So heres my long drawn out story, so that anybody willing to help, has all the info.

I bought my 04 f150 5,4 4x4 july 2011. lifted 6", 4.56 gears. Last winter I had the timing chain guide break, get caught inbetween the phaser and the timing chain and bust a hole in the valve cover. Took care of that on my own and have had no issues.

This spring some chatter started happening in the front end. Took it to a local shop, good people fair prices. They drained the the transfercase and said it had metal shavings so I had them install a new used one. Got it back and there was still chatter. 2 more transfer cases later I decided to take care of what I thought it was myself. So I ended up changing the 4x4 actuators, that pressure soleniod thats mounted on the fire wall, blew the lines out and replaced the hub assemblys. While i was ***** deep in that I decided to change cv axles, struts and shocks. Got it back together and now I have a very rapid chatter at 70 mph. I put it up on stands tonight, started it up, put it in gear and got the rear wheels spinning at 70 mph. No noise to speak of. Decided to try it in 4x4. At 40 mph it sounds like gears are fighting to fit together. Pretty nasty noise if I do say so myself. Drove it down the road in 4x4 and the same noise came about at 40 mph.

So theres my dilema. I dont feel like its the transfer case but i have been known to be wrong before. Could it be something with the new cv axles? Possibly how I installed them. I have a repair manual and feel like I followed the "unbolt and bolt on" directions for the axles.

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. Even if its something I cant handle id like to have some type of opinion as to what it may be if I have to take it in. Thanks a ton.

-lentz-

 

Check to make sure the front driveshaft is not hitting on a the shaft shield. Mine made a loud chattering in 4x4 and the driveshaft shield was bent just enough to make intermitten chatter when the u joints made contact with it. It could be a bad u joint in the front driveshaft as well. The higher speeds may throw the shaft out of balance enough to make contact with the shield. Mine made one hell of a noise. good luck

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Ill check that out tomorrow. Do you know if the front drive shaft is saposed to turn when the truck moves?

 

[QUOTE=lentz;4911916]Thanks for the suggestion. Ill check that out tomorrow. Do you know if the front drive shaft is saposed to turn when the truck moves?[/QUO

Only when its in 4x4 mode on my 97 but maybe not on a 2004 you have IEW so it may turn all the time and just the IWE hooks up... Never thought much about it. If your lifted it very well could be the U joints

 

The front driveshaft is not supposed to turn in 2wd, and neither are the axle shafts.

 

yup. figured out it wasnt saposed to turn so i pulled the hubs, blew the lines again, regreased the accuators, put a new 4x4 pressure bastard on the fire wall and put it all back together. still wont disengage. tomorrow im gonna look through the repair manual and see if there are any relays in line and change the 4x4 switch.

 

Fuse 111 ( 30 amp ) check your clockwise and counter clockwise relays for your shift motor in the transaxle. They are in the Aux relay box. Next with a vacuum handpump check you are holding vacuum at the wheels and thru the hoses. You probably have a vacuum leak down. It would happen at road speeds, what happens if you run it to 60 and let off the gas, the vacuum may be enough then to overcome theleakage?