Thanks for all the help and info. Even though I'm still too chicken to attempt this repair myself, gaining insight about this area seems to confirm my suspicions that the bearings are bad. I'm in the process of replacing the brakes (pads, calipers, rotors) and I noticed the hub? so out of whack that the rotor doesn't even want to fit on it. Perhaps bad bearings were responsible for making the rotor rub against the brake pads and causing smoke to emerge from the front passenger side. If I can get a local mechanic to do the job for under $300,I'll be in great shape. Thanks again for the help.