Not a PITA at all. It would work better if we could speak and I hate to type on a phone but here goes:
The spindle wells both can be removed by the top by removing three screws. Both you don’t really need to because as you’ve already figured out, you can unscrew the bottom. Once you do you will look into the cap and will probably see something green and nasty looking. It is what’s left of the thrust washer. I believe it was originally a wax like substance. Anyway, both of mine were messed up. I dugout all the old stuff, cleaned the cap real well, then made some new thrust washers that were approximately the same thickness. Installed them in the cap, and added some oil and screwed the cap on. That’s it. You will most likely need two new thrust washers made.
I cut mine out of a piece of white cutting board on my table saw. I’ve seen some trust washers in different sizes at a large ace hardware. You know the ones with all the little boxes with odd screw, washers etc.
Hope that helps. Mine is the most quiet tables I’ve ever had.