Grease your Ball for wear and tear?

[Ray Eklund]

My grease technique compared to post #55 by Wingeezer and the Hensley ball TEN grease steps. I am sure that this is a fine hitch, just a bit more effort required to follow.

Equalizer Hitch
(1) Grease Ball
(2) the end

As far as the grounding of the ball and coupler... you have forgotten one thing. Actually two of them:

I have two heavy duty CHAINS connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle. I guess if you depend on the small wire that will engage the trailer's brakes as the only ground connection, you do have a point.

If high temperature wheel bearing grease works for thousands of miles... I might have to get into the tool box and begin to use it to protect my ball and coupler assembly. I think that anything someone uses to prevent damaging your coupler and the ball is positive. How you do it is secondary. Just do something...

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

Bob,

In case you might not have seen it, here is a simple way to grease the hitch ball when you have a Hensley fitted without needing a trolley jack. I did mine this way last time.

(See info below from Hensley.)

Brian

-----------------

Thanks Brian...but you know me, rather anal about Hensley maintenance.

It comes off every Fall and re-installed in the Spring, ball greasing is just part of the routine.

Happy Trails

Bob

[mefly2]

Call me a greaser but you better smile when you say that...

Quaker State (golden) chassis lube:
Wipe off old grease from ball - with disposable rag
Spray on some light oil and wipe off again (LPS works great)
Smear on a fresh light coating of QS gold ( I use a screwdriver dipped into the jar of grease)
Hitch up

Repeat for each outing ... cost is very minimal and I don't worry about galling the ball or coupler ... or loosening the ball from turning torque. Cover the ball with commercially made ball cover or we use a large pill bottle cut to fit (actually, the same one for two years now - even stays in place when we roll the TV down the road without the AS).

[Rocinante]

We grease the ball with Equal-i-zer grease. It comes in a convenient little tube and is easy to neatly carry & use. Per the owner's manual, we also grease the pivots in the hitch head, into which the spring bars are inserted.

We don't grease the spring bars anymore, as we now use Equal-i-zer sway bracket jackets.

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

My grease technique compared to post #55 by Wingeezer and the Hensley ball TEN grease steps. I am sure that this is a fine hitch, just a bit more effort required to follow.

Equalizer Hitch
(1) Grease Ball
(2) the end

As far as the grounding of the ball and coupler... you have forgotten one thing. Actually two of them:

I have two heavy duty CHAINS connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle. I guess if you depend on the small wire that will engage the trailer's brakes as the only ground connection, you do have a point.

If high temperature wheel bearing grease works for thousands of miles... I might have to get into the tool box and begin to use it to protect my ball and coupler assembly. I think that anything someone uses to prevent damaging your coupler and the ball is positive. How you do it is secondary. Just do something...

Hi Ray,

The difference with the Hensley and Propride hitches is that unhitching the trailer in the normal way does not expose the hitch ball at all, that is why the extra steps.

There is almost no motion at the ball with this type of hitch and really it is questionable if you even need to grease it once a year. I have sometimes left it a couple of years and even then, it didn't really look as though more grease was needed - I cleaned / re-greased it anyway of course.

Some folk add a zerk fitting to the coupler and never do lift it off the ball to grease. I had initially planned to do that, but it is such a simple process to do (takes much longer to describe than to do) that I decided there was no need.

Hitch ball, safety switch cable, chains, none of these provide a good ground IMHO. You have a properground connection via your seven pin connector.

Brian.

[richarus]

I just bought a can of Boeshield T-9 and I am wondering if it would be good for this purpose. It self cleans and applies a dry waterproof lubricant. It was developed by Boeing for Aircraft. Has anybody tried this stuff? I really don't like the idea of having Greasy balls and I appreciate that someone started this thread so that I could say that in a post.

[slowmover]

Thick film needed. High pressure application. Aerosol can products won't work well enough.

[Ron A]

FLUID FILM - I use Fluid Film on my equalizer, trailer ball and hinges, etc.
http://www.fluid-film.com

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[Mixter]

FWIW, I am watching this thread develop with great interest to see what I'm missing, because I have never greased a ball in my life, and been towing bumper hitches for 26 years....

To me, it looks like a total mess. Of course, this is just my experience, so I'm open minded and waiting to see some compelling evidence that I'm messing something up.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Mixter

FWIW, I am watching this thread develop with great interest to see what I'm missing, because I have never greased a ball in my life, and been towing bumper hitches for 26 years....



To me, it looks like a total mess. Of course, this is just my experience, so I'm open minded and waiting to see some compelling evidence that I'm messing something up.

What are you saving by avoiding?

[Mixter]

The mess, I guess. But I've never greased, so I'm continuing to watch to see if there's something I'm not saving, but not greasing.

[sandlapper]

it sure is obvious we have all gone stir crazy waiting for Spring to arrive. John

[Ron A]

Originally Posted by sandlapper

it sure is obvious we have all gone stir crazy waiting for Spring to arrive. John

I agree with you John. Can't wait for my Spring trip.


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[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Mixter

The mess, I guess. But I've never greased, so I'm continuing to watch to see if there's something I'm not saving, but not greasing.

How about those pesky windows that won't open with those MM lift latches.
A light coating of silicone grease wiped on the weatherstrip seals will help a lot!!

A great addition to the AS tool box.

Bob

[Wingeezer]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

How about those pesky windows that won't open with those MM lift latches.
A light coating of silicone grease wiped on the weatherstrip seals will help a lot!!

A great addition to the AS tool box.

Bob

Good idea. I have also put Armorall or similar products on the rubber.

We don't tend to open our windows a lot so they do get stuck at times.

I carry a large suction cup (maybe 4-5"D.) with pull handle and vacuum release in the trailer and if a window is badly stuck, just pull it open from outside. Works well.

Brian.

[moxie t. moto]

like brilcream, a lil dab will do ya.
must be a reason they invented grease!

[handn]

Originally Posted by NavyCorpsman

Turn your head and cough, maybe?
I leave mine lubricant free. It also serves as a path to ground on the TV in addition to the grounding wire. Grease can electrically insulate or impede that function. I have ruined more than on pair of pants on a greasy hitch too.

x2, I have owned my trailer with an equalizer hitch for ten years and towed at least 50k miles. There is shiny metal but no visible wear on my hitch or ball. I hear my hitch squeak and groan once and a while but I ignore it.
Dirty, nasty grease has a way of flying off metal parts and attaching itself to my hands, shirt and pants without me touching a thing.

[Cannonball]

I usually put a leftover chicken thigh, boneless, over the ball, and then drop the hitch. Oh wait, wrong forum.

To heck with the greasy or dry balls, we all need to go camping!


Cannonball, Deep in the Heart of Texas!

WBCCI #4387, Air #84080

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[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by Cannonball

To heck with the greasy or dry balls, we all need to go camping!

Now THERE'S a sentiment I can get behind!

[tjdonahoe]

For you fellows using vasaline on your balls, you should rub vicks on the outside edges to keep the flies away........