Bart,
If the wheel bearings are as bad as you say, yes, you have to take care of those first. And I might say that you were fortunate that you made it to a shop without losing that wheel- based on you description of the looseness. That loose wheel bearing could be the cause of your noise, but there may be something else to look into. With a loose wheel bearing as you describe, I would have expected to feel something in the steering wheel, or maybe a sudden pull in one direction when you apply the brakes. It sounds like you are going in a good direction so far.
Harvester
