Conclusion:
So far so good.
The funny noise eventually went away on its own now that I am routinely switching between 2WD and 4WD as needed, keeping things clean & lubed in the linkage department... and using a
LOT more 2WD than I ever imagined I would.
I did slip out of gear once the other day while in 2WD and dang near rolled down my steep front yard hill... but I believe that to have been a fluke incident and unrelated to anything other than the fact that I probably didn't have the red beast fully in gear!
No harm and no repeats since that day.
Dougster