GlassTop09
Senior Member
Ok, the verdict is..........fact check-TRUE!
This S197 center carrier bearing assembly setup does exactly everything the folks at JXBPerformance said it would do to the letter........
The Track version durometer bushings are very stout when fully compressed into assembly........I could only move the center bearing 1\8" of movement.......most of this movement was found at the 2 mounts to unibody......not in the center bearing sandwich bushings inside the JXBPerformance carrier assembly. So, when JXBPerformance said this setup removes the driveshaft slop in the center carrier area of the OEM Ford 2-piece DS.......they ain't lying.
Driveshaft is quiet as a church mouse during rotation (tested up to 70 MPH to date.......so far, so good) w\o any harsh NVH anywhere........but since I have a fully trans mounted MGW shifter (installed on a Blowfish Racing Remote Shifter Mount bracket.......the V2 version.....is now discontinued) I can feel the extra NVH from this firmer mounting thru the shifter handle (mostly thru the front U-joint at the trans flange) but the connectivity improvement thru to the rear axle is very noticeable thru my Eaton Detroit Tru-Trac diff when the clutch is engaging\disengaging........in a lot of ways it seems to have the connectiveness feel of a 1-piece driveshaft (I also own a Ford Performance 1-piece DS w\ the 2 Spicer 1350 U-joints & ran it in this car from 2018 thru 2022 on a full BMR 05-09 S197 rear suspension setup before I put my OEM Ford 2-piece DS back in so I know of what I'm talking about) but is much smoother due to the 2 CV joints in the rear 2-piece DS half shaft section along w\ the Roush 3rd Link UCA assembly (a Roush-modified OEM Ford 07-09 GT\GT500 UCA assembly.......is now discontinued) & OEM Ford 07-14 GT500 rear LCA's I have installed replacing all the BMR suspension parts as well but retaining all the full rear axle control under full WOT launches........at the OEM Ford 08-09 Bullitt ride height (have a full set of OEM 08-09 Ford Bullitt take-off springs installed).
IMHO, I give this JXBPerformance S197 DS Center Carrier Assembly a thumbs up as I find all the descriptions given by JXBPerformance are indeed true as I also felt\observed as well.
I believe y'all will like the Street durometer version bushings just as well.......they're just a bit softer than the Track version but not by a lot......FYI.
As usual, YMMV............
The install was pretty straight forward..........I did the install w\ my Kooks mid pipe still mounted (detached the exhaust pipes from the mid pipe & bungiee'd the pipes out of the way......video showed to remove the mid pipe section) & the DS still mounted in the car on jackstands..........but if you have a set of the HF Daytona 6-Ton jackstands w\ a 20" stand height set under a pair of Steeda Jacking Rails it ain't half bad........but a lift is THE way to go if you have access to 1. I found that if you have a 4" hand held grinder using either a 4" grinding wheel or cutoff wheel, I could access the top area section just behind the old carrier mounting flanges thru the area between the mid pipe ends & cut the upper flange section out to remove the metal housing part then a good & sharp 2" pocket knife made short work of the rubber section right down to the part of the rubber that will be reused (found 4 sections already had cracked & separated). The rest is as shown in the install video. I used some blue Loctite on all the bolts for insurance. Install w\ the lettering facing towards the front of car (or towards the transmission) so all properly centers up inside the carrier assembly when mounted.........as instructed in the video.
Good luck!
PS edit--install video won't run here so go on JXBPerformance web site & run it.
This S197 center carrier bearing assembly setup does exactly everything the folks at JXBPerformance said it would do to the letter........
The Track version durometer bushings are very stout when fully compressed into assembly........I could only move the center bearing 1\8" of movement.......most of this movement was found at the 2 mounts to unibody......not in the center bearing sandwich bushings inside the JXBPerformance carrier assembly. So, when JXBPerformance said this setup removes the driveshaft slop in the center carrier area of the OEM Ford 2-piece DS.......they ain't lying.
Driveshaft is quiet as a church mouse during rotation (tested up to 70 MPH to date.......so far, so good) w\o any harsh NVH anywhere........but since I have a fully trans mounted MGW shifter (installed on a Blowfish Racing Remote Shifter Mount bracket.......the V2 version.....is now discontinued) I can feel the extra NVH from this firmer mounting thru the shifter handle (mostly thru the front U-joint at the trans flange) but the connectivity improvement thru to the rear axle is very noticeable thru my Eaton Detroit Tru-Trac diff when the clutch is engaging\disengaging........in a lot of ways it seems to have the connectiveness feel of a 1-piece driveshaft (I also own a Ford Performance 1-piece DS w\ the 2 Spicer 1350 U-joints & ran it in this car from 2018 thru 2022 on a full BMR 05-09 S197 rear suspension setup before I put my OEM Ford 2-piece DS back in so I know of what I'm talking about) but is much smoother due to the 2 CV joints in the rear 2-piece DS half shaft section along w\ the Roush 3rd Link UCA assembly (a Roush-modified OEM Ford 07-09 GT\GT500 UCA assembly.......is now discontinued) & OEM Ford 07-14 GT500 rear LCA's I have installed replacing all the BMR suspension parts as well but retaining all the full rear axle control under full WOT launches........at the OEM Ford 08-09 Bullitt ride height (have a full set of OEM 08-09 Ford Bullitt take-off springs installed).
IMHO, I give this JXBPerformance S197 DS Center Carrier Assembly a thumbs up as I find all the descriptions given by JXBPerformance are indeed true as I also felt\observed as well.
I believe y'all will like the Street durometer version bushings just as well.......they're just a bit softer than the Track version but not by a lot......FYI.
As usual, YMMV............
The install was pretty straight forward..........I did the install w\ my Kooks mid pipe still mounted (detached the exhaust pipes from the mid pipe & bungiee'd the pipes out of the way......video showed to remove the mid pipe section) & the DS still mounted in the car on jackstands..........but if you have a set of the HF Daytona 6-Ton jackstands w\ a 20" stand height set under a pair of Steeda Jacking Rails it ain't half bad........but a lift is THE way to go if you have access to 1. I found that if you have a 4" hand held grinder using either a 4" grinding wheel or cutoff wheel, I could access the top area section just behind the old carrier mounting flanges thru the area between the mid pipe ends & cut the upper flange section out to remove the metal housing part then a good & sharp 2" pocket knife made short work of the rubber section right down to the part of the rubber that will be reused (found 4 sections already had cracked & separated). The rest is as shown in the install video. I used some blue Loctite on all the bolts for insurance. Install w\ the lettering facing towards the front of car (or towards the transmission) so all properly centers up inside the carrier assembly when mounted.........as instructed in the video.
Good luck!
PS edit--install video won't run here so go on JXBPerformance web site & run it.
