Parts for your 1988 Suzuki Jimny-Centre bearing

1988 Suzuki Jimny centre-bearing — is it actually there?

Short answer: on a standard 1988 Suzuki Jimny (sold here as the SJ413/Sierra short‑wheelbase), there isn’t a centre-bearing on the tailshaft. The SWB layout runs a single‑piece rear tailshaft from the transfer case to the rear diff, so there’s no hanger/centre support bearing in the middle. A centre-bearing only shows up on the long‑wheelbase (LWB) and tray/ute variants that use a two‑piece tailshaft.

That’s not just workshop folklore. Factory and aftermarket technical references back it up: the SJ413/Sierra service manuals illustrate a one‑piece propeller shaft for SWB models with no intermediate support, while the LWB/ute driveline diagrams and parts catalogues list a centre support (hanger) bearing for the two‑piece tailshaft. Gregory’s and Haynes manuals covering the Sierra range also split the driveline specs this way.

Why the SWB 1988 Jimny doesn’t use a centre-bearing comes down to simple geometry and durability. The wheelbase is short, so the tailshaft is short