Stupid question: I'm about to yank the centering bearing from the Hookes/cardon joint, but there's a small washer in there that various online guides say to simply remove. Mine is stuck in there pretty snugly (there's a metal lip on both sides preventing it from coming out easily). I'm thinking about drilling it out. Am I missing something?

 

I ended up drilling it out. Was a PITA but worked. Now wailing away on the center bearing with a slide hammer. This thing does not want to come out.

Edit: bearing hasn't moved a millimeter, and now my screwdriver's stuck in there. Ack. Never seen anything this tough. I think I'm going to have to heat it.

 

Yeah, that centering ball is a huge PITA.

Have you seen this DIY article written by a fellow forum member? It may offer some tricks and tips to help budge that stubborn ball. I attempted the "service" two times, two separate shafts and gave-in on both occasions - I ended up taking the shafts to my local drive-line shop to complete the rebuild.

 

Yep, been following that guide (also available here: www.discovery2.co.uk / Workshop :- front and Rear propshaft) and another similar one. The idea that the centering ball could come out with three whacks is crazy to me, but it looks like he got lucky. Looking at the replacement, it seems there is a flare-out near the top lip of the sleeve it sits in that's retaining it. I'm going to try a couple ideas aside from the slide hammer, which is doing nothing. If I can hold the ball in place, I may be able to tap it out with a 14mm tap and run a bolt through it to release it.

 

Stick it in the freezer for an hour or so... Try to shrink it. "It'll walk right out"

 

Great idea – didn't think of that. I was going to heat it, but it's such a large piece (heat sink) that it probably wouldn't work.

 

I finally got fed up and took it to a machine shop. They welded a huge-*** slide hammer that they had fabricated to the ball and pulled it out. The weld broke the first time they tried – that's how stuck in it was. It also only pulled out the ball, and not the sleeve, which they didn't feel inclined to attempt removing. They also scored the outside of the housing a little, but I don't think this is a huge issue functionality-wise because this outer part just sits in the rubber housing. I'm planning to sand it out once I get the sleeve out, which I'm going to try to do with a dremel.

Luckily the machine shop only cost me $10, but this project is costing way too much time and money. If I had to do it again, I'd just buy a new shaft.

Edit: I've now ground down one side of the sleeve, and there's zero differentiation between the sleeve and the housing. I think they've welded themselves together over time or something. Looks like I'm getting a new shaft.