Dear Diary,

I slathered the centering ball w/ grease workes it in well. Re-installed went for 35 minute drive. Not a single noise.

Now, the million dollar question; replace or not to replace.

Over the weekend I was stuck in a pond. Is it pissible while trying to get out of the pond I "spun" or washed out all the grease from the centering ball. I say, yes.

I'm I gambling if I don't replace the shaft??

 

Disco Mike, Savannah Buzz what would you do given my situation?

 

Yes your ""gambling "" its more likely that you got some grits of rock or sand around the centering ball or mixed in with the grease. At any rate i would replace it with aftermarket not a rebuild, but its your tranny when it seizes up.

And its in no way a million dollar question just a few grand vs a few hundred for a new prop shaft.

 

Who do recommend for the prop?

AB has a few different ones, but I thought I saw them elsewhere (quality ones) cheaper.

 

One more question.

What fails in these props? Where is the "weak" point?

I understand the u-joints due to grease drying up from high heat exposure directly related from the cats.

But, what happens to the shaft when the centering ball fails?

Humor me.

 

Why dont you humor me and tell me how you greased you centering ball?

 

Step one: Get acid brush
Step two: Get tube of high temp grease
step three: Insert acid brush into tube 'o grease.
Steo four: Wipe grease soaked acid brush onto centering ball.
Step five: Wiggle yoke around and work grease into/onto ball

Your turn...

 

You need a needle fitting for your grease gun
Find the little "port" on the centering ball and you pump grease into it.
This helps if you take loose from t-case side and raise front end off ground so that you can rotate drive shaft and centering ball.

 

Buy a shaft from Bill Davis at Great Basins Rovers, besides being the strongest, it has a grease fitting on the centering ball.

 

Just spoke w/ Bill Davis at GBR. Great guy.

I'm having him send me one of his Reman shafts w/ greaseable everytihgn, including centering ball. The only one to offer this feature. In the meantime, he said my current shaft should be fine. It's bad U-joints that cause catastrophic failure to your rig, not so much bad centering ball kits.