bad turning

my '92 xj was in a front-end collision shortly before i bought it which knocked it out of alignment. the damage from the collision was never repaired. for as long as i've owned the car, there is a loud thumping noise whenever i turn. it happens right about at the center position. also whenever this happens the steering changes slightly. any advice?

Could be loose or damaged control arm(s), could be bent or damaged track bar, could be ...

It's impossible to speculate on what damage might have been caused by a collision. Even professional auto body shops miss things when they do their estimates, and they have the vehicle there to look at. Best I can offer is to suggest you get a friend to sit in the vehicle and cycle the steering while you crawl under with a good flashlight and check every component for looseness and/or damage.