Nope, 617 don't have a grease fitting.

I think GKN makes a centering ball also and I think neapco used to make one but never had either of those to look at.

I'm probably wrong about this, and maybe someone will chime in if I am but, I don't think any centering ***** have a grease fitting on their own. I think the socket in the driveshaft that the ball goes into has to be drilled and tapped for a grease fitting and a low profile needle type fitting will have to be used to clear everything.

 

How have you guys removed the driveshaft? Can't get a socket on it to use my breaker bar.

 

Iirc a 3/8 drive 9/16 socket with universal or wobble extention and a decent 12 inch racket. No need for 1/2 driv . don't even know if 1/2 will fit.they do sell a tool but it not needed

 

You need one of these to make life easy Land Rover Discovery Propshaft Nut Bolt Tool 1 2 Dr - JGS 4x4 Land Rover Parts it's designed and made to remove the flange bolts/nuts.

As drowssap says, you can use a wobble extension also.

 

Thanks for the help guys. I am going to get it off the truck and ship it back this weekend. Justin is going to honor the warranty. It has been shaking on the highway at around 70k so this must be the issue.

 

I see - ok, so how does one grease the centering ball without removing it? Literally pierce the seal with a needle attachment?

 

Saw this in one of the prop shaft rebuild DIY threads:

If you're using a u-joint with the zerk fitting in the valley of the cross, be sure to orient the u-joint correctly when you install it.
The hole for the fitting should be under compression by the driving yoke during normal operation, i.e., driving forward.
If you install it backwards so it's under tension, it compromises the strength of the u-joint.

Can someone explain/elaborate?

 

You are quite correct in that. It's not super critical but far better the zerk is in compression otherwise the drilled and tapped zerk hole can suffer fatigue cracking in heavy use. Unlikely but possible as the UJ is a casting.

 

I've only ever seen one centering bearing with a grease zerk (modified inverted type) and that was on a modified cardan professionally installed and bored into the outer ball shell and needed the flange removing to manipulate the cardan to grease the zerk.

 

like this: