Parts for your 2015 Nissan Pulsar-Centre bearing

2015 Nissan Pulsar centre-bearing — is it even a thing?

Short answer: a traditional tailshaft centre-bearing isn’t fitted to the 2015 Nissan Pulsar (B17 sedan or C12 hatch). The Pulsar is front‑wheel drive with a transverse engine and no propeller shaft, so there’s nothing that needs a centre support in the middle. This layout is confirmed in Nissan’s 2015 Pulsar/Sentra (B17) Electronic Service Manual, Front Axle/Drive Shaft section, which details two front driveshafts with inner and outer CV joints and no propeller shaft assembly. The Nissan ANZ/Global electronic parts catalogue for B17/C12 likewise lists no propeller shaft or centre-bearing assembly. By design, centre support bearings are used on multi‑piece propeller shafts in rear‑wheel drive or AWD vehicles (standard drivetrain practice noted in OEM service literature and texts like the Bosch Automotive Handbook under “propeller shaft”).

Why it isn’t used on a Pulsar comes down to packaging and physics. With the engine mounted sideways, drive goes straight to the front hubs via short CV shafts. There’s no long tailshaft running the length of the car, so there’s no need for a rubber‑mounted support bearing in the middle to control whip or manage angles. Some front‑drive cars do have a small carrier/support bearing on an intermediate right‑hand driveshaft to equalise shaft lengths, depending on variant, that bearing (if fitted) is part of the RH driveshaft assembly and is not the same thing as a tailshaft centre-bearing found in utes or 4x4s.

If a workshop mentions a “centre bearing” on a 2015 Pulsar, it’s worth clarifying whether they actually mean the RH driveshaft’s support/carrier bearing (again, variant‑dependent) or they’re talking about a completely different car. For vibration or droning complaints on a Pulsar, usual suspects are:

• Outer/inner CV joints and split CV boots
• Wheel/tyre balance or cupping, and front hub bearings
• Engine and transmission mounts
• On variants with an intermediate shaft: the carrier/support bearing for the RH shaft

Service tip: during regular servicing, inspect CV boots for splits, check for play in the front hub bearings, and road‑test for vibration under load. If your particular Pulsar variant has a RH intermediate shaft with a support bearing, any rumble that changes with load and road speed may warrant driveshaft removal and bearing replacement as an assembly, following the procedures in the Nissan service manual’s Front Axle/Drive Shaft section.

Does a 2015 Nissan Pulsar have a centre-bearing?

No. There’s no tailshaft centre-bearing because the Pulsar is front‑wheel drive and doesn’t have a propeller shaft. Some variants may have a small support bearing on the RH intermediate driveshaft, which is a different part and function.

I’ve got a vibration in my Pulsar — could it be a centre-bearing?

Unlikely. Look first at wheel/tyre balance, CV joints, front hub bearings and engine/trans mounts. If your car has a RH intermediate shaft, its support bearing can wear, but it’s not a tailshaft centre-bearing. A proper inspection on a hoist will pinpoint it.

How do I tell if my Pulsar has an intermediate shaft support bearing?

From under the bonnet or on a hoist, follow the RH driveshaft from the transmission. If there’s a short intermediate shaft bolted to the engine block with a bracket and a small pressed-in bearing, that’s the support bearing. If not present, your Pulsar just uses a conventional RH driveshaft without a carrier.