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Old 05-03-2018, 04:42 PM   #1
BamaRam
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Ball is galled

New to towing. I have a new E2 round bar hitch and new trailer. Dealer set up the rig. Said nothing about grease. I didn't know it was supposed to be greased until I read the manual.

The ball has been used for two hours towing and an hour backing practice. I didn't connect the equalizers for backing practice because I practiced in the field where it's stored and my truck doesn't care.

Took a look at ball today and it's galled at the top.

Maybe I need to grease it or check the setup... or both.

What do y'all make of this?
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Old 05-03-2018, 04:59 PM   #2
66joej
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It's just broken in. Put some lube on next time you hook up. I use dawn soap. No mess on the clothes.
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Old 05-03-2018, 05:34 PM   #3
sourdough
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I don't see anything wrong with the ball. It's getting its "polish" worn off - wait until you've got about 10k on it. I use Reese hitch ball grease. I used to use Dawn but it comes off pretty quick in wet weather and I hated carrying a bottle around. Either works but it looks to me like you're good.
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Old 05-03-2018, 05:45 PM   #4
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Thanks guys, I'm overly cautious since I haven't towed.
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Old 05-03-2018, 05:53 PM   #5
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Git ya a can (small, with brush in can) of NUCLEAR GRADE Never Seize, nickel, not copper. It'll last the rest of yore life.
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Old 05-04-2018, 02:31 AM   #6
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I keep a spray can of white lithium grease in my truck that I use on nearly everything and it seems to work good and last also. All you need is some grease of some sorts and your good to go.
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Old 05-04-2018, 03:06 AM   #7
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That won't hurt the ball just lube it in the future. You said dealer set it up so I'd recommend downloading the instructions if they didn't give it you and recheck everything. See a lot of folks on here report incorrect setup from dealers.
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Old 05-04-2018, 03:58 AM   #8
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Without this sounding like I'm defending the dealer (I don't even know which one it might have been), I'm not sure if you can call the "dealer hitch setup" as incorrect or outdated. If you think about it, most people buy a trailer, go for their "PDI" (or walk-through) and while they are learning about their new trailer and signing paperwork, the dealership's "hitch guy" sets up their equalizer bars. The trailer is empty (in almost all situations) and the tow vehicle usually has only a part of the load that will normally be carried when towing. So, once the new owner gets his trailer home, adds 1000 pounds of cargo, puts 3 kids in the back seat, a cooler in the rear (or in the bed) along with "other important stuff", there's going to be a significant change in hitch weight and in "equalized weight" to the front of the tow vehicle/trailer axles.

While the "hitch head angle" and the equalizer bar distance may not change, the "hitch setup" will, in almost all cases, need to be adjusted to the "real world weights".

I suppose the dealer could "overcompensate" in WD bar settings to anticipate the loaded hitch weight, but even then, it would be a "best guess" setting. Any new owner would benefit from verifying the settings and fine tuning the adjustments once the trailer is ready for travel, especially if it's the first trip after delivery of the trailer.
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Old 05-04-2018, 04:12 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
See a lot of folks on here report incorrect setup from dealers.
I know they didn't torque the hardware to spec. The shank was sloppy loose after one pull. I'm pretty sure they also set the shank too high. Also when I was towing it home from the dealer I checked the wheel temps and one axle was a 5 degrees warmer than the other. I plan to find some level ground and check it per manual.

I think it needs another spacer washer too. Right now the vertical axis of the ball is perpendicular to the ground. It's suppose to be angled down slightly. Problem is the dealer used 4 spacer washers and kept the rest. I gotta hit them up.
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Old 05-04-2018, 07:21 AM   #10
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Check ALL the hardware on the hitch; especially the ball. I didn't. When I got mine home from picking it up and pulled the trailer off the ball was just wobbling. Only had about 2 threads before the nut would have came off. Of course I went ballistic and made a return 60 mile trip to the dealer right then.

My ball requires 300 ft. lb. of torque (I believe yours will too - Equailizer?). It takes a hefty torque wrench and a thinwall socket to do it but you need to check it.
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Old 05-04-2018, 08:35 AM   #11
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I ordered the lubricant from Equalizer when I got my hitch I use it on the arms as they recommend and on the ball. Have had no issues or visible signs of wear. Barely put a dent in the tube through full summer of camping. Here is the link.

https://www.equalizerhitch.com/store/hitch-accessories
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Old 05-04-2018, 01:38 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
My ball requires 300 ft. lb. of torque (I believe yours will too - Equailizer?). It takes a hefty torque wrench and a thinwall socket to do it but you need to check it.
Mine requires 450. E2 sells one P/N without the ball and another with. My P/N is the one with the ball installed by E2 so most likely it's tight. But I am going to check it... somehow...
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Old 05-06-2018, 12:54 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
Git ya a can (small, with brush in can) of NUCLEAR GRADE Never Seize, nickel, not copper. It'll last the rest of yore life.
What advantages do you think the NUCLEAR GRADE Never Seize gives you over something like lithium grease?
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Old 05-06-2018, 02:49 PM   #14
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Never Seize seemed to work very well on rotating machinery parts. I rarely used grease nor did other crafts in the petrochemical complex I worked at. Pipe fitters would sometimes mix grease and Never Seize together to use on pipe flange studs.
We used Never Seize exclusively between close tolerance pump seal sleeves and shafts unless the vendor speced otherwise. I was trained to rub, burnish, Never Seize into the metal and wipe up the excess.
Heck its a trailer ball. Probably could just spit on it. I just as often don't lube mine at all.
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Old 05-06-2018, 06:09 PM   #15
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^ Agree. I worked many years on pipeline compressor engines and equipment. Never Seize was used on anything that moved. GOOD STUFF.
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Old 05-15-2018, 09:23 AM   #16
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Listen to these folks telling you to recheck everything the dealer did. As a retired heavy equipment mechanic I cannot stress how important that is. While I never worked in a dealership, they don't pay well enough, I know that most things coming out of their shop need a quality check before being put back into service. If this is true where they actually pay for experience then imagine how much more true it is when they only want to pay as little as possible.
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