Does anyone else remember the good ole days when all the government needed were fire hoses and German sheperds?
gloves, goggles, an apron. :)
The popping sound when turning sounds like a bad cv joint. Get it fixed because when it goes out, then you're stranded. Trust me, I've been there. As far as the tires, sounds like you have a knot in your tire. I would first check the pressure to make sure it's fully inflated. I would then rub my hand around the tire to see if you can feel a knot. Even a tiny knot can cause this problem. It is also possible that you have bad wheel bearings, but I'm leaning toward a bad tire in all honesty. Bad brake pads make a different noise than popping. Sometimes it's a squealing sort of sound, or a rubbing sound. When your pads are completely worn out it may even sound like metal grinding on metal. At this point you may still have a chance to keep from buying new rotors if you replace the pads promptly. I just had to replace the pads and rotors in mine because I waited too long.