Broken zerk fitting on half shaft

[charliekwin]

Last one for today, I promise!  (Well, I really hope so!)

 

So I'm greasing up the tie rod ends and ball joints to finish up the suspension work and notice there's a zerk fitting on the half shaft.  I smartly think to myself that hey, while I'm down here, I should do that, too!  And it proceeds to snap clean off because of course it does.

 

I'm gonna go back to the hardware store and get a screw extractor and hope that gets it out (unless there's a better idea).  The other side doesn't even have a fitting; just a screw where one would be.  I thought I read somewhere that the 280z halfshafts aren't supposed to be serviceable anyway.  If I can't get the fitting out and a new one in, any concerns about capping it off?

[Zed Head]

The propeller shafts aren't serviceable but the drive (half) shafts are.  Actually, many of them come with a cap in the Zerk hole already, as you saw.  Greased once, then capped.  So, it shouldn't be a problem.  If you decided to put a new Zerk fitting in, check that it's not too long.  I think that Nissan used short ones.  Long might break off again.

 

You must have good eyes if you noticed a halfshaft Zerk while working on the tie rod ends.