Stage 1 V8

(I know many of you also monitor the Facebook Stage One page - so apologies for the double post)

I am looking for someone who has experience replacing the "centering kit" on the Stage One front double cardon prop shaft. Mine appears to need replacement. The first photo shows the drive shaft laid out without the u-joints. The second and third photos show the ball and socket joint that forms the centering kit.







I can find a "kit" from John Craddocks for about 120 pounds. (Part # AEU1998) This is a small package and should ship to me in the USA without too much costs. P.A. Blanchard show a photo on their website and lists it a little cheaper.



My question is that I can not see how the pieces come apart for replacement. I have searched the GOOGLE and the YOUTUBE and they show replacements but for a different type of parts. I think they are Discovery drive shafts they are showing on line.

So, does anyone have a manual or personal experience replacing these parts and can tell me how big of a swear jar I need before I get started?

It appears I can buy a whole new drive shaft (Part # FRC9762 / cross matches to early Defender) - which remains an option - but it will cost a crap ton more and seems like a waste to discard the original shaft just based on these small parts.

So I spent some quality time with GOOGLE and the Stage One Supplemental Repair Manual and I found what I was looking for. It does not seem like that bad of a job once they explain the trick to getting the ball off.

Time to order parts and see what I can tear up on my own.

It's a standard Saginaw shaft. You can buy all the parts in the US from any driveline supplier/repairer and probably cheaper. They will just measure the joints.

Yes - I could just build a new entire driveshaft but I hate to dispose of the original just for a single worn out part. I think I can get this back together for less than $200 total. A fellow USA Stage One owner reported getting a new front drive shaft built for about $500 - so I will be ahead a little (maybe).

We will see over the next few days after the parts arrive.

Useful post as mine may need renewing when I get to it. Thanks

To close the loop on this repair. It is a pain in the backside. The manual says that the "ball" simply pulls off and it does not. It took great destructive powers to remove it. That said - it all went back together well and it appears to have been the source of the clicking sound I was hearing.

I would love to be able to cross reference the u-joints with a manufacture part number rather than having to go to a Land Rover supply shop for them. The u-joint that attached to the front differential is a very common part that cross references to about 1/2 a million cars. (Precision 369) I can not find a cross matched part for the u-joints in the double cardon.

Well done. Just saw the thread.

There's a Stage 1 FB group?