I messed with my 98 that had all sorts of rattling up front. Changing the struts cured the problem. I would guess that my issues could have been solved by replacing the strut bearing alone but I guess I'll never know.
I changed the strut bearings...rattle persists...the shocks themselves sounded and felt good when out of the car. It now has new: control arms; tie rods and now strut bearings...gremlin?