Found my clanking noises. Sway bar bushings are toast.
I ordered a repair kit from MOOG, and thought I'd be able to rebuild them since I have a press.

I removed one side, and not seeing how this works. Are they rebuildable and I just have the wrong kit?

Any insights are appreciated...

 

I got 2 Dorman (top quality) complete links at $21 each from Ebay and had them in in 1/2 hour. Check for slop in the bolt at the top on any of them.

 

Yeah, that's what I'll end up doing. Thanks.

 

Those are not OEM sway bar bushings that you pulled out

 

The energy suspension bushing kit my dad had on his truck squeaked like all hell. So I got him some Moog problem solver complete end links with the greaseable gusher bearings from Rock Auto. They are not cheap at $47 each but they are a quality replacement that can be greased to help them last longer.

 

I don't think the greasable ones last longer but they do cost more. The bonded ones have zero clearance and you can't beat that. I actually think the non-bonded ones are better.

 

I'll remember that for if I am ever on Jeopardy.

 

I think those links are in jeopardy.

 

I agree with the comment that some of the parts in your picture appear to be aftermarket, not Ford. Specifically, the rubber parts on the right hand side of your photo appear to be aftermarket.

The OEM style sway bar end link bushings are a grease encapsulated cross axis ball joint. Here are some comparison photos of the factory front sway bar endlink:

 

That is some good information there. Thanks for the post.
As for your comment about the parts in the right hand side not being OEM, you are correct. I included the new MOOG bushing repair kit in the picture to show my old part, and the new part that doesn't work.

The link ends I took off look just like in your picture of the new style. They are completely worn out. This truck see a lot of 20 mile stretches of washboard dirt ranch roads. Well, it did, but not any more.

 

Y2K's post should be in the Tech Folder !

Also, I had a problem with they way the bolt is made (too small in the middle) and it was very loose in the top frame anchor. They made it to fit in the bushing where it steps up but it's too narrow where it goes through the anchor which caused mine and others to still rattle. I had to build up the wasted bolt to make it tight. Tightening extremely tight won't fix it.

 

(thinking out loud here)
Could the top frame anchor be ovaled out causing the bolt to be loose?
I noticed the top frame mounts are removeable quite easily. might need to replace them at the same time as the new top bolts.

 

Just realized I have my links installed upside down. Dang it!

Here is that upper frame mount. 2 bolts and its out

 

Quite possibly, and mine were extremely loose. I had to wrap fiberglass tape around the bolt to take up the slop.

 

Your upper frame mount is mounted upside down also. The upper sway bar endlink eyelet bolt is supposed to anchor through the vertical web of the frame, not cantilevered off the lower flange hanging by that mount.

You probably already knew that, and hung the bracket upside down as a cheap and quick way to accommodate a front end lift. However, for anyone who searches this topic later who doesn't know one way from the other, and who sees the picture in the post above of the upper frame mount... for the record, the mount in the Tylus pic is positioned upside down. In this position, the upper frame mount is not likely as strong of an anchor point for the sway bar end link as an upright mount nested inside the frame rail where the upper swaybar bolt passes through the neutral web of the frame.

Here are some pics that show the how the upper frame bracket mounted in the upright position: