Bob,
I have no answers but a couple of questions.
Did you ever change the oil in your transfer case per Dodge's scheduled maintenance, and also did you regularly use your
4 x engaged on dry surfaces, or just on wet and/or slippery roads.
Or did you not use your rig in 4x at all for long stretches?
Just curious as I have a similar setup. I have a theory about this but will not comment until I get more feedback.
Bob in Sacto