240d Play in center bearing and thumping over bumps

[NC240D76]

While fixing the kickdown problem on my 1976 240d (see no kickdown 240d auto trany) I noticed the front drive shaft between the transmission and the universal and where it goes through the bearing ( I assume this is the center bearing) can be moved easily by hand between 3/8 and 1/2 inch in either direction, is this normal? It doesn't seem to vibrate at any speed but the car does have noise at higher speeds but they seem to come from the front of the car (engine noise?) and the connection to the transmission and the universal both seem tight.
I also noticed some bushings that seem to be between the front suspension assembly and the body that are so dried up you can wiggle them back and forth with a finger and I do get thumping when going across bumps. I was going to replace the shocks anyway but it seems these should be changed also.
What are they called and how much trouble are they to do yourself? Are there different kinds of bushings and is there much difference in shocks?
Once again, thanks for the help!