I need to check and/or change a front wheel bearing on a 94' Escort. The Ford factory service manual doesn't say whether a special tool is needed to separate the splined drive axle (spindle) from the wheel hub. The older Escorts (pre-91') did require a puller to do this. Is there a similar tool for the later Escorts or is none required?
Thanks
BTW- The problem started last winter in very cold weather. I heard a squeak coming from the right front wheel when the car bounced on the suspension while moving. I initially thought it was the strut but the noise has become almost constant during the past few weeks when the car is moving less than about 60-mph. I can make it go away by turning the steering wheel a little to the left or make it louder by turning right. This made me think it was the brakes on that wheel. I tried all the methods for eliminating disc brake noise but nothing worked. I decided to remove the brake pads and drive the car a short distance using the emergency brake. To my surprise it still squeaked. That's how I came to the conclusion that the noise was coming from the bearing. I couldn't find any significant looseness in the hub/bearing, so I think the grease may have dried up and is causing it to squeak. This noise is a high pitched squeak with a cyclic charecteristic like a rotating wheel. When I had a passenger in the front who weighs about 180-lbs, the squeak went away until the person got out. I had a bearing go bad on an 85' Escort but it made a growling sound. In case you're wondering, the CV boots are all fine.