on. I replaced the panhard rod and bushings last year so they should be good but haven’t checked yet. I also recently put a used steering box in so I assumed that was the problem

 

Yup! ThIs was the panhard rod bushings. Had them replaced and the problem went away.

 

this was an excellent post guys - thanks

 

Well I’m glad I found this thread to point me in the right direction, thanks everyone! My panhard rod bushings are still good, but the adjuster nut on the rod itself wasn’t tightened down all the way which caused the play and associated popping noise. I feel like an idiot for not catching it, especially because I was about to swap in another ps box since I was convinced that’s where the noise was coming from.