The centering ball was mentioned by the 3rd poster EVN137.
"Costs: about 20 buck per u joint plus a centering ball."

 

Yeah, I think you've missed my point though. Even if you replace it, you still won't be able to grease the centering ball on a rebuilt stock front drive shaft unless you dis-assemble the double-cardon joint.

IMO, the rebuild of a stock shaft is fine as a short term, low cost solution to the problem of a poorly designed OEM drive shaft. If you're looking to really address the problem, then you need to find a vendor who can supply a double cardon joint with a zerc fitted to the centering ball in addition to the grease-able U-Joints. The two obvious choices are GBRUTAH and Tom Woods, but I'm certain other local drive line shops can provide similar solutions.

 

Thanks again everyone. Tom your link was especially helpful! I will have a look today under there...

 

When I rebuilt my drive shaft at 83k miles this is what an end cap looked like from one of the U-Joints. The needle rollers literally fell out as I pulled it off.

 

I'm sure something else was wrong with it. Failure at 5,000 miles is failing at the first lubrication interval.

As for greasing the centering ball, there is a breather hole on the back side that can be used to insert a needle adaptor for a grease gun.

 

Tom,
Where would this hole be? I looked long and hard for any kind of hole or way to get grease into the centering ball...there wasn't any breathing hole in the stock shaft that had been on my D2...

 

My 03 has the hole. I noticed it because when I replaced the centering ball and packed it full of grease to make sure none of the rollers fell out during assembly, some of the grease squirted out the hole.

 

I had mine replaced up at MIT in Evergreen, CO about 3 years ago and cost me about $300.
He had a rebuilt one delivered, took mine out...new one went in. The price of peace of mind

 

I just picked up my Discovery II and had the dreaded chirping sound. Figuring the UJs needed to be replaced I looked under to see that the entire front drive was original. With 170,000mi on the clock, I was both impressed and terrified. Its sitting on the lift waiting for its new drive shaft. Expensive, but absolutely necessary!

 

Since the Prop Shaft rebuild writeups are over a year old now, Can anyone confirm that the Advanced Auto parts U Joints linked to in the write up are still USA made and the ones to get? They are still $12.