I'm not sure I agree with removing the sway bar with a KDSS system. If you remove it, the KDSS cylinder will fully extend and just hang there. Not sure this would be good for the cylinder, and I would not reccomend messing around with the valves.
Place a bottle jack or floor jack under the bar next to the cylinder and lift slightly, undo the end link brackets from the LCA, lower the jack to extend the cylinder so you can get the end link brackets to roll away from the LCA ( they will roll outward and drop), remove and inspect those bushings. Undo the brackets for the sway bar link in the middle and the cylinder and inspect them. Put it back together in same order. When you are ready to reconnect the end brackets back to the LCA, start on the driver side and raise/lower the cylinder via the jack to get the bracket lined up. there is a drift pin hole in the top of each.
Make sure your holes are dead on, the top bolt from end bracket to LCA will try to cross thread every time, pay special attention to that. Once you get the driver side snugged up, manipulate jack same way to get pass side lined up. Remove jack from cylinder area, rock vehicle back and forth aggressively, let settle, and torque the bracket bolts to spec.
My clunk was more of a deep knock or deep rattle over bumps that affected one or the other front tire. When going over speed bumps or even bumps, I just got squeaks and creeks. Good luck, hope this helps.
