Grease on the hitch ball - is this safe?

[ChuckFeldt]

My brother inlaw just asked me about greasing the ball on his sob trailer, complained of difficulty un-hitching. On examination metal was spalling from the hitch cup to the top of the ball with notable wear marks. I was really surprised to se so much damage so quickly (5-6 tows). I have always greased, recommends greasing. Now his un-hitching issues have lessened. Final word, high pressure c-V joint grease and a grease cap to cover the ball and a spray grease for spring bar pivots and all pivots.

[NavyCorpsman]

Just like Brylcreem, "just a little dab will do ya"

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by thiel

Equalizer makes lube and also something called a "bracket jacket" to keep down the noise.

I use grease on the ball, and shims on the hitch between the shank and the receiver to stop the rattling. I also grease the shank.
On the ball, I use a homemade cover when not towing.

Trailer Trash squatting in a Tin Shed.

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by MelGoddard

Amongst a many and varied career over my life, I was a Sales Agent for Premier Fasteners from Cleveland. (In the Rexdale office)
I learned an awful lot about using threaded fasteners. Allow me to pass one on:
When a fastener is tightened down, only 10% of the applied torque is actually used to tighten the bolt, to 'stretch it'. The rest is used to overcome friction; 50% on the threads, 40% on the nut face. So.......
A hitch ball that comes with a 1 1/4" shank usually calls for 450 ft. lb. of torque. This is 'dry torque'. dry threads,
Many mechanics, (me included) have torque wrenches that max out at 250 ft. lb. well short of the requirement. However.........
By using an 'extreme pressure' grease, such as 'Colloidal copper, C-5,'
'Never seize' or similar on both the threads and nut face, you reduce the friction by a lot.
According to Premier, by using those lubes, you reduce the applied torque by 35-40%.
40% of 450 is 270 ft. lbs. pretty close to the max of the torque wrench.
So... I set my wrench at max 250, sit on the ground with my foot against the car bumper, (so that I don't slid under the car), and while someone holds the ball, I pull the wrench, on the nut until it 'clicks.'
270 ft. lb. is pretty close to the spec, that will stretch the bolt to design tension.
If you are fussy enough to want that extra little torque, then use a 'Johnson' bar and turn the nut a further 5-8 degrees of turn. There you have it.
That nut should never loosen, because when the bolt tension is greater than the working load, it will never fail.
If you STILL want an extra safety, put a large 'Pal Nut' on the exposed thread, and snug it up to 1/4 turn.

Trailer Trash squatting in a Tin Can Shed.

CORRECTION:
THE MAX of the torque wrench is 250 ft. lbs. pretty close to the 270 called for. Again if you're fussy, use the Johnson bar as above.

[tjdonahoe]

There was a thread about greasing your balls a couple years ago, you put too much on, the grease will end up on your pants leg..

[thiel]

Originally Posted by tjdonahoe

There was a thread about greasing your balls a couple years ago, you put too much on, the grease will end up on your pants leg..

This board has suddenly grown scandalous.

[Bob662]

Another suggestion to help determine whether the hitch ball has loosened -- apply a dab of Torque-Seal (available from Amazon, Aircraft Spruce, etc.) at the intersection of the bottom of the nut and the threaded shaft. If the nut loosens the Torque-Seal will fracture and you can easily detect that movement has occurred.

[riverboat]

I use wax.

[Floatingair]

I use a marine grade grease on my hitch ball. Yes, I would highly recommend it.

[NY24]

Small amount of grease, YES.

Get a plastic cup just large enough to cover the ball (trim length if needed). Glue a strong magnet to bottom of cup . When greasy ball is exposed, cover same with cup. Magnet will keep cup from being blown / knocked off. There should be a place on the frame, where the magnet will hold the cup secure while trailer is being towed (like inside propane enclosure with magnet on steel tank).

[kscherzi]

The ball on my hitch came loose, though I didn't notice the problem right away. The nut and lock washer were no longer in any tension by the time I discovered the problem. It was installed and originally tightened by an RV mechanic using a air wrench.

I'm pretty sure I know what caused it to loosen and it was my own doing. Per instructions I grease the ball. I occasionally clean and re-grease. One time I used WD40 as a cleaning agent. Being a very slippery lubricant it worked it's way down the ball and all over under it and into the threaded area. Later as I towed the trailer the ball spun as the trailer swung left and right behind the truck slowly loosening the nut.

I feel that I was very lucky to have discovered the problem before a catastrophic accident.

[PSU1981]

Thanks everyone!!!

Glenn

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by GCinSC2

Mel,

Thanks for the tech side comments about this critical fastener.

What bugs me is the number of loose ones I've detected by EYE!

Come on folks check it or ask for help.

John Denver did a concert at the (Mel was it the coliseum south of Cleveland out in the country) back in the late '70's and a guitar player was tuning his strings and John told him when you get it right, weld it.

I think when you get the hitch ball nut tight correctly ya don't need to weld it. They come with big split lock-washers. Just check periodically. And welded may not mean it was correctly tightened before welding.

But when by eye you can see a problem somebody ain't doing inspections.

