Hitch ball lubrication

[nightvision]

Hello all,<br />Is it common practice or necessary to lube your hitch ball? I heard that one should apply some grease and other say to use wax paper that the wife uses in the kitchen. Just fold it several times. Any thoughs would be appreciated.

 

[JStutz]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

If your into chasing your boat down the road after the trailer slips off the ball go for it!! <br /><br />What would the benefit be to lubing the ball?<br /><br />Jeff

 

[Pony]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

Ive seen it done...I borrowed a utility trailer once where it was obvious the hitch ball and coupler were greased before i used it.....All it did was make me mad cuz I got grease all over myself later on when i walked to close to my hitch, and wrecked a good pair of kahki cargo shorts in the process.<br /><br />I've pulled every type of trailer along all sorts of distances...a couple miles to 600miles. Never greased the ball once, and I don't know many that do. To me it seems like more hassel than it could possibly be worth.<br /><br />Plus as JStutz said

"What would the benefit be to lubing the ball?

 

[patenglish]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

Hitch Ball Lubricant is manufactured by Reese and available at all Walmart stores. It reduces friction and makes it easier to fasten your hitch. If you do not have problems fastening your hitch, then you do not need to use it.

 

[trog100]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

i lightly grease mine.. it just seems the right thing to do when u have two pieces of steel on steel rubbing together.. it probably dosnt matter a lot either way thow.. plenty of folks seem not to bother.. the purpose of the cover things u can buy is to keep the grease off your clothing..<br /><br />i take the view that long term wear caused by not greasing the ball is more likely to cause problems than the other way round..<br /><br />trog100

 

[KRS]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

Uhhhhhhhh, 2000 lbs of equipment being pulled by a truck, with only one attachment point..... metal on metal, needs grease.

 

[Pony]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

I have a ball cover....I had just taken the trailer off when i got greased.<br /><br />I admit some lubrication is obviously a good thing. I just dont think its necessary to the point that the ball is caked in grease. thats the type of greasing i was refering to in my previous post

 

[Booner]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

Dont grease mine. I think it would make a big greasy mess. Ball hitches aren’t that expensive. If you wear one out oh lets say every 10 years get a new one.

 

[RC]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

Didn't do it for a long time, then tried it. A small amount of grease makes it easier for me to hitch and unhitch. How's the hitch going to break lose from the ball just because it's got a bit of grease on it?

 

[Pony]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

I don't think it will. Just a matter of whether or not you want to deal with the grease or if you have a hard time latching and unlatching the coupler.<br /><br /><br />

posted by jstutz: <br />"If your into chasing your boat down the road after the trailer slips off the ball go for it!! "

I agree with you Delta...a little grease wont make the trailer slip off the ball. Only an improperly latched coupler or mismatched ball or some other failure would do that.

 

[milkyway]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

I grease the ball all the time. Ball turns better, and has no rust and pitting.

 

[umblecumbuz]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

Don't grease the ball directly. I've cut a hole in a tennis ball, put a nob of grease inside, and use the tennis ball as a hitch cover when I'm not towing.<br /><br />It doesn't get stolen, it keeps my wife's skirt clean, it is highly visible, and I can reverse into things without damaging them.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

I grease mine. Any time two pieces of metal rub together it's a good idea to lubricate them.

 

[KRS]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

I'm not worried about wearing out my ball, I don't want excess wear on the trailer tongue, it's more expensive to fix.

 

[wvit100]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

I've never greased mine. I don't think I've ever even wondered about it.

 

[RatFish]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

For what it's worth, I just pulled a tag off of a ball I just purchased. The tag said to appy a light coating of grease before attaching trailer coupler to ball.

 

[peterc38]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

Originally posted by azfyrfyter63:<br /> I'm not worried about wearing out my ball, I don't want excess wear on the trailer tongue, it's more expensive to fix.

Good point. A good quality trailer ball is hard chrome plated which gives it a hardness of about 65 rockwell c. Your hitch is gonna wear out before the ball, unless the chrome comes off and you get a corrosion issue. I also agree with previous posters that as long as the hookup is secure that a little grease is not going to cause a problem.

 

[Uncle Dave]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

My .02 says the grease will pick up grit (road dust) and then the mess acts like grinding compound.<br />Wears more than a dry hitch and ball.

 

[monoshock]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

 

[Mark42]

Re: Hitch ball lubrication

A little dab will do ya. I put a dab of grease in the receiver, and when I uncouple, I wipe the ball clean and put the draw bar back in the trunk where it belongs. On the Mountaineer, I just wipe the ball clean on the bumper mount. <br /><br />If your receiver is so tight that it needs grease to latch, the nut underneath may need adjusting to make the jaw clamp right. They shouldn't be really tight. <br /><br />BTW does anyone here use a lock on the receiver? I use a simple Master lock. Not so much to prevent theft, but to ensure that the receiver doesn't pop open. (Something I have been told is more prone to happen on receivers that are NOT greased due to binding, sticking and deforming the jaw under stress).