Took me 4 years to realize I was greasing the wrong side of cartridge bearings

Been building wheels and doing hub overhauls since 2019, always packed the exposed side of the cartridge bearing with grease before pressing it in. Last month a customer brought in a used Phil Wood hub that felt gritty, so I finally pulled the bearing out and noticed the seal on the back side was bone dry. That's when it hit me, the grease only helps the side facing the cone, not the loaded side facing the race. Now I flip the bearing and pack both seal lips before install, and my hubs spin noticeably smoother after 200 miles. Anyone else make this mistake early on, or did I just miss that page in the Park Tool guide? Has anyone else dealt with this?

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casey_barnes3d ago

Hate that feeling, but better late than never.