Okay, the other day i had to use the 4 wheel drive on my 1987 ford 150. i put it in 4H knowing thats all i needed to get out but when i tried to go it ground and then hopped. the 4L worked just fine but when i drove it in 4L i could hear a clicking coming from what sounded like the front drivers side drive shaft. Does anyone have a guess to what the problem could be?

 

If your going in a strait line you need to make sure your ratios are the same front to back. Turning it's normal for it to hop and the clicking could be the hub.

 

Sounds like that clicking you hear is a bad joint. Lock in that hub and twist the inner shaft to check for any play

 

You didn't say where you were driving it in 4wd but just so you know the truck should not be locked in 4wd Hi or Low on pavement or even hard packed dirt unless you're only travelling a short distance straight forwards or backwords. Turning while in 4wd on those surfaces will put extreme stress on the drivetrain and could very well damage components.

 

Sounds like a lock out hub could be the problem also if its not a u joint

 

+1 on a lockout hub. If it sounds like the axle, it's probably the hub. Auto hubs were one of Ford's "better" ideas lol... as soon as I get back on my feet money-wise, I'll be replacing mine with manual hubs.

Another possibility is your transfer case ate a shift fork. Mine did when the oil pump let go, and it trashed the shift forks so the transfer case wouldn't completely engage in 4H/4L. 2H worked fine for a while, no noise whatsoever but it would randomly go to neutral for a second and make a quiet ratcheting noise... then back to normal like nothing ever happened. Rebuilt a manual shift model, swapped it in, and been happy ever since.

I don't think transfer case is your problem though, mine made a grinding sound directly under the cab, unmistakable that it was trying to say HEY I'M YOUR TRANSFER CASE AND I WANTED YOU TO KNOW I'M AFU!!

 

I never use 4wd on pavement or even gravel, i was in mud when i was using 4wd. the clicking isn't what im really concerned with but i wanna know why it grinds in 4h. i can shift into gear but when i let off the clutch it grinds until it finally pops into 4wd.