driver side front diff junction

I recently was under the truck moving somethings around and came across this, some play can be felt on passenger side but not nearly like this. I was in search of a clicking/clunking noise heard when on uneven terrain that was coming from my front end, rocking the truck back and forth, and jacked up it was impossible to recreate the noise, it makes me think not suspension related, but also weird only happens when truck is on its own weight. I recently read a forum where lots of people had success replacing front lower shock bolts to ones that didn't have a tapered design and got rid of a front end click/clunk. I have already ordered the ECGS bushing that is discussed and will be replacing the needle bearing, as well as the lower shock bolts (why not). Any insight if this is too far gone for just the ECGS bushing to help or if there could be other issues. (This truck is new to me as of 4 months, rust and shitty maintenance is apparently common where i live to these trucks) Thank you and excuse my ignorance in the explanation, tried to explain best as I could and attached this phone video.

 

I cant attach a video file from my phone for some reason. So I created a youtube video https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RT_2R-iSmJ4

 

Totally normal. Pretty good chance that's not where your clunk is coming from.

Also the tapered bolt on the shocks really doesn't cause problems. The shock mount is wider than that tapered portion. Even if one side of the mount had excess clearance from the taper, the other side will be normal. What's more likely is that the torque on that bolt isn't enough and the metal sleeve inside the shock mount bushing isn't tight enough between the tabs on the control arm and is moving up and down. Sometimes you have go over the torque specs on that one with aftermarket shocks.

 

Thank you for the response sir! Ive read that replacing the needle bearing can be helpful regardless, so I'll probably do that, regarding the lower shock bolts I assumed that not much would change especially if that bushing in there is already bad, im running the fox factory 2.5s and will definitely retorque everything to spec, if Im correct 61 ft/lbs is right for that, seems low no?

 

Yeah forsure, the ECGS bushing is definitely an improvement. And it does cut down on some of the side to side slop there. Just not the in and out play, that's all from that retaining ring fitment.

The way I see it, the torque on those bolts is kinda irrelevant. There is nothing in tension there. It's all shear force. So even if you over-torque them, there really isn't any strength lost. The most important thing is that the metal sleeve in the shock bushing is squeezed enough so that it doesn't move. If that means bending the tabs slightly when it's tightened, so be it. After 12 years and 3 different front shock setups, I've never had a problem from giving those a few extra ugga duggas lol.