Clunk / knock when turning right and going over uneven surfaces - shop reproduced noise but not find root cause

[nautskye]

2017 with ~84K miles.

Symptom: Light knocking / clunking sound coming from the front left when turning the wheel to the right, and when going over uneven surfaces. Happens intermittently when turning the wheel to the right but consistently when going over uneven surfaces.

Two things happened before I started noticing the noise:
1. I had the front and rear diff fluid changed, along with oil, then:
2. I put the car in 4L and drove it around in the dirt for ~5 min.

Took to an independent shop. They were able to reproduce the noise but unable to find the root cause. Technician's notes:

Intermittently hearing noise. CV axles and suspension look fine. Differential and transfer case fluid looks good. Secured a chain by spare tire and secured an undercarriage plate that was missing a pin - made no difference. Unable to pinpoint noise and all suspension components are tight. Not suspecting it to be a safety concern at this time. Need noise to be more consistent for us to pinpoint its origin.

I searched the forum and found similar issues but not exactly what's happening for me.

Any advice for next steps?

 

[tbisaacs]

Check your sway bar end links. When they separate they tend to knock or clunk

 

[nautskye]

The upper sway bar end link (first photo, IMG_7621) feels like the bolt holding it is bent just by feeling both ends, and the left side of the bolt in the picture looks bent out toward the top on the left end. The lower one (IMG_7620) looks okay.

Does this look like the issue?

-- edited to add 3rd photo of top sway bar link for better perspective --

 

[Artie]

If possible, try and capture this noise on video.

I had an extremely annoying and time consuming situation arise from a stubborn small rock that had lodged itself between the frame and body near the passenger side body mount just in front of the passenger foot well. It was intermittent but sounded like something serious and would also be felt by the passenger through the floorboard.

I could replicate my sound in the same fashion as you and it was caused by the small amount of movement of the body that happens under turns or movement from suspension articulation. There is a lot going on in those tiny spaces between the frame and body, lots of flexing.

Here is a link to part of that thread where I linked a video.