Replacing the front-wheel-drive hub bearing in your 1996 Ford Contour requires some specialized equipment that is not normally in the average home mechanics garage. The most cost effective way to approach this repair is to remove the steering knuckle and have a new bearing installed at your auto-parts store or repair shop. Performing the removal and installation yourself will lower your auto repair costs and give you the satisfaction of being able to say, "I did it myself."
Set the parking brake and block the rear wheels using the wheel chocks. Jack the front of the car up, until the wheels are off the ground, using the floor jack. Place jack stands under the front of the chassis, to support the weight of the car, and lower the car onto them. Remove the front wheels using the lug wrench.
Push a long punch through the brake pad inspection opening in the caliper, and into the vent slots in the rotor, to hold the brake rotor in place. Remove the axle nut using a 35-mm socket and the breaker bar. Remove the caliper by removing the attaching bolts and lifting it off the rotor. Slide the rotor off the front hub assembly. Disconnect the brake hose from the bracket on the strut and hang the rotor out of the way.
Disconnect the tie rod end by removing the cotter pin and nut that attaches it to the steering knuckle. Apply several sharp blows to the steering arm, where the tie-rod is attached, to release the tie-rod from the knuckle. Remove the pinch bolt that attaches the steering knuckle to the strut and slide the strut out of the steering knuckle. It may be necessary to pry down on the steering knuckle to free it from the strut.
Remove the pinch bolt that attaches the steering knuckle to the ball joint and pry the steering knuckle off the lower ball joint using the pry bar. Remove the steering knuckle from the wheel opening and have the new bearing pressed into the steering knuckle at your favorite auto parts store or auto repair shop.
Reinstall the steering knuckle in the reverse order that it was removed. Tighten the strut pinch bolt to 40 ft-lbs, and the ball joint pinch bolt to 55-58 ft-lbs, using a torque wrench. Tighten the axle nut to 210 ft-lbs. Install the wheel and lower the car to the ground before torquing the lug-nuts to 80 ft-lbs.
