Elantra HD (2006-10) :: 2007 - Consistent Creaking Entire Time When Wheels Are Pivoting

'07 Elantra GLS, around 150000 km, predominantly urban usage (city / highway).

I hear a creaking noise when I turn the steering wheel to the left or right. The creaking is consistent the entire time the wheels are pivoting. Sometimes I hear the same creak when the body pitches during acceleration or deceleration. It seems to be more prevalent once the car is warmed up (after driving a few km) vs. when it's cold. There's also a bit of a dead zone in the steering control, you need to turn the wheel slightly (to the first creak) before the wheels react.

The sway bars were replaced around 6 months ago, as they had some play in them which could be heard when passing over a bump. The driver's side CV is also less than a year old. The external steering components (ball joints / sway bars / outer CV arms) appear to be in good repair with no play that can be attributed to the creaking.

My mechanic (independent - I tend not to go to my local dealer whenever possible) thinks that there is some play in the linkage between the steering column and the rack-and-pinion - the exposed universal joint behind the brake pedal does have a little bit of a wiggle to it. The noise appears to be coming from there, you can hear the creaking in the cabin as you turn, but outside, you can't really hear the creaking. He's also of the opinion that this is a very unusual symptom given the age of the car.