So I got this clunking from the steering column, that's where I believe it's coming from. I got underneath it, actually had 2 friends standing around turning the wheel but I believe I pinpointed it to the column. Ball joints, trac bar, tie rod ends have all been observed to no avail. Could it be the box transferring the noise to th column? Anyone have any advice?

 

Isolating the area a bit more, put the front axle on jack stands so the wheels are off the ground and turn the wheel - sound still persists?

Disconnect the steering shaft from the steering box and turn the wheel - sound still persists?

if im mistaken and your not suspecting the actual steering cloumn to be the issue maybe you should inspect the unibody rail around the steering box and the track bar mount on the frame for cracks. May even need to remove both the steering box and track bar mount from the unibody to assure yourself its not cracked out of sight.

 

A worn out ball joint in the track bar will cause a steering clunk. Its location is close to the steering box.

The track bar prevents the axle from moving side to side and the steering link pushes and pulls against the track bar when steering. If either the track bar bushing or ball joint is loose, steering input will cause a clunk. The proximity of the bail joint to the steering box leads me to believe that is the source. It's easy and cheap to replace. If you have trouble getting the ball joint removed, it's fairly easy to remove the mount from the frame to work on it on your bench.

 

There is a tiny U-joint on the steering shaft below the master cylinder, before the steering box. Take a look at that while you wiggle the steering wheel.

 

Yeah while underneath the sound seems to be coming from the body of the steering column but yeah, I'll start by disconnecting the steering box and go from there. Then if necessary stat disassembly of components, look for cracks.