I'm hoping someone has some advice for me. My '86 4runner makes a fluttering kind of rattle noise coming from the general area of the transmission / transfer case. It mainly happens when i'm driving or accelerating and it get louder the faster i go. I feel like i have isolated the problem to the transfer case because the only time it doesn't do it is when the hubs are unlocked AND the T-case is in 2 wheel drive. As soon as I lock in the hubs OR put the T-case in 4 wheel it starts doing it again. I guess my questions are:
1. Do you all agree that the issue is definitely in the transfer case?
2. Does this noise ring a bell for anything specific that could go wrong with the RF1A T-case?

It seems like there's no way around it - the next step is to pull the T-case. But I've learned the hard way that I really need to take a hard look before i leap into anything. Thanks for reading and thanks for any info or advice.

Jeff

 

Take a hard look at the front driveshaft

 

does the noise go away in 4th gear?

 

Thanks Millball. It's the front driveshaft. I can't find any play in it at all, but i greased it properly and the noise went away. Man, I thought i isolated it to the transfer case, but of course the driveshaft is spinning too! I always jump to the worst conclusion. You saved me some trouble. I owe you a beer or refreshment of your choice.

 

Sounds/ noises TRAVEL so much it's really difficult to pin point where it's coming from.
I had a terrible screeching/ high pitched grinding noise i would have swore was my transmission, turned out it was the Mile Marker locking hubs.
glad you found your problem and got it greased.
And THANK YOU for posting your conclusion!!!