My newish 2004 was purchased after several tows by previous owner. I found it with the cdl in neutral and towed it home. I got it running and was able to get it into gear but barely.

I assume the linkage is bent but I may be wrong. Do I yank the center console to fix this and what do I look for?

 

There's really no linkage to bend on the '04s because of the cable setup. Are you following the standard procedure for engaging the transfer case? (running, transmission neutral, ideally rolling slowly)

You say you're barely able to get it to engage, but does it stay in or pop out?