Hub grease: different on each side

[Nessie23]

Been thru numerous informative ‘grease’ threads but can’t find an answer to my query. I fitted a new cassette & chain last night, no drama. However, with the cassette removed I realised that the wheel was spinning on its axle in a rough/graunchy manner so decided to investigate the cup-cone & loose bearings. On the drive side there was blue grease of expected consistency (NGLI #2) and the bearings either fell out under gravity or fished out with magnetic tipped screwdriver. Cleaned bearings, looked like new, all shiny and no obvious pitting. However on the other side there was a very thick amber coloured grease that held the bearings fast and I could not remove them. The bearings also appeared to be gold in colour (but could be stained from amber grease). I did not persevere as getting dark and I did not have any similar ‘thick’ grease so I put it all back together and will investigate further when I have more time. Has anyone come across such different grease on same hub and is there an obvious reason for this? Bike is a hybrid, branded Land Rover Commute 5.9, with a 9-speed triple and I believe Mavic hubs. I bought the bike new in 2010 and only serviced by me. Done about 5k miles.

[531colin]

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=145114
Thread above refers to Shimano cup and cone hubs, but i think the principle is sound.......regular grease on the non-drive-side, but semi-fluid grease on the driveside so that it gets into the freewheel bearings....at least it does with Shimano hubs, you will have to look carefully at your hubs. If no lube gets into the freewheel, then it will run dry, eventually, obviously.
It sounds like yours have been lubricated with regular grease and extra-thick grease, or just dried out in 10 years!

[slowster]

According to the link below your bike has V brakes, so you could just use semi-fluid grease for both sides if you wanted. (The advice not to use semi-fluid grease for the non-drive side hub bearings is specific to disc braked bikes, i.e. there is a risk that small but neverthless significant amounts of semi-fluid grease will leak past the hub seals onto the disc and contaminate the brake pads.)

https://www.thebikelist.co.uk/land-rove ... e-5-9-2010

[rogerzilla]

Are you sure the LHS hasn't rusted out due to water ingress?

[mig]

Are you sure the LHS hasn't rusted out due to water ingress?

me thoughts too. amber grease sounds like a white grease that has been stained by water and corrosion over the years. i'd assume that the seal wasn't up to much on that side or has worn.

maybe worth a good clean out, inspect the race and use new bearings if they are okay. re-assemble in the time honoured fashion as stated many times here....that it isn't over tight when the quick release holds it back securely in the frame.

[rogerzilla]

If they are rusty, the hub is probably finished as far as perfect function is concerned. Run a ballpoint around the bearing tracks on the cup and cone. Any pitting you feel will cause rumbling.

However...clean, fit new balls, ride and repeat every 200 miles, and mild pitting will usually be improved. It will never be perfect - you can't put back what the rust has eaten - but it can smooth out to the point that the balls at least stay round.

[PT1029]

LHS probably rusty as already mentioned. I have seen brown/gold nice and smooth/shiney (when cleaned) bearings - obviously not used to much when rusty before being dismantled. Grumbly bearings usually means something has become very rough (cup or cone...).
If unsure, scrape a sharp point or edge of a small scredriver or similar along the bearing track. Any hint of roughness means pittting. Un pitted it will feel as smooth as.

[Nessie23]

Thanks for all the replies.
531Colin: The suggestion that SF grease is used in RHS to lube the freehub makes sense. The freehub was operating perfectly but there was less grease in the cup than I would expect. I am 99% sure there has been no water ingress. I did remove the entire axle and zero signs of corrosion. I am convinced the LHS is indeed an amber coloured very thick grease and the ball bearings did appear to be gold coloured but I never removed them just rubbed at them with my finger.
Thanks for all the suggestions to check for pitting. My technique has always been to use my tongue much to the horror of my son whom is in 4th year of engineering apprenticeship and appalled at my antiquated methods!
I will post an update when I get time to strip fully.

[PT1029]

Do you keep your tongue in the tool drawer or on a hook on the tool board? If the latter it might be at risk of drying out.