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Old 08-19-2016, 04:25 PM   #21
MarcS
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Quote:
Originally Posted by texhater42 View Post
I thought you weren't supposed to lube the L brackets on the equalizer
My WDH has grease zerks for the equalizer bars.

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Old 08-19-2016, 05:39 PM   #22
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What to do

I am new to towing. What and how do you grease the trailer coupler? Do you use wheel bearing grease I figured that I would put some on the ball would that grease the coupler. I just can't find good info. thx
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Old 08-19-2016, 07:22 PM   #23
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I've started using Dollar General dish soap on my L brackets and hitch head bar mounts on my Equilizer hitch. It is SO much quieter. AND I notice no performance difference. The soap idea is gtg!
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Old 08-20-2016, 07:33 AM   #24
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I'm going to try a little grease on the hitch ball next trip out as I am having a terrible time getting the hitch ball released from TT.

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Old 08-27-2016, 02:15 PM   #25
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Use motorcycle chain lube. It dries to a nice waxie coating and it doesn't get on your clothes after dried but provides plenty of lubrication.
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Old 11-06-2016, 02:46 AM   #26
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Re: to grease the ball or not

Metal to metal fitment of the ball to a trailer hitch is NEVER a good idea. Always apply some kind of lubricant when there will be a metal to metal contact if there is movement.....as ALWAYS is the case with a trailer coupler to the ball connection. Imagine putting a new wheel bearing in, and not lubricating that metal to metal connection..whether it would be a roller bearing or needle bearings. It probably wouldn't last a mile or two. The trailer coupler a a ball are similar...metal to metal, except there obviously isn't as much movement there as there is in a wheel bearing so, it just takes longer to ruin something with the coupler/ball connection without grease/lubricant.
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Old 11-06-2016, 04:52 PM   #27
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Re: to grease the ball or not

Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcS View Post
I'm going to try a little grease on the hitch ball next trip out as I am having a terrible time getting the hitch ball released from TT.

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I had a similar issue. Use lube on both the hitch and the hitch ball. I found the secret to releasing it was after removing the WD bars I start applying upward pressure to the release as I lower the jack back toward the trucks natural height. Wearing gloves helps. It works every time.


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Old 11-06-2016, 05:34 PM   #28
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Re: to grease the ball or not

Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcS View Post
I'm going to try a little grease on the hitch ball next trip out as I am having a terrible time getting the hitch ball released from TT.

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One of the big reasons for not being able to get the coupler to release from the ball of the T.V. is that the wheels of the trailer not chocked well enough and the trailer is still trying to roll forward or backwards. This causes the coupler to not be perfectly aligned over the ball, thus trying to pick up the ball/truck/tow vehicle. Having the ball/coupler greased will certainly help with this, but not as much as proper alignment will.
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Old 11-09-2016, 05:56 AM   #29
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Re: to grease the ball or not

I use wheel bearing grease on my ball hitch as well as my WDH bars. Makes a whirl of difference.
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Old 11-09-2016, 04:29 PM   #30
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Re: to grease the ball or not

I do not grease the ball my reason may be stupid but I use my hitch as my backup ground blinking trailer lights means ground wire is broken and hitch is acting as the trailer ground blinking trailer lights is better then no lights. I do live in Michigan snow and slush corrode wire connection pretty easy. You can see lights blinking in mirrors so you fix when you get home.
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Old 11-09-2016, 04:50 PM   #31
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Re: to grease the ball or not

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodgeman View Post
I do not grease the ball my reason may be stupid but I use my hitch as my backup ground blinking trailer lights means ground wire is broken and hitch is acting as the trailer ground blinking trailer lights is better then no lights. I do live in Michigan snow and slush corrode wire connection pretty easy. You can see lights blinking in mirrors so you fix when you get home.
I'm at a loss for words.........other than fix your ground and grease the ball!
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Old 11-09-2016, 06:07 PM   #32
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Re: to grease the ball or not

I do fix when I get home.
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Old 11-10-2016, 12:42 AM   #33
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Re: to grease the ball or not

That is certainly a step in the right direction, getting the ground connection fixed properly through the use of the trailer/truck electrical plug. Also putting lubrication of some type on the ball/coupler connection will certainly make system last longer without fear of damaging the coupler of the trailer.
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Old 11-10-2016, 11:58 AM   #34
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Re: to grease the ball or not

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodgeman View Post
I do not grease the ball my reason may be stupid but I use my hitch as my backup ground blinking trailer lights means ground wire is broken and hitch is acting as the trailer ground blinking trailer lights is better then no lights. I do live in Michigan snow and slush corrode wire connection pretty easy. You can see lights blinking in mirrors so you fix when you get home.

Are you saying the ground on the TT is bad or is it the one on the TV?
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Old 11-10-2016, 05:22 PM   #35
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Re: to grease the ball or not

Travel trailer Doesn't happen often more with older trailers. Haven't you ever seen a trailer utility, to a semi trailer, and everything in between every time they hit a bump the lights blink.
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Old 11-10-2016, 05:30 PM   #36
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Re: to grease the ball or not

Usually the problem is where trailer grd at the frame before going to truck, utility trailers in pig tail at trailer of plug of tow vehicle water gets in the plug of truck driving in slush going down road.
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Old 11-10-2016, 05:56 PM   #37
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Re: to grease the ball or not

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodgeman View Post
Usually the problem is where trailer grd at the frame before going to truck, utility trailers in pig tail at trailer of plug of tow vehicle water gets in the plug of truck driving in slush going down road.


I understand now. A long long time ago in a galaxy far away when
I was a kid my family had a pop-up. We always had issues with the clearance lights.


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Old 11-11-2016, 07:25 PM   #38
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Re: to grease the ball or not

A pop-up with clearance lights, hmmmm.
I wonder why?

Dodgeman you might have to use dielectric grease. Really.
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Old 11-16-2016, 04:50 PM   #39
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Re: to grease the ball or not

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Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
A pop-up with clearance lights, hmmmm.
I wonder why?

Dodgeman you might have to use dielectric grease. Really.


Good question. What can I say it was in a he early 70's.


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Old 05-18-2017, 05:33 AM   #40
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Smile Lubricate!

We could likely debate forever what the best option is for lubrication. However, metal moving against another metal under assumed conditions will always create friction + heat = wear. We don't want that so I will lubricate.
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