Parts for your 2014 Holden Barina-Centre bearing

2014 Holden Barina centre-bearing — does it actually have one?

For the 2014 Holden Barina (TM series), a traditional tailshaft centre-bearing isn’t fitted or required. Technical references including Holden/GM Service Information (SI) for the TM Barina/T300 platform and the GM Global Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) list a front‑wheel‑drive transaxle layout with no propeller (tail) shaft. Because there’s no two‑piece tailshaft, there’s no centre support bearing to service or replace on this model.

That design choice comes down to how the Barina is built. As a compact front‑wheel‑drive hatch/sedan, drive goes straight from the transaxle to the front wheels via short CV driveshafts. Centre-bearings are typically used on rear‑wheel‑drive or all‑/four‑wheel‑drive vehicles with long, two‑piece tailshafts that need a support midway along the car. The Barina simply doesn’t have that setup.

• No tailshaft on the 2014 Barina, so no centre-bearing is used.
• FWD transaxle with CV driveshafts eliminates the need for a prop shaft support.
• Centre-bearings are a feature of many RWD/AWD utes, vans, and long‑wheelbase cars, not small FWD hatches/sedans.

What sometimes causes confusion is the right‑hand intermediate driveshaft support bearing found on some FWD vehicles. On certain Barina variants, there may be an intermediate shaft with a bracket and bearing that bolts to the engine block to keep shaft lengths balanced. It isn’t called a “centre-bearing” in Holden/GM documentation, but a worn support bearing could create noises that people casually describe the same way.

If there’s a rumble, drone, or vibration that sounds like a failed centre-bearing on a 2014 Barina, it’s worth checking the usual FWD suspects first: front wheel bearings, inner and outer CV joints, the RH intermediate shaft support bearing (if fitted), engine and transmission mounts, and simple things like unevenly worn or out‑of‑balance tyres. A technician using GM SI procedures will typically road test, then inspect for free play, roughness when rotating the wheels/shafts by hand, and any slop in mounts under power‑braking. Replacement of a noisy RH intermediate support bearing (where applicable) is usually done as an assembly with the shaft or by pressing off/on the bearing per the workshop manual, followed by a torque‑to‑spec re‑fit of the bracket hardware.

Bottom line from the service literature and parts catalogue: the 2014 Holden Barina doesn’t use a tailshaft centre-bearing. If someone’s quoting a “centre-bearing” on this car, ask whether they actually mean the RH intermediate driveshaft support bearing or another front‑end component.

• Popular questions

Does a 2014 Holden Barina have a centre-bearing?
Not in the tailshaft sense. Holden/GM Service Information for the TM Barina and the GM EPC show a FWD transaxle with no prop shaft, so there’s no centre support bearing. Any similar-sounding part up front is an intermediate driveshaft support bearing, not a centre-bearing.

What causes a humming or vibration that feels like a bad centre-bearing on a Barina?
Common culprits are front wheel bearings, inner CV joints, the RH intermediate driveshaft support bearing (if fitted), engine/trans mounts, or tyre issues (flat‑spotting, cupping, or balance). A proper inspection per GM SI will isolate the source before parts are thrown at it.

If my mechanic says the centre-bearing is worn on my Barina, what do they likely mean?
They’re probably referring to the RH intermediate driveshaft support bearing or possibly mistaking noise from a wheel bearing or mount. Ask them to confirm the part name and number from the GM EPC and to show the play/noise during inspection.