Q: steering wheel noise

The shaking could be your tie rods. There are two sets of tie rods on your vehicle. The two inner tie rods and two outer tie rods. The outer tie rods are easily replaced but require the car to be realigned after replacement. The inner tie rods require a special tool to remove and install them. While these don’t have any adjustment, the outer tie rods are attached to them and will either need to be replaced together or the old ones will need to be transferred over. Since they will be moved from the original position an alignment will still be necessary. The inner tie rods are directly attached to the rack and pinion and can make a shifting sound if they are worn. This would explain the cracking sound you hear. I would advise you to seek the help of a qualified mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, to help you determine what is causing your steering wheel noise.