Yeah, i agree. I bought the truck when it had 90000kms on it and now it had 98000 on it. ive only had it for 4 months and put 8000kms on it and it had this issue when i bought it. The first thing i did when i found out it had this problem was change the fluid. It didn't seem like it had anything wrong with it and no shavings so i knew it wasn't a major internal failure.

__________________

2006 Dark Shadow Grey Sport Extended Cab 4x4 - 4.0L V6 - 5 Speed - 4.10 gears
31x10.5 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac's (Summer) - 265/75 Cooper Discoverer M+S (Winter) - 15" Dick Cepek DC-2's
Toolbox and Access Tonneau Cover - Lightforce Striker 170 Lights - Level II Tow Hooks
Build Thread
Previous Vehicles: 2002 Red Ford Ranger Edge 4x4 - 1997 Arctic Green Ford Thunderbird LX

Best price I could get on the Duratracs was $1270. The Duelers are great on ice and snow, I'm really jacked about them. ~12,000km on them now and they still look like they just left the tire shop. I drove from Inuvik to Prince Rupert in 2.5 days and that truck didn't wiggle or lose traction once. I broke out in 2wd going back up north a couple times but that was at 3500rpm going up a hill covered in compact snow, so you gotta expect that!

My fluid was good when they drained it too. Replaced with synthetic. Should help with long term wear and tear. Still waiting on word from the shop as to the cause.

Wow. That's quite the trip. I dream of traveling that far north sometime. Maybe in a few years when I have more money.

__________________

2006 Dark Shadow Grey Sport Extended Cab 4x4 - 4.0L V6 - 5 Speed - 4.10 gears
31x10.5 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac's (Summer) - 265/75 Cooper Discoverer M+S (Winter) - 15" Dick Cepek DC-2's
Toolbox and Access Tonneau Cover - Lightforce Striker 170 Lights - Level II Tow Hooks
Build Thread
Previous Vehicles: 2002 Red Ford Ranger Edge 4x4 - 1997 Arctic Green Ford Thunderbird LX

i have a bad feeling this is my issue, horrible growl when 4x4 is engaged, went though all the u joints hubs are new, sounds like my jeep did when the 4x4 fork went in the front end. i guess a used one is in my future, i dont think i want to rebuild it

Before you just go out and buy a used one, take to a transmission shop. They will probably open it up and quote you what it will cost to fix it for free. That's what I did with the transfer case in my bosses dodge 3500, because it had numerous issues not quite as easy to fix as my Ranger. They called me and said they could fix it for $1300, rather than the $15-2300 for a used or remanned transfer case.

2006 Ford Ranger 4x4 supercab 4.0L 5spd

__________________

2006 Dark Shadow Grey Sport Extended Cab 4x4 - 4.0L V6 - 5 Speed - 4.10 gears
31x10.5 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac's (Summer) - 265/75 Cooper Discoverer M+S (Winter) - 15" Dick Cepek DC-2's
Toolbox and Access Tonneau Cover - Lightforce Striker 170 Lights - Level II Tow Hooks
Build Thread
Previous Vehicles: 2002 Red Ford Ranger Edge 4x4 - 1997 Arctic Green Ford Thunderbird LX

i am not 100% sure it is though. It sounds like a constant growl when in 4x4,
if the man hubs locked in to t case not locked in no growl
if the man hubs not locked and t case locked no growl
if the hubs and t case locked growl

i swapped out the hubs checked universals, though when i had the front end jacked up and spun the front drive shaft i heard a faint noise from drivers side hub area. Could it be my bearing going out? i am at my wits end... bout to have to find someone to take it to, but i know no one in this area, will be a crap shoot and the first time i have failed to fix the ford.....

just frustrated..

It sounds to me the chain is making the noise. If it was a bearing it should (I am no expert) make noise with either the hubs or tcase locked, but since it has to be both of them locked to make the noise it seems to me it only makes the noise when the tcase is under load. If I were you I would change the fluid in the tcase, make sure you collect the fluid in a clean pain and check if it has any shavings. That would me your best bet. Then if you feel comfortable pulling the tcase out of the truck you will save some money at the shop. Parts alone to fix a tcase will likely be at least $350. That's how much mine was, and I only replace 4 cheap parts. A new chain and sprockets would likely be over $500. But that is all prices for my 06, I don't know if parts would be cheaper or not on the older models.
Good luck!

2006 Ford Ranger 4x4 supercab 4.0L 5spd

__________________

2006 Dark Shadow Grey Sport Extended Cab 4x4 - 4.0L V6 - 5 Speed - 4.10 gears
31x10.5 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac's (Summer) - 265/75 Cooper Discoverer M+S (Winter) - 15" Dick Cepek DC-2's
Toolbox and Access Tonneau Cover - Lightforce Striker 170 Lights - Level II Tow Hooks
Build Thread
Previous Vehicles: 2002 Red Ford Ranger Edge 4x4 - 1997 Arctic Green Ford Thunderbird LX

Sounds like front end and not Tcase. This wasn't a growl. It sounded fine all the time except when it clunked and all that sounded like was going over a pothole

The noise my tcase made was a clunking, but my bosses 3500 was more of a growling. The chain had stretched and was skipping, but only when it was under load (it has live axels so they are always locked in).

