1997 Mercury Tracer front wheel bearing

REMOVAL:
With the vehicle sitting on the ground, carefully raise the staked portion of the halfshaft retaining nut using a suitable small chisel. Loosen the nut.
Raise the front of the car and support it with safety stands.
Remove the wheel and tire assembly.

Do not disconnect the brake hose from the caliper.

Remove the brake caliper and secure it out of the way with a piece of mechanic's wire. Do not let the caliper hang on the hose.
Remove the brake rotor.
Remove the halfshaft retaining nut and discard it.
Remove the cotter pin and castellated nut from the tie rod end and separate the tie rod end from the steering knuckle using a suitable removal tool. Discard the cotter pin.
Use the appropriate tool to separate the tie rod end from the wheel knuckle.
If equipped with an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), unfasten the ABS sensor bolt and remove the sensor.
Remove the strut mounting nuts and the studs which attach the strut assembly to the steering knuckle.
Seperate the strut from the steering knuckle.
Remove the lower ball joint pinch bolt. Carefully pry down on the lower control arm to separate the ball joint stud from the steering knuckle.
Remove the wheel hub, knuckle and bearing assembly from the vehicle.

INSTALLATION:
Apply Loctite 290 threadlocking compound or equivalent to the ball joint nut and threads.
Install the wheel hub, knuckle and bearing assembly onto the ball joint and tighten the pinch bolt and nut to 32-43 ft. Lbs. (43-59 Nm).
Install the tie rod end and tighten the nut to 25-33 ft. Lbs. (34-46 Nm). Install a new cotter pin.
If equipped with an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), install the ABS sensor and tighten the bolt.
Attach the knuckle to the strut assembly and tighten the strut mounting nuts to 69-93 ft. Lbs. (93-127 Nm).
Install a new halfshaft retaining nut and tighten to 174-235 ft. Lbs. (235-319 Nm). Stake the retaining nut using a suitable chisel with the cutting edge rounded off.

If the nut splits or cracks after staking, it must be replaced with a new nut.

Install the brake rotor and caliper.
Install the wheel and tire assembly.
Lower the vehicle.
Check the front wheel alignment.
Road test the vehicle and check for proper operation.

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