‘90 4.0 Struggles after shut off for short period (or Transmission/Driveshaft issue, idk)

[RangerReviver1990]

So, it’s no surprise that my engine runs rough after i just it off and turn it back on after a short period of time. But this morning, i parked it, shut it off and left it there for about 30-40 minutes or so, came back and started it up to move it somewhere else and it ran fine. But it couldn’t keep a consistent rpm level, so the truck was lunging back and forth as im trying to pull away. But i went to take a turn to try to position it over a drain so i could wash out my bed and i went around a curb the the truck lunging forward and stalled, not like engine turned off kind of stalled but the truck just stopped, i pushed the gas down a couple times and it would just rev up the engine. So I took it out of gear and put it back into Drive and hit the gas again, but heard a clunk probably from my driveshaft and it lunged forward again, and continued moving. I got an extended cab so I got a 2-piece driveshaft, I was also on uneven ground so could it just have been the uneven ground and the driveshaft was at an awkward angle or something?

 

[Uncle Gump]

If you were in Drive and the engine would just free rev... it sounds more like a transmission issue then a driveshaft issue.

 

[RonD]

Unless the shifter had moved to N instead of D then +1 ^^^^, its a transmission issue
You had to shift it to P or N to restart, and then back to D to move, so maybe it was not locked in D the first time, just on the edge between N and D at the transmission end, so lunging as D engaged and disengaged
Check the linkage

Google: Ford Ranger column shifter loose
Common issue on all Ford trucks with column shifters

No, for sure, not drive shaft
Transfer case does have Neutral, but long shot for that, and for sure wouldn't re-engage