OME 885 + 5100s = predictable light clunk

Backstory: 2018 TRD OR 2WD had around 2,500 miles before lift and was perfectly quiet.

Dealing with a light clunk in the front suspension after the 885 and 5100s. It happens specifically when I am reversing while turning out of a garage or parking spot and then turning the wheel the other way to leave. The clunk happens just about the time the wheels are straightened out from turning the other direction. It's predictable every morning I go to work and every evening I leave work yet I can't reproduce it when I'm outside and ask my son to reproduce my exact steps. Maybe it's the extra 100# I have on him lol.

It's annoying for a brand new truck. I'm going to fix it. It was immediately noticeable after the lift. I have double and triple checked torque specs on everything.

For anyone that doesn't know, the 885s and 5100s lift the 2WDs up around 2.5" up front. Due to this extra lift height over the 4WD with this setup (4WD sits around 1.75" with this spring/shock setup from what I've heard), I have a very strong suspicion that it's the swaybar geometry. The clunk is tracking lateral movement, not up and down movement. I think it's something in the swaybar geometry; maybe the swaybar contacts the a-arm or something even though I can't see any contact marks. The swaybar brackets may be contacting the collars, who knows.

I was going to pull the swaybar, but I just pulled my girlfriend's swaybar in her Jeep and it drives like a marshmellow on the freeway and I don't like it. For $40, I ordered the swaybar drop brackets for the 2-3" kits,

$45 Readylift 67-5012 Sway Bar Bracket

Readylift 67-5012. I'll keep everyone posted if that solves it.

 

Did you get the truck aligned after you installed the lift?

 

Yes definitely got aligned.

 

I think your on the right path , it needs the extra length , also youre front end is preloaded all the time from the tension of the sway bar on the control arms .

 

Here is the swaybar angle with the spacers installed. This is with the tires on the ground under vehicle weight.

You can see the angle difference. The 2.5" lift with no swaybar spacers is on top and the 2.5" lift with the swaybar spacers installed is on bottom. You can see the change in angle on the bar. Where the lift was pulling the bar up before, now the bar is even.

I'm pretty sure there was at least a little preload on the bar because when I pulled the bar off to put the spacers on, there was a little more tension than the weight of the bar when I removed the bracket bolts. The bar naturally wanted to naturally move forward once the brackets were removed.

I'll report back on any changes in driving behavior and clunk.

 

Update: Clunk is definitely 100% gone with the swaybar spacers in place so mission accomplished. I noticed two things in addition to the clunk being fixed. 1) The general ride actually seems a little softer and 2) The steering feels a little looser when turning at slow speeds. I have been trying to tell myself it's just a placebo effect because how could the angle really effect those things that much? Anyways, I'm stoked the clunk is gone on my 2018 truck with 6,000 miles.