Parts for your 2002 Honda Stream-Centre bearing

2002 Honda Stream centre-bearing: is it fitted, and does it matter?

Short answer for Aussie and Kiwi owners: a centre-bearing isn’t used on the 2002 Honda Stream sold new in Australia or New Zealand. Technical references including the Honda Stream workshop manual and the Honda Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) list the RN1–RN3 variants as front‑wheel drive (transverse engine, no propeller shaft), so there’s no driveshaft centre support bearing in that layout. A centre-bearing only appears on vehicles with a long, multi‑piece propeller shaft—typically rear‑wheel drive or all‑wheel drive platforms.

There is a Japan‑only RN4 Stream with Real Time 4WD. That variant features a propeller shaft to the rear differential, and in the EPC the shaft assembly includes a centre support bearing. However, that RN4 4WD model wasn’t offered new in AU/NZ. For locally delivered 2002 Streams, the driveline is FWD only, so a centre-bearing simply isn’t part of the car.

Why it isn’t used: the 2002 Stream’s FWD transaxle drives the front wheels via two short driveshafts with CV joints. Because there’s no long tailshaft running down the middle of the car, there’s nothing to “centre” or support underbody. Some owners or shops may loosely say “centre bearing” when they actually mean the right‑hand intermediate (jack) shaft carrier bearing on the FWD setup. That carrier bearing bolts to the engine block to stabilise the longer right shaft—but it’s a different part serving a different purpose than a propeller‑shaft centre support bearing.

If someone’s chasing a hum, thump, or vibration and has been told “centre bearing”, it’s worth focusing checks on components the Stream actually has:

• Inner CV joints (common source of cruise‑speed vibration under light throttle)
• Right‑hand intermediate shaft carrier bearing (play or noise under load)
• Front wheel bearings and tyre condition/balance
• Engine and transmission mounts (shudder on take‑off or gear changes)
• Warped or bent wheels, and out‑of‑round tyres

Maintenance tips for the Stream driveline revolve around regular CV boot inspections (split boots quickly kill CV joints), listening for bearing growl that changes with steering load, and ensuring the intermediate shaft carrier bearing mount bolts are tight and the bearing spins smoothly when shafts are out for service. If importing or servicing a JDM RN4 4WD Stream, the centre support bearing on the propeller shaft should be checked for torn rubber isolator, seized bearing, or misalignment after exhaust or underbody work—symptoms include droning that rises with road speed and a shudder on take‑off.

FAQs

Does a 2002 Honda Stream have a centre-bearing?
For AU/NZ‑delivered cars (RN1–RN3, FWD), no. There’s no propeller shaft, so no centre support bearing. Only the Japan‑market RN4 4WD variant uses a propeller shaft with a centre-bearing.

Is the intermediate shaft carrier bearing the same as a centre-bearing?
No. The carrier bearing on the FWD Stream supports the right‑hand driveshaft near the engine. A centre-bearing supports a long propeller shaft in RWD/4WD layouts. They look and function differently and aren’t interchangeable terms.

What causes highway vibration on a 2002 Stream if there’s no centre-bearing?
Common culprits are inner CV joints, tyre balance or out‑of‑round, front wheel bearings, or worn engine/gearbox mounts. The right‑hand carrier bearing can also rumble or cause vibration if worn.