grinding noise from the front wheel assembly

[Gunter]

HI,
I have put about 55 000 km on my Focus wagon and the only thing that went wrong with it was the ignition cylinder which got replaced the second time just last week.I was told by the Ford propagandist that this cylinder is being manufactured by a new company [probably some Chinese or Vietnamiese man. judging by the quality - the key doesn't want to smoothly enter the key hole so the Ford experts greased the key with vaseline and I managed to mess up my trousers] .
The one problem I'm facing now with this vehicle is this strange noise that's being generated somwhere in the front wheel drive assembly.One day when the car had about 25 000 I noticed very slight grinding noise from the front.It sounded llike heavy duty snow tires on an asphalt road.I suspected it could be the very terrible stock Good Year Integrity tire.When I replaced the rubber with much better quality Uniroyals the sound remained.I took the car to the dealer and one of their "experts" took the car for a test spin.He was very quick with his explanation.'It's the tires".I told this expert technician that I just purchased new tires and the noise is identical to the one before the tire change.He dismissed my reasoning.
My Ford warranty will run out in September 04 and I really need to act fast and I have to try to convince the dealer to eliminate the noise problem.I'm lost.If I'll go back and report my problem to them they will probably tell me again the same thing "It's the tires".
I know it's not the tires though.It's really a metalic sound and it keeps it's level of constant grinding regardless on the road surface and sounds the same even when driving on soft fresh layer of snow during winter time.I have hoped for the last 18 months that the problem would get so bad that Ford would have to do something about the problem but unfortunately the noise is just slightly worst than initialy.
Do you have any advice for me how to remedy this trouble.

[jc_34_04]

hey my om has or had a 2000 mercury sable it di the same thing..we changed the tires..nope...changed both CV axles....nope....performed a complete 4wheel alignment with new tierod ends balljoints and bushings...nope...ok im confused i couldnt tell what was going on...it sounded like it was coming from the right side of the car but iif i was a passenger it souned like it was coming fromthe left... what the closest to the center onther than the motor....you got the differential...yeah your best bet is to trade it...thats what we did..ours was so ate up it wasnt even worth fixin...so i made her trade it in and get e chevy lol no problems yet...later

[jc_34_04]

sorry bout the typos..

[nose-gobblin]

wheel berring?