4x4 Issues need advice

[Todd~Rod]

so i notice from front end making noise while i have been driving it lately in snowy conditions. A few clunks, pops and whining noises. So of course i jumped on here to do some researching. I believe my 4x4 module under the glove box is working right when i push the buttons on the dash they light up and everything. So i jacked her up today and put it in 4Hi and was able to rotate the front wheels, if it was in four wheel i shouldnt be able to do that should I? The same thing when i put it in four low the front wheels would turn(i only had the front end jacked up during this the rear was on the ground) so i crawled under it and tried turning the front drive shaft that comes out of the TC to the front differential and it wouldnt turn, and when trying to turn it with the little play it had the rear drive shaft was turning with it. when i turned the front driveshaft the little bit i could the front wheels did nothing....so could this be a bad front differential making the noises? I check all my front cv joints and they look and sound ok.

 

[Mando29]

same here, i have an 02 explorer xls, and i havent used my 4x4 like 3yrs, untill today, everthing work but when i made a turn (while engage in 4x4HI) it made some kind of grinding noise, like metal scraping against metal, but this only happens while ingage in 4wd.