A little background story for the bushes you found installed on your U joints.
back in the day 0EM u joints were prohibitively expensive in comparison to what everyone was used to spending on u joints. I believe it was Hall Pantera who came up with the work around that provided the thin bushes which allowed the use of cheaper u joints.
OEM sized u joints are now readily available from the vendors for more reasonable prices, and this is a good thing as the bushes can prove to be problematic
BTW, Spicer has a line of U joints that do not have zerk fittings and do not require maintenance. The cap seals are not flexible rubber, which can deform and allow grease to exit, but are hard plastic designed to retain the grease. I had a local Spicer counterman turn me on to these many years ago, he says they have a very long service life even when used in severe duty here in the California central valley for driving water pumps used for irrigation, usually sheltered from direct sunlight but subject to months-long heat exposure in small steel sheds.
considering the minimal miles most owners put on their cars, these U joints are a lifelong part that ends the annual greasing and subsequent flinging of grease throughout the engine bay. 👍👍😁
Larry