I installed my struts awhile back and recently developed a slight pop on occasion from the front end.
I thought maybe my bushing were drying slightly or mud had gotten caked around them. So I have cleaned them up and been using Barristol quite liberally on the bushings after I off road or wash the truck.
The pop is still there. When I intsalled the struts I used the video from a pretty well known F150 and Expedition parts supplier. They loosened the upper control arms and retightened the upper control arms with the suspension unloaded. The control arms are never actually removed just the bolts loosened for full range of motion to get the coilover in and out.
So in reading some trying to diagnose the pop. I found someone else had some issues similar to mine but not exactly the same. They said they they loosened the control arms with no with the truck jacked up and no load on the suspension. They then lowered the truck to have load on the suspension and retightened the bolts and their problem was solved and ride was improved greatly.
So I figured I would give it a try. I lifted the truck with the load off the suspension and began to loosen the bolts. As I loosened the bolts the same popping noise could be heard.
I lowered the truck putting load on the suspension and now that I had a gap exposing all bushing I soaked the bushing with Ballistol (granted it is a creeping lube) tightened everything back up and moved to the other side and did the same and was met with the same popping sound.

So should UCAs be tightened loaded or unloaded? Going to go drive it here in a bit but seems to me that with them lightened while unloaded the range of motion in the arm is off and caused the bushings to bind slightly causing a pop.

Loaded, from what I remember. Used to install them from time to time.

Most suspension components should be initially lubed and assembled with minimal load, then tightened to below torque specs. Then loaded and cycled several times, then settled load with normal weight (in some instances, i.e. performance/racing, load the driver's seat with approx weight of driver) and then torqued to specs.

In some cases, full torque while unloaded may lead to torn (rubber/polyurethane) bushings and binding of components when loaded.

The nuts (sometimes bolts) on the ends of the shaft through the bushings should ideally be tightened with the wheels on the ground. This puts them in a sort of "neutral" position. If the angle is excessive the bushing can be stretched every time the suspension moves and will shorten its life. However, you often can't get a wrench between the tire and wheel well with enough leverage. If you mean the shafts to the frame, it makes no difference.

Always heard that the inner bushings should be torqued with the suspension neutrally loaded.

Bouncing the front end before final torque to allow the inner bushings to have a better travel radius. Rolling the truck a few feet will also allow the sidewalls to settle the camber curve before final adjustments are made.

Retorquing the inner bushings after driving it for a few minutes would be ideal.

Also check your lugs after 50 miles or so.

When you’ve retorqued everything loaded, if the noise is still there check your sway bar end links. I had a suspension noise after lowering my Si and ended up replacing the link and the noise was gone.