Are you pretty sure that's the sound? Should I just get a quick strut and install it myself? Or else I'll have to pay labor to install the bearing plate on to my struts.

 

A set of quick struts will be faster and safer if you don't have spring compressor or air tools!

 

What brand do you recommend these were Monroe's so I'm thinking something else. I've heard FCS on Amazon are decent and very cheap.

 

The only "name" brand I'm aware of is Monroe. Most of the others are "collision" parts, meaning they fix the car enough to sell it.

 

Are you guys sure that a ball joint or control arm bushing couldn't make this sound? I can't imagine the bearing mount going bad in less than a year installed on the vehicle.

 

By your video the bushing in the plate is shot!! And yes it can also be the LCA rear bushing and or the ball joint
Back at the 100,000 mile mark I replaced the LCA rear bushings with OEM rubber bushings, two weeks later I replaced the ball joints, still had a little noise, I replaced the bearing plates and the noise was gone, those bearing plates started making the same noise last fall and needed replaced again, Moog covered them under warranty.

 

If the shocks were replaced last year should I see what a shop would charge just to put a mounting bearing plate on my right one? Who makes the best ones? Obviously not Monroe unless I got a lemon.

 

These are inexpensive

Front Upper Shock Strut Mount Kit Plate Bearing Cushion for Cobalt HHR G5 | eBay

Check with the shop first some will only install what they provide!!

 

So the noise really seems to be coming from the control arm hitting the sway bar metal to metal. When I hit the brakes and let go of the wheel it pulls to the right. Would this indicate a bad control arm.

 

Please don't bother reading the link in my sig. I put it there because it could be of no possible help to anybody.