I had this exact same noise in my e36 and never pinpointed it. It's annoying though. I would imagine this is extremely common but I would like to get to the bottom of it. It seems pretty high up on the steering column...as in...i don't think it's tie rods. Seems like the steering U-joint if i had to guess.
__________________
2005 X5 3.0i - 71k mi (9.2018) -> 81k (9.2019) -> 100k (9.2021) -> 123k (8.2025)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLD : 2003 X5 3.0 - 177k mi (9.2018) -> 186k (9.2019) -> 205k (9.2021)
SOLD : 1997 328is Coupe - Hellrot Red
SOLD : 1988 528e w/ Bullseye s256 / MS2 Extra / GC Coilovers / Yukon Coils ~ 300+ HP