Parts for your 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer-Centre bearing

1997 Mitsubishi Lancer centre bearing — do you actually have one?

Short answer: on a typical 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer sold in Australia and New Zealand (CE series, front‑wheel drive), there’s no tailshaft centre bearing fitted. That’s because these cars use a transverse engine with a manual or auto transaxle driving the front wheels, so there’s no long rear propeller shaft that would need a centre support bearing.

This isn’t just hearsay. The Mitsubishi Lancer CE Series Workshop Manual (Power Train sections for “Manual/Automatic Transaxle” and “Front Axle/Driveshaft”) details front driveshafts with CV joints and makes no provision for a propeller shaft or a centre support bearing. The Mitsubishi ASA electronic parts catalogue for CE Lancer likewise shows no prop shaft or centre bearing for the FWD models. The Haynes Mitsubishi Mirage & Lancer 1997–2001 repair manual also describes a purely FWD driveline architecture with CV shafts only. Those technical sources all point the same way: no centre bearing on a standard 1997 Lancer FWD.

Why it’s not used:

• A centre (support) bearing is for two‑piece tailshafts on rear‑ or all‑wheel‑drive layouts. The CE Lancer is front‑wheel drive, so there’s no tailshaft to support.
• Front driveshafts are short and supported by the transaxle and wheel hubs, using CV joints rather than a centre support.

One caveat: high‑performance AWD variants (e.g., Lancer Evolution IV, CN9A) from the same era are a different kettle of fish. Those have a rear differential and a two‑piece prop shaft with a centre support bearing. But that setup isn’t fitted to the mainstream 1997 Lancer sold here.

Chasing a vibration or thump and thought “centre bearing”? On a FWD CE Lancer the more likely culprits are:

• Outer or inner CV joints, or a worn intermediate shaft support bearing if your specific engine/shaft setup uses one
• Engine or gearbox mounts letting the drivetrain move about
• Front wheel bearings, tyres out of balance, or irregular tyre wear

If you’re unsure which driveline you’ve got, a quick look underneath tells the story: no rear diff and no long tailshaft equals no centre bearing.

Technical references: Mitsubishi Lancer CE Series Workshop Manual (1996–2003), Mitsubishi ASA parts catalogue for CE Lancer (FWD models), Haynes Repair Manual, Mitsubishi Mirage & Lancer 1997–2001.

Popular questions about a 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer centre bearing

Does a 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer have a centre bearing?
No, not on the regular front‑wheel‑drive CE models common in Australia and New Zealand. They don’t have a rear prop shaft, so there’s nothing for a centre support bearing to hold up. If the car is an AWD performance variant (think Evolution IV), that’s a different drivetrain and it will use a centre support on the tailshaft.

What could cause a 60–80 km/h vibration if there’s no centre bearing?
On a FWD CE Lancer, start with wheel balance and tyre condition, then check front wheel bearings, inner and outer CV joints, and engine/gearbox mounts. An inner CV (tripod) joint or a worn intermediate shaft bearing (where fitted) can mimic tailshaft‑type vibrations even though there’s no centre bearing in the car.

How can someone tell if their 1997 Lancer is the AWD type that uses a centre bearing?
Look underneath: an AWD Lancer will have a rear differential, a prop shaft running down the centre tunnel, and typically a two‑piece tailshaft with a rubber‑mounted support in the middle. A regular CE Lancer FWD won’t have any of that — just exhaust and a flat floorpan at the back.