Can't find a source of front suspension noise

[FLJoe]

There's one thing I forgot to mention. When I replaced all the control arm bushings and sway bar bushings I used all polyurethane. I just went out running errands at lunchtime, and the roads are soaked from a very heavy rain. In driving in and out of parking lots and around the industrial park area where I work I never heard a clunk. I'm wondering if the noise is from bushings that got lubricated by the water and it quieted them down. I would have expected squeaks from unlubricated poly bushings, not clunking, but for whatever reason, the water did seem to quiet the suspension. Maybe the sway bar bushings can cause a clunk during turns, even if they seem tight?

Again, thanks for all the thoughts and replies. I have lots more areas to chase down trying to figure out what this is.

 

[Nad_Yvalhosert]

I have a 96 4WD Tahoe
The torsion bar mount links are also about that old and look good to my eyes

I've got a '00 Denali, same basic truck, and you're describing the exact sound I've experienced. And every time my torsion bar mounts "look good" until I put a pry bar on them because Rochester's roads help exacerbate loose parts. (You wrote "Western NY salt belt", so I thought I would name drop)
My first thought was "Get back under and start prying on things."

As a side note, I've found slop in the sleeve in the bushing where the mounting bolt goes through. It gets egged out.

 

[someotherguy]

There's one thing I forgot to mention. When I replaced all the control arm bushings and sway bar bushings I used all polyurethane. I just went out running errands at lunchtime, and the roads are soaked from a very heavy rain. In driving in and out of parking lots and around the industrial park area where I work I never heard a clunk. I'm wondering if the noise is from bushings that got lubricated by the water and it quieted them down. I would have expected squeaks from unlubricated poly bushings, not clunking, but for whatever reason, the water did seem to quiet the suspension. Maybe the sway bar bushings can cause a clunk during turns, even if they seem tight?

Again, thanks for all the thoughts and replies. I have lots more areas to chase down trying to figure out what this is.

Not sure I'd suspect the poly bushings. When they make noise, they squeak, sounds like a junk wagon Ford coming down the road. (If you've ever heard an older Explorer, Expedition, etc. coming down the road, I dunno why all older Fords sound like that but I swear I can hear them coming.)

Richard

 

[454cid]

My front end will click, and it's a upper control arm bushing. It's a stock bushing, that I didn't torque at ride height, so it's been damaged. That shouldn't be an issue with polyurethane, though.