I'm the H2 owner in question.
I have been speaking with MDimitri about this issue, and we've been trying to figure it out. It has been raining here for one and a half weeks and the noise seems to have stopped, at least for the time being. (I also went through a mudhole that jarred the vehicle hard a couple times.) Perhaps those things are linked to it? I am going to pay attention to this to see if and when the sound returns.
All fluid levels are good and everything has been lubed. If I do not go wheeling this weekend, I might pull the skidplate and poke around a bit if the sound returns.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the sound will return. It lasted too long to disappear permanently just because it is raining or I hit a bump.
Thanks for the suggestions, even if the sound has temporarily stopped. Everything helps, in this case I am learning more about how the front end of the vehicle works. Idler and pitman arms are something I've heard plenty of, and seen pictures of, but the angles are always confusing, and I hope to find them on my vehicle, so I can truly see what they do. I'm not mechanically gifted like many people here, but I have worked on a few little things like this in the past.