As above
found the cheapies don't last long, and genuine around £70 £90
If you could recommend something decent and where I may get it....Many Thanks

I got mine from Bearmach, they seem pretty decent and i keep them greased. Make sure you order the correct ones though, there seem to be at least 3 different sizes of UJ for the defender.

New prop might be same price as the genuine u/js?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294818720149?epid=1823856994&hash=item44a490a995:g:HbkAAOSwhE9iDlzn

I've had a few new propshafts on mine. As above, they're often not much more than a set of new spider bearings and you get a new spline too. If you're just trundling around at 30mph that might not be a problem, but I do a lot of motorway miles so it helps to keep everything running smoothly at speed.

I've had a prop whose bearings had been replaced break up on me whilst driving. Fortunately, it didn't do any harm. What appeared to have given way was one of the yokes that the bearing caps go in. It made me realise just how thin the metal is surrounding the bearing cap, and how, as a casting, it's got a crystalline structure that's rather brittle. I'm now unwilling to trust propshafts that have had bearing caps pressed in and out of them more than once in case the yokes have a hairline crack that's going to give trouble later.

They only crack if they’ve been driven too long after the rollers have fallen out,

gary brion said:

found the cheapies don't last long

Click to expand...

How often are you greasing them, and with which grease ?

gary brion said:

and genuine around £70 £90

Click to expand...

- Hardy Spicer & GKN are about £11 each ....

gary brion said:

If you could recommend something decent and where I may get it....Many Thanks

Click to expand...

As above, HS or GKN - I usually get any I need from Paddocks

If you look on LR Direct website they give you options. eg you can get a complete Britpart prop for about £70 the UJ will be britpart. Or they do them for about £100 with a Hardy Spicer UJ fitted. Still comes in a blue bag, but OEM UJ fitted.

There are many UJs sold as OEM that are poor quality - remember OEM just means it’s made by a company that at one time made original parts for any vehicle, it does not mean it is the same as a genuine part in a different box. It’s worth noting also that sadly even many genuine parts are of poor quality these days - so it’s more important than ever to be aware of what you are buying.

The UJs worth buying are these ones with the larger journals in the bearings and metal seal retainers. They will cost you about £20-25 each and are the same as the original Land Rover ones.

https://www.shop4autoparts.net/parts/axle-suspension/universal-joint-hd-grsr-gkn-hs-18mm-j-75x27/

Whereas below are the cheaper OEM ones usually available for about £10-15, still GKN and therefore OEM but made to a much lower specification than Land Rover originally installed with smaller bearing journals and plastic seal retainers:

https://www.shop4autoparts.net/part...-universal-joint-with-grsr-gkn-hs-75x27-16mm/

The above two links are for the 75mm UJ as fitted to most LR props. For later front props a 93mm UJ was used which has a different part number.

Yes I agree this OEM thing has had its day, mostly cheap rubbish dressed up now