a friend of my suggested that it could be the pump cavitating and that sometimes a fluid change will cure the problem for a short time. if it comes back, he said that it is likely that the pump is getting worn and might need replacement.

As for the brake job, i did that myself. I honestly don't think that the two are related, it's just that i'm much more sensative to any kind of problem after i work on them. it could have been doing it for quite some time and i might not have noticed.

Bit for what it's worth, im 99% positive that i got everything back together right. torqued the caliper bolts to 22lb-ft, the calper bracket bolts to 80lb-ft, and the lug nuts to 100lb-ft, as as per the manual that i have. I always torque everything and then double check, so i'm sure that part is done right.

i can double check the tire pressure tomorow, but to be honest, i had them filled with nitrogen 4 years ago and have never had to touch them. i used to check them all the time and they were always 28psi when it was really cold and 35psi when it was really hot and usually 32psi when it was more moderate, so i kinda stopped checking them unless one looks low ... and they never have gone low. (i like nitrogen fills!)

the suggestion about the 4wd is actually quite interesting and surprisingly close to the mark. It is AWD so there is no switch, it is always driving all 4 all the time. but because of that, it does steer a bit harder than a 2wd, so i think the steering pump does have to work that much harder to turn the wheels.

thanks for all the replies and suggestions!

i think for now, i'll just change the fluid again here in a few weeks to get a better fluid change and keep an eye on it to see if it comes back. if it does come back i'll change the fluid again and see if it helps .. then just keep doing that until it does not work anymore.