i had that same thing on my explorer, especially in colder months. it was the a ball joint that had busted. basically had no grease and the metal was rubbing against metal making the creaking sound.
Its your bushings, they need to be replaced. About $200 at a shop.
A worn-out strut will begin to make noises. In many cases the strut will make a creaking noise when turning corners.
check your power steering fluid
The steering wheel in your 1996 may be hard to turn because you are low on power steering fluid. You can add some on your own and your steering wheel will not be hard to turn.
first check power steering fluid,if to low then air is inside causing noise or p.s. pump is bad.
It's loose. Find the tensioner, and adjust it.
A few things could be causing a grinding sound when turning. It could be a cv axle, ball joint, tie rod end, or bracket pin steering.
If the car is running at idle speed while you are turning, the power steering pump has to push a lot of fluid with little power. If it sounds like a slight creaking, then it's normal. If it is a high-pitched squeal, then the serpentine belt may need to be tightened or replaced. Either way is not that big of a deal. If it is a grinding noise and you can feel a jerking motion as you turn the steering wheel, then you have a serious problem and need to take it into a mechanic.
turning the steering wheel uses pressure from the power steering pump and puts a load on the engine causing it to slow the rpm. Should rise again when you stop turning the wheel. completely normal.
Have you tried wiggling the steering column while turning the key? If that helps, you probably need to remove a portion of the plastic cover from your steering column to enable you to lube the column lock. That's the thing that keeps the steering from turning if the key is not turned on. If the column lock jams, it can prevent the key from turning.
Power steering like all other accessories tax the 'power' of the engine; if there is a problem in the power steering causing excessive load on the engine it will loose power (more so in low horsepower engines).
Possibly the CV joint. If the joint's "boot" has split, lubricant will have leaked out and will cause the components inside the joint to grind together. Take the car to your local dealer for a better insight.