Clarification On removing Front Drive Shaft/U-Joint (pics)

[Jcain]

I have a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer AWD 5.0L and have been working on this dang vehicle for 2 weeks now. I changed the wheel bearings, new brakes, oil, etc. I also determined that my u-joint on the front drive shaft was bad. I bought a new U-Joint and removed the front drive shaft. My plan was to leave the front drive shaft off so that we could have a drivable vehicle while I fix this u-joint. Anyways, I got the front driveshaft off and I have two questions about removing this.
1.) (MAIN PROBLEM QUESTION) The area where the front drive shaft attaches to the u-joint, there is still the part where the u-joint was attatched (see pictures 1,2 and 3) When I drive the vehicle now, this thing rotates super fast as it is supposed to when the driveshaft is attached via the u-joint. However, without the drive shaft attached, it makes a really bad noise when being allowed to spin freely (a loud thunking sound and increases in frequency the faster I drive). Can I take this part off? This is definitely the part making the noise. I just need a working vehicle for the immediate time for my wife (clank free) until I can get this thing put back together with the new u-joint.
Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

2.) The area where the driveshaft attaches to the transfer case, there is a ball joint thing. The driveshaft was removed with half of this bearing attached and the other half is still attached to the transfer case. Should I remove the other half from the transfer case or reattache the half on the driveshaft or is it okay to leave as is? See pictures 4 and 5 below for this. Thankyou Very Much!!

Picture 4

Picture 5

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Given all the diff fluid slung around the exhaust pipe, diff hosing & diff bracket I'd say the front pinion seal is toast and that the noise you are hearing is a bad pinion bearing.

Removing the u-joint flange is not going to eliminate the noise.

 

[Turdle]

Look up into the swivel area of the round end--there is a rubber boot. Bet it is torn. Look real close. If there is a tear that is your noise. It is very common

But yeah there is a lot of fluid around the front pinion. How much play do you feel there?

 

[Jcain]

I'll check for the tear but yeah there is a lot of play (in/out) where the ujoint flange is. I can actually see fluid coming out of that area, it looks a lot like motor oil. Is it bad to drive with that noise? I have a repair guy I am thinking of taking it to but he is about 10 miles away from where I am.

I should mention that after I took the Driveshaft off, the clunking noise I was hearing got a LOT better, but this new noise could be the same thing I guess, it just doesnt sound nearly as bad. The noise now is definitely coming from the ujoint-flange area where the front of the front drive shaft was attached to.