They are also called "dust shields". It is a thin piece of sheet metal that sits behind the brake rotor to keep excess dirt and water off the brakes. They are easily bent out of shape if you bang a wheel against the rotor when doing a changeover. You would normally only hear noise when the wheel is turning but sometimes only when cornering.
The tie-rod end you mention will never make noise even when it goes bad. It will just start having a bit of looseness or "play".
I know it's a pain but closely inspecting the while on the ground or an alignment rack might be the best bet of finding the trouble.
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