I did buy a 40" 3/4" breaker bar just for these jobs and spark plugs. JK.

My mileage ain't your mileage.

"I did buy a 40" 3/4" breaker bar,(Johnson bar) just for these jobs and spark plugs"???

WHAT in God's green earth do you need a big bar like that for a spark plug???

They usually only require 10-15 ft. lbs. of torque (dry).

Trailer Trash squatting in a Tin Shed.

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by kscherzi

The ball on my hitch came loose, though I didn't notice the problem right away. The nut and lock washer were no longer in any tension by the time I discovered the problem. It was installed and originally tightened by an RV mechanic using a air wrench.

I'm pretty sure I know what caused it to loosen and it was my own doing. Per instructions I grease the ball. I occasionally clean and re-grease. One time I used WD40 as a cleaning agent. Being a very slippery lubricant it worked it's way down the ball and all over under it and into the threaded area. Later as I towed the trailer the ball spun as the trailer swung left and right behind the truck slowly loosening the nut.

I feel that I was very lucky to have discovered the problem before a catastrophic accident.

Yes, you are!
See above for proper ball tightening protocol.

"Trailer Trash...................."

[GCinSC2]

Originally Posted by MelGoddard

"I did buy a 40" 3/4" breaker bar,(Johnson bar) just for these jobs and spark plugs"???

WHAT in God's green earth do you need a big bar like that for a spark plug???

They usually only require 10-15 ft. lbs. of torque (dry).

Trailer Trash squatting in a Tin Shed.

Mel,

I'm spark plug free since 2005. That bar keeps 'em from coming back

FWIW, it was the Richfield Coliseum and the JD show was 1975.

Gary

[interstateflyer]

I was told years ago that an un-lubricated hitch ball could through friction overheat the coupler, causing metal fatigue and fracture the coupler and or ball. That was enough to convince me to make sure there is always grease on the ball.

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by kscherzi

The ball on my hitch came loose, though I didn't notice the problem right away. The nut and lock washer were no longer in any tension by the time I discovered the problem. It was installed and originally tightened by an RV mechanic using a air wrench.

I'm pretty sure I know what caused it to loosen and it was my own doing. Per instructions I grease the ball. I occasionally clean and re-grease. One time I used WD40 as a cleaning agent. Being a very slippery lubricant it worked it's way down the ball and all over under it and into the threaded area. Later as I towed the trailer the ball spun as the trailer swung left and right behind the truck slowly loosening the nut.

I feel that I was very lucky to have discovered the problem before a catastrophic accident.

WHOA THERE!
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT ANY MECHANIC CAN ACCURATELY TIGHTEN ANYTHING USING AN AIRWRENCH.
An "air wrench" or more accurately an 'Impact gun' is a hammer driven gizmo that drives a nut unto the fastener with NO way of any measurement.
A torque wrench is the universally accepted tool to measure proper torque, using proper techniques..
Of course, there are other methods, but these are for specialists who know what they're doing.

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by kscherzi

The ball on my hitch came loose, though I didn't notice the problem right away. The nut and lock washer were no longer in any tension by the time I discovered the problem. It was installed and originally tightened by an RV mechanic using a air wrench.

I'm pretty sure I know what caused it to loosen and it was my own doing. Per instructions I grease the ball. I occasionally clean and re-grease. One time I used WD40 as a cleaning agent. Being a very slippery lubricant it worked it's way down the ball and all over under it and into the threaded area. Later as I towed the trailer the ball spun as the trailer swung left and right behind the truck slowly loosening the nut.

I feel that I was very lucky to have discovered the problem before a catastrophic accident.

WHOA THERE!
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT ANY MECHANIC CAN ACCURATELY TIGHTEN ANYTHING USING AN AIRWRENCH.
An "air wrench" or more accurately an 'Impact gun' is a hammer driven gizmo that drives a nut unto the fastener with NO way of any measurement.
A torque wrench is the universally accepted tool to measure proper torque, using proper techniques..
Of course, there are other methods, but these are for specialists who know what they're doing
The only thing that an impact gun is useful for is as a 'boat anchor' for a canoe.

[rmkrum]

Amen to an air wrench being a lousy tool for assembling things.

IMHO they are sometimes useful for disassembling things ONLY.

Other than that use, they either break things, or font tighten them properly.


Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

[Rich W]

Air tools / impact wrenches can be used for torqueing. The problem is that if you keep the trigger pulled, it will keep hammering and exceed the torque amount set for the tool. Available air pressure will also affect the torque.

From what I could research, air tools/impact wrenches are built for a specific torque amount and need to be periodically calibrated for that amount, at least for the smaller wrenches used for finer work. They cannot accurately be used for different torque amounts. You can use a torque stick on the impact wrench to control it. HF has them. They have a set that goes from 65 ft. lbs. to 150 ft. lbs. I don't know of any that will go up to 320 ft. lbs. for the Equalizer hitch.

But if you just have the impact wrench and keep the wrench hammering away, or if you use a cheater bar on a wrench and use the good old 'tongue in cheek' guesstimate, you're still not going to get an accurate reading.