I need to change the rear wheel bearing on a 2005 Escape and can't get the knuckle out of the 2 ears that it is between. I took the bolt out and it has a tube inside the rubber bushing in the knuckle. The tube sticks out on both sides and I can't wiggle it out of its frame. Do I have to destroy the bushing to get it out? Anybody ever deal with this before? Can I spread the ears?

 

I broke the ear off and bent the brackect to get it out.The hard part is that the adjustment sleeve is hardened steel and it rusted into a steel sleeve so to get it out of the arm I had to use a 5/8 masanary drill(CARBIDE TIPPED) set the control arm into a vise and drilled it out.New adjuster part from Ford wasn't that badly priced.Looking one the rockauto web site I think you can change the bearing with out removing the arm.There is a wiki for changing a front wheel bearing alot of the info would work for the rear.If your fwd seems like it would be the easiest.

 

Thanks. I decided to put it back together, rather than destroying something and having to pay big bucks to fix it. I don't think the wheel will fall off , the bearing will just make noise.
Before I bought this Escape I test drove a lot of them and most of them had real loud wheel bearing noise, must be a common failure.

 

I'm having the same problem, actuly my wheel bearing feel right apart when I took the hub off. I made a tool that I think will work, I will post the picture if it does!