Update: Took the car into the dealer and had them look at the noisy/howling/growling front end. It was indeed the wheel bearings. They replaced both front bearings for what I thought was a very reasonable $349. Now the car is so quiet it is spooky! Thanks again to Kurt for correctly diagnosing the problem.

Lee K
98 E0 CSVT, silver


Lee K 98 SVT Contour, silver (sold after 7 years and 100K miles) 03 Lancer Evolution, red