I realize this is a very old thread but I’m having similar issues on my 2013 XLT 4x4 with 80,000 miles on it now. It started with the drivers side strut spring pinging/clunking and visibly moving. I replaced both struts with the Monroe versions. Next, as it was slowly driven over speed bumps or even a bumpy road at 45 MPH I would get this sound like rubber being compressed. It’s kinda a squeaky, grinding noise. So I changed the front sway bar links and even the sway bar bushings. I did those because the noise is resonating through the aftermarket greaseable sway bar links that are definitely full of grease. I could “feel” the noise on the sway bar too, hence the bushing swap. The noise is still there, just not as noticeable. I can reproduce the sound by having someone shake the vehicle up and down while feeling and listening with the engine off and on the ground or on my ramps.
The passenger side cv axle has a lot of slop in it and I’ll be changing that in a couple of days. I guess it could be the boot but that wouldn’t explain why, in my mind, the noise would resonate through the sway bar and links. Any ideas? Thank in advance!