driveshaft centering bushings/sleeves--experiences?

[DrewPT]

If I'm overhauling the driveshaft area with the center bearing carrier and boot kit w/bearing, new flex disks, etc.. I'm just wanting to make sure I either order these bushings/sleeves if it warrants changing, but not to bother if conversely it's not necessary.

1244100732 is the rear sleeve, 1244101032 is the number for the front version. With over 30 years and 300,000 miles on the car, are these needing to be replaced? Even though I understand there isn't a lot of movement there, I just wonder since the inside is sleeved with rubber. On MB parts catalogue it says these parts don't fit, but it does on ilcats diagram site as well as independent parts sellers.

[Duke2.6]

The center driveshaft bearing on my '88 190E 2.6 five speed was replaced on warranty back in the early nineties not long before the warranty expired. The symptom was a growling sound coming from the area of the center driveshaft bearing.

A few years ago with only 85K a squeaking sound was coming from the center driveshaft area up to about 15 MPH. I got underneath the car, removed the catalyst heat shield and found that when I grabbed the driveshaft it just flopped around. The rubber bushing in the pillow block had mostly disintegrated.

I had a local, small Merc/BMW specialist shop change it. I just brought it in in the morning and waited. One of the co-owners who did the work clearly knew what he was doing, and let me watch. Once he got the driveshaft out and checked it out he said the flex disk (which was replaced at 60K). couplings, and u-joint were okay, so he just installed a new center bearing and pillow block, and installed some new rear muffler mounting donuts that I brought along since the originals were showing cracking. He had to drop the exhaust system down a foot or so and support it on pole stands to gain access.

It's not always obvious what you need until you get the driveshaft out and can do a close up inspection to determine what needs to be replaced.

Unless you've got records on what's been done over the years, with 300K miles I'm sure the driveshaft will need some work.

Duke