I have a slight vibration.BMW dealership tells me I need to replace the center support bearing and I also need to replace the driveshaft at the same time or the center support bearing will go out again soon and cause me many more problems . I would like to replace the center support bearing and u joint ( $ 500) as opposed to that and the driveshaft. $ 2300.00). Bought the car used -126 k. Like it but do not want to turn into a $ pit.
Sorry, but it is a BMW… the very definition of a money pit. Parts for bimmers are expensive. They wear things out like any other car.
If the center bearing is bad, there’s little reason to think the driveshaft is bad and if it is, there are shops that will rebuild them.
I’d suggest taking it to BMW specialty shop rather than the dealer. Likely cheaper labor costs and possibly cheaper, more durable or more creative aftermarket solutions to your problems.
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Thanks for the info. One shop said they could send drivehaft to california and rebuild it it. But nothings wrong with driveshaft.
Every major city has shops that specialize in rebuilding and/or fabricating driveshafts
These shops often work on 4x4 trucks and/or large commercial vehicles
Fixing your driveshaft should be child’s play for them
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Thanks for the info. But my question is , Do I have to replace the driveshaft when replacing the center support bearing on a 2009 BMW 328i ?
Impossible to answer your question definitively out here on the web. I wouldn’t change it as a matter of course with a center bearing change but the dealer disagrees. I suggested you take it to a BMW specialty shop instead of the dealer. The specialty shop may also disagree with the dealer and not replace the driveshaft and, as @db4690 and I both suggested, have the driveshaft sent to a driveshaft repair shop and they will check it for balance and the CV or U joints and replace as needed.
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You might post this on a BMW forum, bet somebody’s dealt with it there.
You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. If it was me I would find an independent shop to replace the support bearing and then trade . A 9 year old BMW is just very likely to have more expensive problems . It may not but the odds are in favor of having problems.
Volvo brings up a very good point, and I’ll use a different example
On certain Ford Exploder Sporttrac models, the center support also wears out, the rubber, to be specific
According to Ford, the center support is not available separately. The factory service information in fact says you have to replace the entire drive shaft. However . . . if you google it . . . the part IS available separately. It’s out there, there are vendors willing to take your money and sell you one. And a drive shaft shop should be able to easily perform the repair
But there are options . . . such as bringing either the entire vehicle or just the drive shaft to one of these shops and telling them to either repair the drive shaft or fabricate a new one. Even a custom fabricated drive shaft should cost considerably less, versus buying a drive shaft from the BMW dealer. In fact, if the shop fabricates a drive shaft, there’s a fair chance they’ll build you one that doesn’t have the “weak spots” which the original had
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Thanks to everyone for your time and info. I have decided to go to a reputable independent BMW shop and have a new driveshaft, u joint, and center support bearing replaced for an even 1000 out the door. I paid 6300 for the car and I am going to roll the dice for a little longer. Thanks again.
Sounds like you made a wise choice
Thx, only time will tell !
I just looked online at rmeuropean.com . . .
They sell either the center support or the driveshaft, which comes complete with the center support and flexible disc
That said, the price of $1000 seems fair, because the complete driveshaft from rm costs $532.44, just to give you an idea. And there’s the labor to consider, probably 1 - 2 hours would be my guess. And labor rates being over $100/billed hour for decent shops, that puts you at about $1000, when you also factor in taxes and what have you
Yep, plus I think they can get some core charge $. BMW dealership wanted 2246.00 plus tax !! Tomorrow at 1. They said 2.7 hours.Keeping my fingers crossed !
Based on a few minutes of online “research” . . . it seems like the genuine bmw complete driveshaft costs over $1500
Was there a reason given why you need a complete driveshaft, versus just the center support bearing . . . ?
Is it twisted?
Balancing weights fell off?
Unbelievable !! Just picked up car, spent 1000.00 $ and car is doing the same thing !!
Did you ask them to perform particular replacement or to diagnose/repair the root issue?
I suspect you went shopping on the shop to do the service BMW identified as the one to be performed.
If you let BMW to perform it, you wold have a leg in a argue of if it was a right diagnostics.
If you told the second shop to perform the service the first shop identified, they are not even responsible for the result if it fixes you concern or not… they simply performed what you asked them to perform… 
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by the way, googling by “driveline repair” on Google Maps I identified 3 shops within 10 miles radius who would balance the driveshaft
Let’s take it from the top
At what speeds do you experience this vibration?
You never told us what kind of vibration. Where do you feel and under what conditions?