New, very sporadic noise from front of w124

[BodhiBenz1987]

I have a relatively new, and extremely sporadic, pop coming from what seems to be the left front wheel area, which I've been trying to pinpoint and could use some suggestions beyond what I've suspected and checked. I've been trying to catch it on video but I can't seem to purposely recreate it.
I would describe it as somewhere between a pop and a clunk. It only happens once-in-a-while on certain fairly sharp, low-speed right-hand turns, or when straightening the wheel from a right-hand turn, usually when I'm lightly on the brakes ... such as pulling into a parking space or backing out of one. Occasionally I get the same sound from the same area when accelerating quickly from a stop going straight, but mostly just the turns. It does not make a constant sound, or grinding or creaking or groaning. Just pop and that's it. Maybe two pops. It does not do it with the car sitting still no matter how much or how rapidly I turn the wheel. And it does not do it consistently. Most of the time pulling in and out of parking spots or lots it doesn't happen. I can't figure that formula that makes it happen. It does not happen going over bumps or potholes.
I have tried bouncing the front of the car up and down, no sounds. Tried rolling it back and forth, turning the wheel, no sounds.
I checked tie rods, drag link, ball joints, springs and shocks visually, as well as sway bar. I can't feel any play in the ball joints ... tried putting a pry bar under and lifting up with the wheel off the ground. Calipers are on tight, and brake pads (though looking due for a change) don't seem loose. Bearing play seems normal. No noises from tugging on and wiggling around wheel in all directions.
I found a loose sway bar bracket bolt in the front but tightening it did not stop the pop sound.
I checked to make sure the steering box was not loose, and checked other components in engine compartment for looseness. Engine mounts are good and bolts down tight. No loose bodies in the engine compartment.
Stuff I'm thinking it could be:
-loose brake pad ... have to change these anyway so I'll see if that makes a difference
-sway bar bushings ... they look fine, but have a lot of orange powder around them ... maybe just worn?
-door check ... really sounds lower-pitched than a door check sound, but it's possible it's coming from the driver's side door check.
-shock or shock mount. Shocks don't show any other symptoms. They were changed about 40k ago, but the mounts were not changed (I had a shop do it ... wish I'd thought to tell them to replace the mounts and bumpers).
-steering box internals?
Any other thoughts of things to check? I'll take off the steering shock and push it by hand but I'd think noise from that would occur more consistently.