Front-end creak on 5000 ...

["Arun Rao" <rao%frisbee@frisbee.pixar.com>]

	O Collective Fount Of Wisdom,

	Getting off the freeway late Saturday night after an hour-long
	drive from the South Bay in my '85 5KT, I suddenly started hearing this
	creak (well, it's actually a sort of creak-grind) that seems
	to be coming from the left front wheel or thereabouts. After
	driving around a bit on Sunday and today, here are my observations:

	1. Car must be in motion, > 30 mph.
	2. Cannot replicate by "rocking" the car by hand.
	3. Happens only on bumps, lasts as long as the bump, but usually
	does *not* happen on large "low-frequency" bumps.


	Well, this sound isn't exactly confidence-inspiring, especially
	since I frequently haul my wife and kid around in this car. As
	far as I can tell, it could only be a problem with the following
	in order of estimated probability:

	1. Strut/shock-absorber.
	2. Lower ball-joint.
	3. CV joint.

	Any ideas, folks?  Poking around, the only thing I could see that
	was obviously wrong was a cracked driver's side engine mount, though
	I don't see how that could cause such a noise.

	TIA!

	-Arun