Do you grease your trailer hitch ball?


How about fifth wheel or gooseneck ball?

yes I grease my balls, just kidding. yes it is a good practice to do

Yes, it's a good thing to do. However, you need to make sure the socket is clean before ya stick a bunch of grease in it. The ball is easy to replace...but the htich is a ...well, you get the idea. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gif Grease and rust makes a nice grit. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley3.gif

5th wheel hitch I use the teflon plate. Nice and clean, no grease.

I don't grease.


Teflon plate for fifth wheel and nothing on gooseneck or bumper ball. Edited by: Max Power

Grease and rust makes a nice grit. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley3.gif



Maybe but rust and no grease makes far worse grit.

Teflon plate here. NO complaints and very clean.


Ben

I have never greased a trailer ball in my life (gooseneck or bumper pull)! I still use the 1 7/8th & 2 inch ball(s) I got when I bought my 1st truck 30 yrs ago.


I was raised on a farm/ranch & the only thing I can say about grease on a trailer ball is that it is an easy way to get EVERYTHING dirty.


My thoughts are . . . a worn out trailer ball after over 30 yrs of pulling = $15.00, grease stain on a good pair of $40.00 pants & my high dollar leather seats . . priceless!


Although I have to admit, a 5th wheel may be different (have never used one).


PDSEdited by: Aggie91

The ball isn't really the problem.... it's the hitch. These little silly stamped hitches don't have a lot of ass to them. People pull them all the time and the ball does fine because it uses more surface area than the trailer. When you pull stright, you're on the front of the ball and trailer, when you turn you're on the side of the ball and the front of the trailer. Heck, you can put grass on the ball....anything that lets the trailer slip on the ball without grinding the metal out. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif

I do and I wipe the grease off the ball between uses to make sure that what ever grit might have been attracted to it in the mean time doesn't form a gooey abrasive next time around. Occasionally I'll wipe out the inside of the coupler, too, but there's a limit to my fastidiousness. Aggie91, might be right. I guess I was just raised different.

TC

I also use the "Teflon Plate" for my 5th wheel... When we towed our pop-up we used a 12" square of wax paper folded into quarters and placed on the tow ball... No grease mess, cheap, lubricates well, and you can use the wax paper to help start your camp fire http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif .....Triffid

When we towed our pop-up we used a 12" square of wax
paper folded into quarters and placed on the tow ball... No grease
mess, cheap, lubricates well, and you can use the wax paper to help
start your camp fire http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif .....Triffid



This is interesting

How does a plate fit on a ball?

I like the wax paper idea....never heard that one!

How does a plate fit on a ball?


5th wheels have the plate to carry load.


We run the plates on our semi dumps.

Metal on metal contact is not good.



I have a fifth. Teflon wear plate. I do have a wear indent
on my latch (for king pin) Now I don't know if it is caused by
towing with pin dry. Or by geasing pin, and pin picking up
particles in grease. Only towed three seasons.

I have greased and run dry.


Edited by: Max Owner

I allways grease my gooseneck 2 5/16 ball. Sometimes the weight
at the pin is more than 3250# and metal friction at that weight cannot
be good.

Use anti-sieze on my balls. Wore one badly towing new trailers all the time. My guess is the couplers have rough spots on them from the manufacturers.


This second ball is also showing some wear. My new guess is it doesn't make a 'hill of beans' for the ball but might on the trailer.

It would be a pain in the ahttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley35.gif to have to change a coupling on a trailer that is welded on. If it is bolted, then not a big deal.



I would think it would be preferable to grease the ball. If the
coupling wears thin because of use (over time of course) it will become
a weak link.

I allways grease my gooseneck 2 5/16 ball. Sometimes the weight
at the pin is more than 3250# and metal friction at that weight cannot
be good.




Correct, I use a moly based black grease too as it hold up real good
under heavy loads. The only problem with this grease though is that it
stains clothes real good too.

I have experimented over 14000 miles pulling my gooseneck this year. I've used moly based grease, slideout spray lube, disc brake grease and really consider them to do nothing. Everytime I have unhooked, the ball has been completely dry on the top where the coupler contacts. There is always a glop of grease around the ball where it squeezes out.


The wax paper idea is interesting. I've used parafin on bicycle chains before and it does pretty good. I've also thought about using a piece of adhesive backed HDPE which would be similar to the wear plates the 5er guys use.


I've also considered going to nothing because I always finish a tow with no lubrication so I don't think it is doing me any good. But, when I look at the ball, even with all this use, the wear seems negligable.

I allways grease my gooseneck 2 5/16 ball. Sometimes the weight
at the pin is more than 3250# and metal friction at that weight cannot
be good.




Correct, I use a moly based black grease too as it hold up real good
under heavy loads. The only problem with this grease though is that it
stains clothes real good too.





I stain mostly my shoes when I leave the ball in the bed and I'm not towing.



I use this grease. (http://www.sinto.ca/WWW-F/produits/gra_molytak.html) (sorry for the french) I also use their cetane booster additive.



The grease seems to stay there very well even at the top of the ball
where the pressure is. I imagine even a thin film is better than
absolutely nothing. When there's not enough grease I can hear and
fell the gooseneck clunk alot more under heavy load. On the photo
that is on the first page of my Duramax website I have about 3000lbs on
the pin and that's not the heavier pin weight I had.



I'm still on my first can after 2 years. It's about half empty or half full depending on how you look at life!





Edited by: Maxter

Worried about getting dirty? Try the grease that is used to install "BIG" tires. I think it's a silicone water based grease. It will work for the application and should not stain your clothes. As long as the couppler is attatched the grease should stay. However, the first drop of water will make it begin to run........





Burner-------------> http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif

Worried about getting dirty? Try the grease that is
used to install "BIG" tires. I think it's a silicone water based
grease. It will work for the application and should not stain
your clothes. As long as the couppler is attatched the grease
should stay. However, the first drop of water will make it begin
to run........





Burner-------------> http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif







A Silicone based grease is not a good choice for metal against metal contact lubing.

Edited by: snoman

Yeah, yeah.... I gave them the wrong info. I should have changed it a bit..... I was not trying to "tell" them what to use......just giving them an Idea... Not all grease need be dirty...... What do they use in water sensitive areas? Ever seen a waterpump with that weird looking grease oozing out of the cracks?


BTW, what could someone use that was water based? http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley17.gif





Burner-------------------> http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif

<span style="font-weight: normal;" ="bold">Burner: KY is water based but I wouldn't be very popular in truck stops running around with a KY tube in my hands</span> saying "Can you grease my balls" http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gif



The grease I use seems to be pretty resistant to water; I just have to watch my shoes.

LOL

See above.......http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley3.gif

i put a little powder on my balls evey morning... keeps em dry and no abrasionhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif





ps i never thought a thread could go so far on ball lubrication..lolEdited by: bob camire

OH MY !!!http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley36.gif I pull a heavy tongue wieghted 26' toy hauler. And started to notice after one of the long trips that the 2 5/16 ball is scarred up pretty bad . SO i started to grease my balls and everything is coming along ok now!! lol Grease seems to equal less wear .