Should I be worried?

Yesterday I used my 2015 4WD Taco to help unload a 3,500lb pallet of shingles from the back of trailer by putting it 4WD low and pulling/dragging the pallet about 6 foot with ratchet straps out of the back of a trailer. My truck definitely struggled big time to drag that heavy pallet... after it was done I tried to switch my truck back to 2WD but at first it wouldn't switch out of 4WD, the 4WD light just kept blinking. I shut off/restarted the truck and drove a little and after about 4-5 minutes it finally switched to 2WD but it did so with a kind of loud bang noise. I was a little concerned by all this so I drove around my driveway a little and all seemed well, I also tested switching into back/fourth from 2WD to 4WD and that seemed to be working normally again but I didn't sleep to well thinking about it. I wondering if anything like this has happened to anyone else and should I be worried these events?

 

Sometimes if I haven't used my 4wd much recently it'll clunk when changing back and forth, always seems to go a bit smoother if I make sure I'm in a straight line, moving, and let off the gas when swapping to 4H. When swapping to 4L from 4H, stop, put the truck in neutral, then swap to 4L. Same process going back to 4H from 4L.

 

Normal, it just sounds like it was a little bound up. It happens, next time try reversing a little, drop it to neutral for a second, then drive forward / rinse / repeat to get it to unstick.

For safety I have to mention: if you are going to pull with ratchet straps, do so with just the straps. Leave the ratchet cams out. Its still not ideal, but it works in a pinch for light duty pulls.

 

ok good that makes me feel a little better and thanks for tips about what to do if it happens again. I'll use reverse and neutral.

 

Actuators get sticky if vent hose isn't connected. I would check Tcase fluid level while down there.
Probably Ok but it doesn't hurt to perform maintenance.

 

Backup with the steering straight then go forward that's pretty normal on a hard surface.

 

The truck is at 36.5k miles and I changed the gear oil in the transfer case + rear/front diff at 33k.

 

I had a similar incident with my 05 Tacoma I was pulling some bushes out with my winch and one was a little stuck so I put it in reverse while winching and the same thing happened with my light it kept flashing I shut it off turned it back on and it went to normal but when you put a lot of pressure on the actuators sometimes they do get stuck
With lots of pressure

 

ok thanks, as long as I didn't do any serious damage to my precious I'll be fine. Makes me feel better that this sounds like a somewhat normal thing and my truck is ok.

 

Even if l don't need 4wd, If I'm on a straight dirt road I'll take my foot off the gas and switch it into 4wd. I'll drive for a few minutes in 4wd then switch it back to 2wd. I'll do this a few times just to let the system work.
I found that letting off the gas while it switches, lessens the clunking considerably.