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techntrek View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Hitch care
    Posted: 01 Dec 2016 at 1:47pm
28 years of trailer towing here, and I've never lubricated the hitch ball or the sway bar ball (when I had one). I've never noticed any wear, or noise from those locations (only from the intentional friction points).

If you leave the ball in place now you have a greasy ball where you'll walk into it. My father greases his ball and after borrowing his utility trailer last week I left my ball on and sure enough, my wife leaned over it in a white shirt...

That said, if you do grease the ball there are ways of covering it when you are unhitched.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Dec 2016 at 2:56pm
When we first got our R-Pod, I did not grease the hitch ball. Even on the first trip home, I noticed wear on the ball. That is when I decided I had better lubricate it. I put grease on it before hitching. When I unhitch, I take a couple of paper towels and wipe the dirty grease off. Then I put a rubber hitch ball cover on.

Next time I get ready to hook the hitch up, I'll have to get a picture of the wear.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
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Joined: 26 Feb 2016
Location: Texas
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Posts: 1407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Dec 2016 at 6:02pm
Originally posted by furpod

You can also buy a self lubricating ball. We have run one for the last 3 years, very happy with it.


I looked for one this afternoon with Google's help and couldn't find a 2" one that would work with a regular hitch bar. The only ones that would were 1-7/8".
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Joined: 07 Apr 2016
Location: Greenbrier, TN
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Dec 2016 at 5:08pm
I know it sounds "country" but I've known folks who use soap bars, the little pieces that you can never figure out what to do with. Regardless, I agree you should lubricate your hitch ball. AND use WD40 or like to lube your TT locking mechanism. If you don't think there is friction try a painted hitch ball. The paint will be gone.
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Joined: 07 Apr 2016
Location: Greenbrier, TN
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Dec 2016 at 5:16pm
I did find "greaseless" hitch balls at etrailer, that have replaceable nylon caps on the ball, they were for the "Rapid Hitches".
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Joined: 26 Feb 2016
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Posts: 1407 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Dec 2016 at 5:16pm
Originally posted by mcarter

I know it sounds "country" but I've known folks who use soap bars, the little pieces that you can never figure out what to do with. Regardless, I agree you should lubricate your hitch ball. AND use WD40 or like to lube your TT locking mechanism. If you don't think there is friction try a painted hitch ball. The paint will be gone.


WD-40 is not a lube. It's a water repellant. Tri-Flo oil is a pretty good all-around synthetic lubricant.
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Joined: 07 Apr 2016
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Dec 2016 at 5:18pm
Good point, TheBum, will adjust:)
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Joined: 20 Sep 2016
Location: NC mountains
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Posts: 84 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Dec 2016 at 11:06am
Heh, everyone, interesting thread. I'm trying to learn as much as I can here. After we reached about mile 5400 of our 7000-mile camping journey this year, I heard a new odd squeaky groaning sound as we rolled slowly over uneven ground into our campsite (at the Crescent City KOA under the big redwoods).

 When I released the tow vehicle after setting up, the hitch ball was "dry" ...though I had lubed it with just standard axle grease at the beginning of the journey. There was also some very minor scruffed wear points on the sides of the ball, though maybe that is what happens anyway over time.

Then, somewhere (maybe not on this forum), I read that  "Dialectic Grease" is the best choice to use on the hitch ball, as the trailer relies on "a ground" at this hitch point that benefits your TV's 12V charging circuit, plus all the 12V tailight/sidelight wiring, plus a good connection there discharges any static build-up from the road in very dry climates (which can have odd side-effects I guess). 

Out in CA, I went ahead and bought a tube of Dielectric grease (which turned out to be not expensive and a much easier dispenser to use that my messy round tin of axle grease in a greasy zip-lock bag)... I figured it wouldn't hurt to use it, even if the "ground" information I heard is not accurate. Maybe, the electrical ground established by the trailer's hitch ball link from the vehicle to trailer is not present, or not relevant? 

The positive end result for me was the WonderPod from that point on, stopped making squeaky/groaning sounds over lumpy camprgound access roads, based on the "lube your ball" view.

The benefits of making a more reliable "ground" point seemed like a convincing theory, so I wanted to run the validity of this across anyone with an electrical engineering background, or who is smart in electrical theory. Or even if you don't have electrical background, what is your view on this?

Brad & Layli
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towed by "BG"
(Baluga) the 10 Tundra
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Joined: 14 Jan 2013
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Posts: 1446 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Dec 2016 at 11:26am
There should be a sufficient ground through the Bargman but I seem to recall a million years ago, trailer connections relied on the hitch for the ground, but no way I can document that now.  I figure it can only help though.  Dielectric grease is good but I don't know that it really matters.  Maybe it does.   How's that for helpful?

TT
2010 176
FJ Cruiser
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Joined: 20 Sep 2016
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Posts: 84 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Dec 2016 at 12:27pm
Thanks Tars, helpful enough....

"Whether dielectric grease really matters or not" ....kinda falls into the "deer whistle" category for me:

Q? Do deer whistles on your front bumper really emit a sound that causes them to hear you coming in advance, so as not to bound further into the range of your headlights???? 

Debatable I suppose.

So I've always spent the $8 or so, plus the 6 minutes to attach them to my various vehicles over the decades.

Previous to my first animal whistles, the only deer I ever hit was decades ago in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho with my young son on a camping trip in the old slant-six Dodge pickup.)

Still, after that early incident, no way to prove their effectiveness for my family's road trips since. 

That's my story, and I'm sticking them to the bumper anyway....Ermm

-B
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