Parts for your 2004 Honda Stream-Wheel hubs

2004 Honda Stream wheel hubs — what they do and how to look after them

Based on technical references including the Honda Stream (RN1–RN5) Workshop Manual (Suspension and Brakes sections), the Honda Electronic Parts Catalogue for 2004 RN-series models, and OE bearing catalogues from NTN/NSK, wheel hubs are absolutely used on the 2004 Honda Stream. Both front and rear corners are built around a hub and bearing assembly, with ABS sensing provisions.

On the 2004 Honda Stream, the wheel hub is the bit that the wheel bolts to, letting it spin smoothly around the stationary knuckle or trailing arm via a precision bearing. Up front, the Stream uses a hub supported by a pressed-in bearing inside the steering knuckle. Down the back, most trims use a bolt-on hub unit that integrates the bearing, depending on market and grade, the rear may be paired with drums or discs, but the hub-and-bearing arrangement remains the same. The ABS system reads wheel speed from a tone ring or magnetic encoder associated with the hub, so a crook hub can also set off the ABS light.

For day-to-day servicing, a quick hub health check goes a long way. At each service or tyre rotation, a tech should:

• Spin each wheel by hand and listen for rumbling, grinding, or a gravelly feel.
• Check for play by rocking the tyre at 12 and 6 o’clock, any clunk suggests bearing wear.
• Inspect for seal weep, rusty streaks, and uneven tyre wear patterns.
• Scan for ABS faults if a warning light is on.

Typical symptoms of a failing hub bearing include a speed-dependent humming that grows with road speed, a droning that changes when loading the corner (gentle lane change), mild steering vibration, and, at times, ABS intervention at low speed. Left too long, a noisy bearing can damage the knuckle or hub and chew out tyres.

Replacement advice differs front to rear. The front bearing is a press-fit job: the knuckle comes off, the old bearing and snap ring are pressed out, and a new quality bearing is pressed in square using the outer race only. The hub is then pressed through the new bearing, the snap ring renewed, and the axle nut torqued and staked to Honda spec. Out back, the bolt-on hub unit is more straightforward: remove the brake hardware, unbolt the hub assembly, clean the mating face, and torque the new unit correctly. Always use new axle nuts and hub bolts where specified, keep the magnetic encoder surface clean, and avoid hammering through the bearing. Quality OE-supplier parts (NTN, NSK, Koyo) tend to last longer. There’s no hard replacement interval, but many last 120,000–200,000 kilometres depending on roads, loads, and wheel impacts.

Popular questions about 2004 Honda Stream wheel hubs

How can someone tell if a wheel hub is failing on a 2004 Stream?
They’ll usually hear a humming or growling that rises with speed and may change when gently weaving the car to load one side. There might be a light vibration through the wheel, ABS warning lamp activity, or play when rocking the wheel at the 12/6 o’clock positions. A mechanic can confirm by spinning the wheel and checking for roughness, play, and noise with a stethoscope.

Does the Stream use separate bearings or complete hub units?
Up front it uses a press-in bearing inside the knuckle with a separate hub. Down the back it typically uses a bolt-on hub unit that includes the bearing. Trim and market differences exist (drum vs disc rear), but the rear hub-as-a-unit design is common across RN-series Streams.

Is a wheel alignment needed after hub replacement?
Rear hub replacement generally won’t affect alignment. For the front, many workshops remove the steering knuckle to press the bearing, which can disturb the strut-to-knuckle relationship. An alignment check is a smart move afterwards, especially if the strut bolts were loosened or evidence of uneven tyre wear is present.