2007 silverado 1500 4x4 crack extension housing

Hey can anyone help me figure this out? Last week I pulled out of my driveway accelerated up to about 55 let off the gas and felt and heard a clunk noise. I put my foot back in the gas and let off and it done it again I was able to make it clunk each time I let off the gas. I pulled over examined the underside and couldn’t see anything out of the Norm took off again and it didn’t do it anymore. Fast forward a week and I’m driving down the highway running about 75 and I decided I was going to speed up even more I started accelerating very gradually I don’t not just stomp on it I’m talking very gradually. I got to about 90 then i kinda felt something that just wasn’t right slowed down then it started shaking horribly luckily I was almost to my driveway I pulled in and there was transmission fluid every where. got underneath started looking and found a crack all the way around the tail piece extension housing (or at least that’s what I think it is). So my question is do you think these two problems are related or not. And what do you think could cause these problems