If that stringy grease you have is dark brown it is Sodium soap grease, and it was used as wheel bearing and u-joint grease up into at least the mid 60's. The oil component of that grease was sperm whale oil. When that stringy grease gets warm the bearing mashes and melts it into a smooth heavy oil, like molasses, for the bearings to run flooded in and returns to its original fibrous state when cold. Bearing failures were very rare when that stuff was used and was considered good for the life of the vehicle if the seals held. I Wish I could still buy it. But without sperm oil to make it work, soon it was gone. It was also used in the drive shaft front slip yokes from 65 on back, and the 62 (and others) Chrysler "torque tube drive shafts" were full of that stuff. U-joints never went bad in those cars. It was hydrophobic too, wouldn't take on and mix with water like the Lithium soap greases all do. Some ancient history: In 1974 our mopar dealer sold the Michigan DNR four M3 (light military-maybe 2 ton) FWD Cab & Chassis trucks for them to turn into forest fire pump & hose trucks, they were 2 tone light/medium green enamel. I had to do the new vehicle prep on them and found the front axle full motion steering hubs (they didn't use u-joints) were filled with it as were the front and rear wheel bearings. I presume the drive shafts slip spline yokes had it as well. They were cool looking trucks with big fenders and running boards like the 1939's , in fact they looked like 1939 trucks with left and right hoods, split windshields, lever door handles, old timey dashboard and no frills. The edges of the fenders and running boards were trimmed with 1-1/2 inch angle iron riveted to the fenders and boards. Engines were 230 CI flat head six's. The only thing to give them away as 1974's was the serial numbers, modern rubber door seals, and modern bench seats. I remember the axle ratio's were 5.38:1 and top speed according to the raised letter brass plate on the dash was 45 mph. The tires were military tread pattern too.
