Strange noise when turning in 1st and 2nd gear Honda civic 2001

Maintenance/Repairs
1

Hi all,
I have a 2001 Honda civic. Great car, so far. I need to replace the catalytic converter, however I just passed smog shortly prior to the cc going out so I’ve been putting it off (bad, I know).

When I drive in the lower gears, 1st and 2nd, the car makes a much louder than normal ggggrrrrrrr sound. Don’t know quite how to describe it. Especially when turning corners.

Do I need a new transmission? Does my needing to replace the catalytic converter have anything to do with this?
Thank you!

2

Is it more like a popping sound? Can you hear it outside the car if someone else is driving? The Constant Velocity (CV) joints are possibly going bad. This is a more prominent sound when turning hard and backing up sometimes is even worse.