Drive Train thump thump thump when cold

[96sport2dr]

I have 96 x sport 4.0 auto with control trac part time 4405 t case with neutral tow 53k actual miles when it is below freezing I have a loud thump thump thump from the drive train feels like the drive shaft is coming out it only does this when first starting out from a stop up to about 20mph then it goes away and does not return until the next cold start in the morning this is in 2wd not sure about 4wd all u joints seem tight doesnt seem to be any slop in tcase and fluids were changed in trans and t case at 26k and again a 51k it feels like it does when 4wd is kicking when on ice or snow With the truck on jack stands in 2wd when cold front drive shaft spins while this thumping is going on I have a front speed sensor going bad abs kicks in when stopping and turning left I dont think this could be related but other than that the truck is in excellent condition it was owned by an local elderly couple and has been very well maintained and never abused I have the 4 door springs urethane bushings add a leafs and 3 body lift waiting in the garage but need to get this problem fixed first thanks in advance for any help I m going to pull the drive shafts this weekend check the u joints lube the slip yokes and see what happens any other suggestions?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! Put it in 4WD, and see if this happens. Did you check the caliper bolts for looseness?

 

[96sport2dr]

just put brakes on 3 weeks ago Im sure they are tight but I will double check I did have it in 4wd on jack stands and it quit making the thump but it didnt do it anymore when I put it back in 2wd either it so Im niot sure if it was just getting to the point that normally quits or if putting it in 4wd stopped it This has been difficult to diagnos because its intermitent and does it for such a short time the rear drive shaft has 3 u joints is it possible that double jointed end is binding up it thumps slowly 5-10 times in drive and or reverse but only when cold and only the first time you take off like backing out of the drive in the morning then up to 10-20mph I have checked and rotated the tires also no change Thanks again for any help

 

[BrooklynBay]

Did this thump start shortly after you replaced the brakes 3 weeks ago? Did you check for play in the wheel bearings?

 

[96sport2dr]

It didnt start as soon as I did the brakes a week or so after when it got cold we had a 40-50 degree day on Tuesday no problems at all 20s this morning thump was back 40 when left work no problems its really strange but I have not heard or felt it when its warm at all the colder it is the worse it is this morning was the coldest one yet and it was shaking the truck I dont feel it through the wheel much at all more through the floor feels like t case or further back the whole front end was tight tie rods ball joints and bearings

 

[BrooklynBay]

Do you have manual or auto locking hubs?

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome

 

[96sport2dr]

no hubs IFS with disconnect on the front axle I just pulled the rear drive shaft all u joints are tight and the shaft slides in and out freely and the centering ball is greased and moves freely When I twist the 2 halves of the drive shaft there is a little movement there only enough to get a very slight click that you can feel not enough to see it move though Is that normal? I get no movement from the pinion flange however I did notice some play on the right rear axle shaft not just the normal in and out but you can actually move the axle up and down slightly maybe 1/16 to 1/8 inch the left side seems much tighter could this be a bad bearing axle bearing? so far that is the only place I have noticed anything that seems abnormal to me I will have more time to check in the morning I had someone ride with me today who also agreed that its coming from somewhere behind the t case my truck also has the 8.8 3.73 limited slip I dont get and noises when turning the rear tires and both turn together does seem a little tight though Thanks again for any help! Im getting irritated with this I have been a die hard Ford guy for life so it comes with the territory but I would still rather be under my Ford than driving a Chevy or a Ricer Oh Yeah I did put it in 4wd this morning and it made no diff.

 

[96sport2dr]

Update I did more checking this morning put the truck in gear with no drive shafts the t case was making horrible clunking and banging noises I'm searching the forums for info on the ranger electric shift t case swap but I'm still not clear on what on what year case I need for a bolt in swap I like the idea of a manual one but not crazy about cutting holes in my floor If someone could post a link to this info I dont want to repair my control trac unit if this can be done with few mods can you use the same shift motor and just swap cases I would like to talk with someone who has done this swap I'm not a serious off roader but I want reliable true 4wd