The source of all my pain (wobbling under brakes and creaking / cracking noises was lower control arm inboard nuts / bolts not tightened to spec.

They were way loose compared to the prescribed torque
Before you do anything to find a wobble or front end noise, make sure everything has been tightened corrlectly. This was the source of months of frustration and some unnecessary spending before I found the culprit

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2004 BMW X5
3.0L Inline 6 Auto