[woodsman]

and while the car's up and the wheel's off, I'd suggest placing a jack under the rotor and raising it to full compression, then release the jack, quickly and repeat-up and down and see if the problem shows itself. Be careful you're not lifting the car off the jackstand- you just want to cycle the suspension. It may be just a balljoint that needs lube or it could be the bearing race at the top of the strut assembly. This is only a $35 part but it has an important job as it allows the strut assembly to rotate as you steer. To replace it the strut must come out and be disassembled. You can check it by using a 2 or 3 jaw puller to remove the tie rod end -then you can turn the assembly through it's rotation- it should feel smooth and well oiled-like any healthy bearing. Ahhh , the joys of owning an aged car!