ClioSport.net

Register a free account today to become a member!
Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read more here.

J&R Driveshafts * Don't do it! *



  182
I read some reviews on here saying they were fine, their ebay listings have 100% positive feedback and time was running out, so I decided to replace both original shafts with J&R ones whilst fitting a refurbished gearbox from @NorthloopCup , Renault clutch, PMS lightened flywheel (same one @NorthloopCup supplies I believe) new Renault bolts & MTL Redline to my 182

Within a week, the n/s outer boot had deposited cv grease all over the wheel arch. J&R offered to send a new boot or do an exchange with a new shaft.

Vtec Direct use J&R shafts in their Civic race cars, but replace the outer boots for thicker ones as the J&R boots are thin and weak. So I decided to have thicker outer boots fitted, rather than waste time & money replacing a low quality part with another low quality part.

The std size boots didn't fit, causing lots of stress finding ones that did. The boots, fresh gearbox oil, labour etc added up to a further few hundred quid, in addition to the initial £115 for the shafts, plus time & hassle etc

A few months later, the o/s outer developed a small tear with a very slight leak, identified whilst at CG Motortech (as I'd moved from Cheshire to Northamptonshire) so I decided to replace with a GKN shaft from ECP after doing more research on here. The GKN shafts have a much better reputation. I've since read several other posts about the questionable quality of J&R shafts.

Whilst the car was at CG for brake work recently, most of the second lot of gearbox oil deposited itself on the floor & was traced to the n/s inner cv joint.

Luckily, Charlie had a good condition Renault shaft on the shelf, so this was fitted along with fresh gearbox oil.

J&R driveshafts are cheap for a reason, in my experience they are low quality and have cost me a lot more than buying better quality items would have done.

If you're thinking of buying them after reading some good reviews and their seemingly good value, please think again & buy a most costly, higher quality alternative to avoid a potentially even more costly and stressful experience.

Add me to the list of those with bad experiences of J&R driveshafts!
 
Last edited:

RSRowe

ClioSport Club Member
  Clio 197
Yeah I’ve not had a good experience with them either.
I replaced both shafts on my old track car, as the seal surface had a witness mark in it. They were cheap so I thought why not.

They arrived, I fitted, and as soon as I went for a drive the passenger shaft popped out the box.
Argued with them at great length, but they kept saying that it was an issue with my differential (yet there was no issue with the old shaft popping out). I even tried shifting the engine and gearbox across on the mounts to try and make the distance shorter to the hub.

I ended up putting the old shafts back in and sold the J&R ones as spares.
 

Brigsy

ClioSport Club Member
  T.Turbo
Buy cheap, buy twice. Its the same for a lot of aftermarket car parts these days, they will pull you out the s**t but dont expect massive mileage.

I used to use recon driveshafts in my R5gtt years ago, they were the same hit and miss quality, i cant recall the make but i thin’ it could have been the same company. After blowing up 3 outer cv’s in no time i went back to genuine renault
 

RSRowe

ClioSport Club Member
  Clio 197
It wasn’t a case of buy cheap buy twice for me.
Someone had recommended them to me, and their feedback online seemed good.
 

Brigsy

ClioSport Club Member
  T.Turbo
I can remember my mate buying loads of sets years ago for his old saxo vts from JR. They were classed as disposable after a few miles, cheap for a reason.

Under normal use, genuine ren shafts usually last half the mileage of the car in comparison.
 
  182
It wasn’t a case of buy cheap buy twice for me.
Someone had recommended them to me, and their feedback online seemed good.

Similar for me bud, one of the reasons I listed the others parts I was also fitting at the same time.

Agree though, I was in two minds as they seemed a bit cheap for a whole driveshaft, live & learn, hopefully others will read this before suffering the same fate!
 

RSRowe

ClioSport Club Member
  Clio 197
Tis a shame. Cus to look at they looked really good quality wise.
 

imprezaworks

ClioSport Club Member
  Mk5 Golf GTI :)
When I had my 182 years ago (owned for 3 years) I needed a paasanger driveshaft. Bought a j&r one for £50 iirc and was on the car 18 months issue free. Others on here also bought without issues, shame you did :(
 

Jamie86

ClioSport Club Member
  RS175,595,205gti,172
I’ve got J&R on race car but replaced the boots with decent ones and used redline CV2 grease.
Unfortunately genuine nee ones aren’t available anymore.
 

Hxrry

so-wax.com
ClioSport Trader
I’ve got J&R on race car but replaced the boots with decent ones and used redline CV2 grease.
Unfortunately genuine nee ones aren’t available anymore.

Where did you get the boots from if you don't me asking? If the standard ones don't fit, I don't want to have a nightmare finding the ones that do lol
 

Daniel

ClioSport Moderator
  Whichever has fuel
I put J&R shafts on my passat estate. Regularly towed with it and generally abused it. They were perfect.
 

Touring_Rob

ClioSport Club Member
Does anyone have any experience with shafttec? I decided against J&R as they don't list cup pack shafts and went with an OEM shaft from Ktec which is taking an eternity to arrive plus they are very unspecific about what they will accept as an exchange.
 

BoatNonce

ClioSport Club Member
Anyone who knows the 2.5L 5 bangers I drive knows that they love a good driveshaft.

I’ve seen more failed J&Rs than I’ve seen hot dinners. I think the fastest failure was 26 miles from fitment.
 
The women over the phone is a proper karen, said that shes been doing this for 10 years blah blah, told me that the o/s I received (ordered n/s) will in fact fit cause computer said so. Also had a gaiter let go on mine but thats about it so far on physical damage.
 

RSRowe

ClioSport Club Member
  Clio 197
Anyone who knows the 2.5L 5 bangers I drive knows that they love a good driveshaft.

I’ve seen more failed J&Rs than I’ve seen hot dinners. I think the fastest failure was 26 miles from fitment.
From my experience, even the ‘motorsport’ shafts are s**t for the 5 pot.

Many friends have spent ridiculous amounts of money on them, only then to go back to genuine Ford ones which are also a fortune
 


Top