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Old 05-13-2018, 07:29 AM   #1
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Equalizer Hitch Grease Question

Dumb question but what part of the hitch should I grease to mitigate noise? I have the L bracket pads on but that’s not where the worst noise comes from.

Also, is white lithium grease fine to use?
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Old 05-13-2018, 07:59 AM   #2
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Google says this....

LMGTFY
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Old 05-13-2018, 08:35 AM   #3
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Google says this....

LMGTFY


Thank you. Just what I was looking for. I have some white lithium grease and just applied that
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Old 05-13-2018, 01:57 PM   #4
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Loosen the socket bolt nuts so the sockets swing freely. Clean off the old grease from the top and bottom of the sockets and the inside of the hitch head. Apply new grease where socket comes in contact to hitch head, both on the socket and hitch head. Torque socket bolts to 55 ft lbs. i do this every 500 miles and have no wear or noise. This procedure is outlined in the user manual.
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Old 05-14-2018, 01:28 PM   #5
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I grease the top of the bar sockets and the underside of the main hitch where the top of the bar sockets ride. No need to loosen the bolts. If they don't pivot easily by hand, just install the bars and pivot them all the way to the outside, then grease. I clean off this grease and re-grease every trip. Absolutely no noise and is very easy. I grease at the same time that I grease the ball at hitch up.

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Old 05-14-2018, 01:48 PM   #6
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I drive 500-600 miles a day. If I had to grease my WDH every day I wouldn't get very far.
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Old 05-14-2018, 03:11 PM   #7
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I grease the top of the bar sockets and the underside of the main hitch where the top of the bar sockets ride. No need to loosen the bolts. If they don't pivot easily by hand, just install the bars and pivot them all the way to the outside, then grease. I clean off this grease and re-grease every trip. Absolutely no noise and is very easy. I grease at the same time that I grease the ball at hitch up.

Rick
I removed the bolts then removed the sockets and cleaned, then lubed with Lucas 5th wheel & slider lube, available at truck stops.
IMHO if you don’t remove the sockets you’re only lubing part of the friction surfaces.
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Old 05-14-2018, 04:08 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by lbrjet View Post
Loosen the socket bolt nuts so the sockets swing freely. Clean off the old grease from the top and bottom of the sockets and the inside of the hitch head. Apply new grease where socket comes in contact to hitch head, both on the socket and hitch head. Torque socket bolts to 55 ft lbs. i do this every 500 miles and have no wear or noise. This procedure is outlined in the user manual.
x2
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Old 05-14-2018, 05:12 PM   #9
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I purchased Equalizer’s own lubricant from my dealer. Comes in an easy to use tube and lasts quite a while.
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Old 05-14-2018, 05:36 PM   #10
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Equalizer’s manual doesn’t really say what type of lube to use. I use their lube but email them directly to make sure you don’t use something you shouldn’t.
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Old 05-14-2018, 06:16 PM   #11
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The lmgtfy link...

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Equalizer’s manual doesn’t really say what type of lube to use. I use their lube but email them directly to make sure you don’t use something you shouldn’t.
The lmgtfy link says "a high-quality multi-purpose or bearing lube." My intuition interprets that as chassis grease or wheel-bearing grease. Both are a little thicker than white lithium grease, but any grease is better than no grease at all.

I used to work with a tribologist (science of rubbing and wear). He taught me to watch for designs like that. The problem is that they tend to "scrub" the grease out to the extremes (as do leaf springs), and hence need lubing more often than rotary mechanisms like wheel bearings. A good test for a mechanism like that is to see if it's dry in the middle of the travel range.

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Old 05-14-2018, 06:27 PM   #12
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I purchased Equalizer’s own lubricant from my dealer. Comes in an easy to use tube and lasts quite a while.
This is what I used with my Equalizer Hitch on the L Brackets, But If you are using the L bracket Pads from Equalizer you don't use the grease per the Equalizer rep. If you lube it up to where it don't make noise it isn't working properly. I would never use anything but the Pads again.
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Old 05-14-2018, 07:30 PM   #13
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I use Reese hitch ball lube. Works very well for me.
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Old 05-15-2018, 07:12 AM   #14
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I did use the white lithium grease and it mitigated the sound tremendously.
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Old 05-15-2018, 10:41 AM   #15
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I drive 500-600 miles a day. If I had to grease my WDH every day I wouldn't get very far.
X2
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Old 05-15-2018, 09:16 PM   #16
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I did use the white lithium grease and it mitigated the sound tremendously.


Good to hear and it is good for your hitch.
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