@FireFighter209
Welcome to the forum.
I'm going to give this a shot at clarification - hope it works ;-)
OK - By taking the front driveshaft out, and then driving your Ex, one of the following situations will occur.
A) If the noise goes away, the driveshaft is/was the problem.
Find a "Driveline Service" shop in your area, and get your driveshaft rebuilt and balanced. See
"NOTE" below towards end of this post as how to find a good driveline shop.
B) If the noise(s) continue, it is looking "more" like there is a problem with your Transfer Case. Basically, we're working our way backwards, ultimately towards the transmission.
C) I would add that if you choose to remove the driveshaft, and the noises continue, visit a
reputable transmission shop in your area for their opinion on if it's the transfer case and/or the transmission.
NOTE: One of the guys in your fire department that has grey hair and is into Muscle Cars OR Lifted 4wd's can direct you to a good reputable transmission shop ;-) In life it's cheaper to talk to guys that have been there and done that, as opposed to venturing out on your own and taking the hit in your wallet. Good "diagnostic" transmission shops that stand behind their work are hard to find. When you find one, hold on tight and refer them to your friends
Hope that helps and again, welcome to the forum.
Let us know how it all works out!