Okay, if anybody's still keeping track of this, my progress:
Got the hub pushed out, breaking up the bearing in the process. Doesn't look too bad, but I haven't looked too closely yet. (Hopefully it IS the source of my noise!)
As another member here (JFP) once remarked, by the time you get to the point where you can use the SIR, you're a connection or two away from having the whole wheel bearing carrier off...at which point, you could remove it and take it to a machine shop to do the pressings. However, like I said before, I wanted to be able to do everything in my very own garage. So far, the SIR is working like a charm. It's so agreeable to be able to use a tool that does exactly what it's designed to do, with not a lot of effort, without having to jury-rig anything.
I ended up uncoupling the bolts of the control arms (diagonal and transverse). (I figured out why Insite recommended loosening the bolt that holds the two together, at the middle of the transverse BEFORE removing the bolt that holds the transverse to the subframe: Once the subframe bolt is removed, you can no longer crank on the bolt in the middle (and it's on pretty tight), because the whole thing moves around too much. Are those (the ends of both parts of the control arm) going to be a bear to get back into place in the subframe?? Guess I'll find out...
I've noticed in some of the DIY write-ups recommendations
against reusing some of the bolts in reassembling certain suspension components. By kid calls BS, but I was curious what some people here thought. For those of you who have taken apart suspension, brake calipers, etc, have you re-used all the nuts and bolts? If not, which specific ones should one use new ones on? Wouldn't slapping a little Loctite on accomplish the desired result?