prop-shaft center bearing diagnosis
 

How do you tell if the center bearing on a driveshaft/propshaft is bad or going bad?

Will it make a noise? if so what kind.

Is there any way to test or feel if a driveshaft center bearing is bad?


Scott
1998 C230 110Kmiles

You can test the center bearing just like you would test any other sealed ball bearing. Free the carrier from the car body by removing the bolts. Check for excessive play and check to see if it rolls smoothly. If you can "feel" the balls moving around then it time to replace it. I always inject some grease into them using a syringe and hypodermic needle.

In most cases, the rubber donut that holds the bearing in the mount is what goes bad. It should be somewhat flexible and you should be able to move the shaft about 1/4 inch side-to-side. If you can't, the rubber has probably hardened and bearing & donut must be replaced.