I have a 94 ford mustang. I hear a bad "rubbing noise" in the front end and also a whine from the power steering pump. The steering seems to be ok, but people are telling me i need a new power steering pump..this is only happening at low speeds when turning the steering wheel right or left just a little. doesn't seem to be happening at faster speeds. Is this the power steering pump going out or something worse?

That is symptomatic of a power steering pump problem. Get a length of plastic tube and put one end to your ear and the other end by the steering pump and then by the alternator. A tube stethoscope is great for tracing noises. Mine whined when it was low of fluid, I had a leaking pipe.

Whining noise is probably in one of the pulleys or belts. Probably the power steering. And the popping is probably CV axles.

Lacking power may mean a burned out pump but whine is caused by air in the pump. A mechanic had me jack up the front end of my van after I refilled the reservoir on the power steering. He said to turn the steering wheel from stop to stop back and forth at least 120 times to work the air out of the pump. Afterwards it seemed to work ok but still had a whine until I got rid of it.

If there is a lot of resistance when turning the wheel while the engine is running, then the power steering pump is suspect. About 90% of the time, when a pump fails it gets loud and whines. This might not be the case in your instance.

You have a bad Power steering Pressure hose. The whine is a lack of power steering fluid at the rack, and to continue to drive it this way will destroy the rack and pinion unit.

Do you hear noises while turning the wheel at low speeds or stationary? If you hear a whining noise check the power steering fluid level. A low fluid level would make a whining noise as well as cause stiff steering. If you hear a squealing noise check the power steering belt tension. A slipping belt would cause stiff steering also. If you hear no abnormal noises check to make sure the power steering belt is there. If all of the above check out ok you may have a bad power steering pump, steering gear or a blockage in a pressure line.

take belts off, start engine do you hear noise? turn off engine see if pulleys turn freely, most likely belt tensioner pully bad

Checking the level of the power steering is a good start. The pump is mechanical, driven by the serpentine belt, and cannot be turned off. Your steering may seem normal but if you let it go, low fluid can destroy the pump.

Reminds me of a Ford where the bearings went bad in the pump. If the whine is definitely 100% coming from the pump, it's probably going bad. Try going to a junk yard that will let you pull a pump from a wrecked 'stang before buying a new pump to see if the problem goes away.

It sounds like your power steering fluid is low. When the fluid is low there will almost always be a constant growl coming from the pump. Worst case - it may be the pump itself going bad. . I own 3 Jeeps but have only had this problem on my 87 Cherokee.
Ford PS pumps are notorious for making noise as they get old, but they still seem to work ok. This may be the case with your Jeep. If the PS still works and the fluid level is normal, it may just be a matter of whether or not you can stand to listen to the noise.