2006 Ford Ranger 4x4 supercab 4.0L 5spd

__________________

2006 Dark Shadow Grey Sport Extended Cab 4x4 - 4.0L V6 - 5 Speed - 4.10 gears
31x10.5 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac's (Summer) - 265/75 Cooper Discoverer M+S (Winter) - 15" Dick Cepek DC-2's
Toolbox and Access Tonneau Cover - Lightforce Striker 170 Lights - Level II Tow Hooks
Build Thread
Previous Vehicles: 2002 Red Ford Ranger Edge 4x4 - 1997 Arctic Green Ford Thunderbird LX

FIXED ! FIXED! FIXED!

SOB! Cheep but.. what a pain. Coming out of the tcase there is a double u joint setup in the middle is the double u joint centering yoak assembly used the repair kit and it's fixed! What is annoying is i changed that 4 months ago. Apparently the unit was defective FIXED now excited.

That was after i replaced all the front bearings, but hell now the truck has all new u joints and i mean every last one in the thing, as well as the double u joint part and new front rotors inner & outer bearings ... new new new...

thought i would share. Thanks for all the input!

Hey Gibby,
I have the same tcase clunk issue. I am also in sk, what transmission shop did you go to?
Mine also seems to clunk when I let the clutch out in 2wd sometimes now.

__________________
2006 Ranger FX4 Level 2
33x12.5 Hankook Dynamic M/T, Ion Aluminum Alloy 15x10 -4inch offset,Front winch bumper, superwinch ep9.0, 3" B/L, Torsion Crank, Chrome Bed Bar, 2 x 100 watt offroads, 6000k HID Heads/Fog(s), Pioneer H.U., 12" Jackhammer, Alpine mrp 500,train horn, whelen pa/siren
Mods
Headlight, Fog, Airbox, Blue led interior(not gauge cluster yet), blue led l/p, blue led side markers, color match skid plates
To come
sliders, suspension lift, rear bumper, tire carrier, tailgate

slack in the drivetrain is proly your issue

sent from my iPhone 5....PSH!!! I don't have money for a iPhone 5

__________________
95 Ranger XLT 4x2 2.3 I4 5 speed 206,000 *dead*
96 Ranger XLT 4x4 4.0 V6 5 speed 173,000 *alive*
D35 front, 8.8 rear, 3.73 gears, limited slip rear diff

I did all the transfer case in my truck myself, but I brought the transfer case out of my bosses dually to All-o-matic Transmission on 44th and 1st in Saskatoon. Murray there was great to deal with. I have also dealt with extreme transmission on 8th at work and had good luck. Make sure you get more than one opinion as to what is wrong and what they are going to charge. My transmission in my ranger is getting noisier, so I am planning on taking it to all-o-matic here soon to have them take a look. Good luck. If it does it in 2wd also, I would defiantly check the u joints, as they are much easier and cheaper to fix. Transfer cases usually don't cause issues while in 2wd, but it is possible.

__________________

2006 Dark Shadow Grey Sport Extended Cab 4x4 - 4.0L V6 - 5 Speed - 4.10 gears
31x10.5 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac's (Summer) - 265/75 Cooper Discoverer M+S (Winter) - 15" Dick Cepek DC-2's
Toolbox and Access Tonneau Cover - Lightforce Striker 170 Lights - Level II Tow Hooks
Build Thread
Previous Vehicles: 2002 Red Ford Ranger Edge 4x4 - 1997 Arctic Green Ford Thunderbird LX

Well its always clunked when I accelerate from 1st and it hasnt been an issue but yes I am going to change ujoints.
But it slips out of 4x4 and makes a clunk in the tcase when in 4x4 so I think it may be same issue you had.
I found an 07 tcase and I am curious if it is interchangeable.
Mine says 65ad on the side and the other says 65ad. Not sure what those numbers mean...

__________________
2006 Ranger FX4 Level 2
33x12.5 Hankook Dynamic M/T, Ion Aluminum Alloy 15x10 -4inch offset,Front winch bumper, superwinch ep9.0, 3" B/L, Torsion Crank, Chrome Bed Bar, 2 x 100 watt offroads, 6000k HID Heads/Fog(s), Pioneer H.U., 12" Jackhammer, Alpine mrp 500,train horn, whelen pa/siren
Mods
Headlight, Fog, Airbox, Blue led interior(not gauge cluster yet), blue led l/p, blue led side markers, color match skid plates
To come
sliders, suspension lift, rear bumper, tire carrier, tailgate

Thanks to Gibby for all the posts. I didn't see the photos on here anymore so I will probably just grab a new t-case.

My 05' Auto is starting to do the same thing. It's pretty cold in Michigan right now so I'll just use the 4x4 when I need it. Gonna keep my eye out for a cheap T-case and swap it in the spring

__________________
2005 XLT 4x4 AUTO 4.0L