I posted this tip on a well known Porsche Cayenne Facebook forum, having mentioned the manufacture name only once and having showed no branded photos in my modification tips post – it was deleted – go figure.

So here it is on my own web site for anyone with a need to view. It shows how to save yourself an amount of cash, by not having to purchase the optional custom JXB Performance Support Brace, and my method simply utilises the Porsche Cayenne OEM brace, with the addition of two drilled holes, which saves you a load of grief in installation time and effort.

Having loaded the car for a Christmas break I got about 20 miles from home and the noise from underneath sounded just like a flat tyre at motorway speeds, slower speeds and the input of any acceleration resulted in heavy thudding from the transmission tunnel. A common problem to the model, extending to the VW Toureg, Audi Q7, and many other listed vehicles of similar build. Having limped the car back home and transferred luggage to the Camper we continued our holiday break…

The Prop shaft (drive shaft, in some territories) Centre Support Bearing repair job awaited on my return, it was -8C outside and a snow covered drive, so a quick confirmatory glance with a torch, and then to the computer to order the correct part required. I chose the JXB Performance solution, a circa £300.00 part, that allows the in-situ replacement of the failed support bearing without the huge labour involved in dropping the full prop shaft – which on the Cayenne 955/957 models involves removal or a very least dropping the exhaust system to gain access to the rear prop flange bolts. You then need the minimum of a reconditioned shaft, often service exchange and then a refit job. Not the option for me.

There seems to be two aftermarket options available for this issue, however the JXB Performance bushing kit appeared to me a better engineered solution. Feel free to research, look at the companies, install videos etc and decide for yourself. I purchased my JXB Performance Driveshaft Centre Support Bearing Carrier Upgrade for Porsche 955/957 – part number 95501A0-S. from AKS Tuning Ltd. in the UK, it arrived next day.

There are loads of installation videos online so I am not going to reinvent the wheel in describing what is required to be done to complete the job, however if you plan to install the kit without the custom JXB support brace, you will have to drop the front flex drive on the prop shaft to allow access to fit the bushing.

What can be seen in the photos below, is that by making a paper template of the base of the support bearing you can accurately drill two suitable sized holes allowing you to insert a long hex key through the drilled OEM steel support plate to fix the two halves of the JXB bushing easily together, without dropping the front of the drive shaft to gain the necessary access to bolt it all together, which of course all of which isn’t required if you decide to purchase the optional JXB Support Brace

Once fitted, and I chose the ‘Street’ Compound rubber, the driveline feels taught and there is no vibration or noise transfer to the passenger compartment, in fact in my case it was pretty much as it was from the factory.

A Happy New Year and many thanks for your support in helping to keep the free automotive repair resource going!

All the best

Steve