back in September when I was returning from Arctic Ocean I noticed some vibration in the front end when turning. It was very slight and didn't always happen, so I didn't care about it.
In October I went on 2 more camping trips, and thee issue got worse. By November, I was hearing clunking noise when turning going slow speed, and I was also feeling something hitting the footwell/ floor area. I also felt the clunking through the front suspension when coming to a full stop. I put the truck up afterhours and checked everything. Nothing was loose and all the paint marks I made in 2022 were straight. I chalked it up to the sway bar being the culprit: either the end links, or the bushings.
At 38k miles with a 2.5" lift, end links were PROBABLY not the issue here but I'm known to be the person having the worst lucks with end links. My focus was more on the sway bar bushings. I also ruled out CV axle, despite what the forum says, because if it was the axle, I'd hear the noise all the time and not just during certain behaviors.
To test my theory, I took the sway bar off last weekend and drove a week without it. The front end was quiet as a church mouse after the sway bar came off, proving the issue was from the sway bar. I could replace either the end links and the bushings, but I figured why not just do both so I don't have to try my luck.
I put these suspensionmaxx end links on, and some new sway bar bushings. I greased the crap out of the bushings as well, hoping that will help to prolong the bushings' lives.
To be fair, I think the stock end links are fine, but oh wells. I kept those though, just in case these suspension maxx ones don't last through the boogieing.
These are the stock bushings, and seeing how much dirt is trapped inside the bushing contacting the sway bar, I think this is the culprit of my front end noise.
Ah, the Dempster, Dalton, and Alcan dirt.
oh also threw in my last one I got from years ago before I ordered more. Channeling my JDM days.