replacing wheel bearing on 97 accord

My 97 accord with 140K miles has been experiencing noise that sounds
like a louder version of snow tire rumble with a wobble harmonic (even
though I have a brand new set of very quiet Goodyear Comfortrak tires).
The Honda dealer found a worn wheel bearing and wanted almost $350 for
the repair. I brought my car to a local Sears to see if they would do
it for less. Indeed, they wanted to charge me $220 for the same job.
Although the Sears mechanic told me he may have to replace the ball
joint also because it has "too much play" and is slightly rusted. He
claims the ball joint needs to be removed for him to replace the wheel
bearing. This sounds a bit fishy to me, especially after looking at my
service manual. I don't see why the mechanic would need to remove the
ball joint to replace the wheel bearing. Perhaps someone can confirm
this for me. I know Sears is not known for their honesty or
trustworthiness, but since I have a decent knowledge of cars and I want
a good price on this repair, I decided to give them a shot. Thanks

 

Well the ball joint doesnt really need to be removed...sort of..! Its
just that the spindle needs to be removed, and that requires the ball
joint to be disconnected.

-Pete