to grease the ball or not

[michael_h]

should one use grease on their tow ball or not? I haven't only because the dealer said it wasn't necessary. I did on my trip to the grand canyon and it seemed to quiet down some of the noise I hear when turning corners

[slow]

Yes you should. Never a good idea to have two metal parts rubbing against each other without lube. Not only will it wear the surfaces, but as you said, it is noisy.

[deadeye]

When we had a tag along I would put a double layer of a plastic bag over the ball. Kept the ball and myself clean while providing lube to the ball & hitch.

[SLIMSHADIE]

X2 and I keep a ball cover over them, when not towing. Somebody posted they cut a water bottle and made it fit.

[fla-gypsy]

Yes, I use the Reese Teflon ball lube.

[Desert185]

If you don't grease the ball there is considerable spalling of the metal that occurs. I also lube the manual crank and ball lock mechanism occasionally with PB Blaster or LPS 2.

[GaryWT]

I generally don't and have not had issues but as you can see, many swear by it.

[gearhead]

Neversieze. Nickel. Nuclear Grade.
One can will last a lifetime.
I wipe it off after towing. It is very difficult to wash off your hands and clothes.
That is a good thing.
Sometimes use Pennzoil Marine grease, or both.
And, no spalling to report. Since I have a stainless hitch ball, no galling either.

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

When I had my TT I used Liquid detergent on the ball and for the L-Brackets
on the Equ-lizer, grease for the hand crank jack & PB Blaster for the hitch
lock mechanism.

hankaye

[denverpilot]

When we had a bumper tow we always lightly greased the ball, and covered it with a sliced open tennis ball.

[Desert185]

Originally Posted by gearhead

Neversieze. Nickel. Nuclear Grade.
One can will last a lifetime.
I wipe it off after towing. It is very difficult to wash off your hands and clothes.
That is a good thing.
Sometimes use Pennzoil Marine grease, or both.
And, no spalling to report. Since I have a stainless hitch ball, no galling either.

A one pound can of Never Seez is $91. I still have a partial can (a real metal can) of Permatex anti seize I bought when I was a kid. Might use that first...

[Lic0rice]

I used this dry lubricant on both my blue water sailboat, my fishing boat trailer hitch and on our CNC machines that are used in woodworking. No buildup and works well.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/mclube...nt--P000318230

[geeman]

Dry ball can actually have enough friction and torque on it to start turning loose. Grease it and save the headache. Agree on some sort of cover when not hitched.

[audio1der]

Hmmm. I had a friendly "threat" from my parts dealer about lubing the ball saying it would trap dirt and grind away at the inside of the ball coupler. But the arguments presented above make sense. Maybe I'll try cleaning & greasing the ball one direction, and dry the other to see/hear the difference.

[mfifield01]

White Lithium spray is what I use.

[gearhead]

About any lube should work.
I do occasionally degrease my trailer hitch.

[texhater42]

Originally Posted by hankaye

Howdy All;

When I had my TT I used Liquid detergent on the ball and for the L-Brackets
on the Equ-lizer, grease for the hand crank jack & PB Blaster for the hitch
lock mechanism.

hankaye

I thought you weren't supposed to lube the L brackets on the equalizer

[UsTwo]

Originally Posted by mfifield01

White Lithium spray is what I use.

This I use also. a couple times a year...If it gets really dusty out I will also give it a shot of WD 40.

[hankaye]

texhater42, Howdy;

Originally Posted by texhater42

I thought you weren't supposed to lube the L brackets on the equalizer

What can I say; http://www.equalizerhitch.com/store/...products_id=52

I found (when I was an OTR driver), that liquid soap works great as a lube.
and washes off when you go through a puddle. Doesn't collect dirt either,
again it washes off ...

hankaye

[kfxgreenie]

Depending on weight and hitch setup. Be done with it forever!

http://www.andersenhitches.com/Product.aspx?Id=39