sounds like marbles, need to get home!

[comancheman]

ok so I'm in route to my gf's house last night, one way is about 150 miles. on the highway doing 65-70 and i hear this rattling/grinding/sounds like marbles being tossed around in something noise. possibly timing chain or tcase chain. but noise stops when truck stops doesnt increase with rpm but does increase with vehicle speed. eliminating timing chain. now I'm leaning to tcase chain. but. . .i thought i had maybe heard the noise a few days prior so i removed the front dshaft hoping in theory that the chain wouldnt spin. so even with the shaft out I'm getting the chain slop noise I'm worried that in the next 150mi home ill wear right through the tcase. so i really need this chain to not spin. I'm considering a ratchet strap around the front output hooked to the frame. Bad idea? any other thoughts?

89 4.0 AW4 NP231

[Geonovast]

That would prevent the yoke from spinning, and should stop the chain from spinning as well.

[Pete M]

Is your t-case for sure shifting out of 4wd? How's the fluid level in it? Fluid in the axles?

[comancheman]

tcase is deffinetly not in 4wd. when i removed the front shaft i did find that the cv assembly was seized. i couldnt move it at all by hand. I'm going to check all fluids and try the ratchet strap then go for a test drive.