find a 2 ft crowbar - lift the car on jackstands and muscle the lower arm and spindle apart at the ball joint - try that in all steering positions, it maybe possible the ball joint has hammered itself into a nice seat.
for a wheel bearing sound - find a freind who is a doctor/nurse - borrow his/her stethescope and give him back the press piece, put a rod in place of it - get under the car and put the stethescope on each spindle where the bearing is and listen for rough noise as the wheel spins.