thanks for a quick reply! I will probably just have them changed as I don't know when they were changed last. I probably have a ton of sand in them... I live in South Texas and fishing is a way of life down here, just hadn't had cause to use 4x4 latley, so when i recently used the 4x4 i got the clanking and over heating. Murphy's law: if it moves it can/will break!
No insight on the over heating while in 4 wheel drive?