TT Hitch Ball wear

[trbomax]

Originally Posted by robbdrell

I'm on a 4-5 month trip holding up here Nashville waiting out Matthew before heading home to South Florida. About 2 weeks ago in Michigan I heard a clunking noise. Upon inspection I discovered the ball nut was coming unscrewed. Kinda freaked me out what could have happened. I found out I didn't have a 1 7/8" socket but was able tighten it up with channel locks. Since the bolt threads were somewhat chewed up so I when to a hitch shop and had it replaced with a new one. So word to the wise is to check this nut but all your nuts. LOL. But seriously could have been a dangerous mess.

Which is why for the last 40 years Ive been welding a half inch bead on each side of the ball after its tightened.Can still be removed by simply grinding the weld off,but absolutely will not unscrew,ever.

[KFX450RXC]

I've been doing landscaping for 16 years now. A couple of hitch balls I use literally have tens of thousands of miles. I have one 2" that I bet has close to 100,000 miles on it. Never greased any and never had a problem.

[Wolverine 1945]

They make ball covers,,, or you cam make one out of a rubber ball !!!

[SidecarFlip]

Originally Posted by KFX450RXC

I've been doing landscaping for 16 years now. A couple of hitch balls I use literally have tens of thousands of miles. I have one 2" that I bet has close to 100,000 miles on it. Never greased any and never had a problem.

Maybe it's time to start...

Lets put it this way... On a class 8 tractor trailer, every 5th wheel is either greased or has a Teflon insert to mitigate the sliding friction wear and seizing under load, plus it allows the trailer to track properly.. SOP in the truck world.

[Flybob]

A quick note if you decide you need to replace or upgrade your ball. The larger, higher capacity balls usually have a larger diameter shank and may not fit in the hole in your hitch. Be sure to measure the hold if you are considering a new ball.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by EDABEUT

....
Not sure what the highest rated
2 1/4 inch ball you can get is.

Actually, 2 5/16" as your subsequent post indicates.

[SidecarFlip]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

They make ball covers,,, or you cam make one out of a rubber ball !!!

A tennis ball works better. It's fuzzy so you can grip it and most come in dayglow colors so you can see it when you drop it under your unit in the grass...

[KFX450RXC]

Originally Posted by SidecarFlip

Maybe it's time to start...

Lets put it this way... On a class 8 tractor trailer, every 5th wheel is either greased or has a Teflon insert to mitigate the sliding friction wear and seizing under load, plus it allows the trailer to track properly.. SOP in the truck world.

Why would I? Note the 100,000 mile part of my post.

I use a glide plate for our Vengeance. But hitch balls are entirely different.

[SidecarFlip]

Far as your 100K ball, I have no idea. It's wearing somewhere, probably the coupler itself. The ball is probably harder.

So tell us,how is a 5th wheel on a tractor trailer any different? You have the same physical forces in play with a ball that you have with a flat surface...

I need to be educated on the difference.

[bbcutright]

Here are some pictures of the ball and receiver









The ball is rated I think at 14,000 Lbs

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by SidecarFlip

A tennis ball works better. It's fuzzy so you can grip it and most come in dayglow colors so you can see it when you drop it under your unit in the grass...

Tight fit for a tennis ball which is only about 2.6" dia.

BTW bbcutright, just grease the ball and the socket and go on your way.

[SidecarFlip]

Looks to me like there is some stick and slip issues going on in there..

[rjgrady]

Originally Posted by SidecarFlip

Maybe it's time to start...

Lets put it this way... On a class 8 tractor trailer, every 5th wheel is either greased or has a Teflon insert to mitigate the sliding friction wear and seizing under load, plus it allows the trailer to track properly.. SOP in the truck world.

I drive truck and my trailer is not very often unhooked. that 5th wheel gets dry and needs greased. it's a scary thing when the trailer starts steering the truck instead of the other way around!

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by SidecarFlip

A tennis ball works better. It's fuzzy so you can grip it and most come in dayglow colors so you can see it when you drop it under your unit in the grass...

Right ON !!!

[325BH]

Originally Posted by lugoismad

I do not understand why people are hesitant to grease their hitch ball.



Over on TheHullTruth.com, a boating forum, there are HUGE arguments about it.



This is a metal on metal moving joint - Of COURSE it needs to be greased.



Don't be shy, or only give it a little silicone grease. Before every trip, I take a can of wheel bearing grease, flip it upside down and put my hitch ball in it. Get that thing covered!

^^^Thus X1000. I will never understand why people have a hard time grasping the concept of lubricating a metal-on-metal joint.

The pinnacle of it all sorts s when someone notices wear from grinding... then wonder if they should lube.

[325BH]

Originally Posted by billb800si

By reading some of the replies we don't want the O.P. to think that all metal to metal surfaces should be greased. If you are using a weight distribution type hitch that has swaybars that ride on cams or a L-bracket DO NOT grease those areas. You need friction for the sway bars to operate properly.
Happy trails,

Good point.

I read plenty of guys recommend greasing their anti-sway friction points to quiet them down. That is absurd. Any wear those pieces have is just the cost of doing business. Friction is what makes them work.

To clarify, don't lube the points designed for anti-sway... but do lube the bar connection points into the ball mount unless the system states otherwise. You have to read the manual if you don't understand the different points and their purpose.


For the ball and coupler, yes lube them good!

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by 325BH

Good point.

I read plenty of guys recommend greasing their anti-sway friction points to quiet them down. That is absurd. Any wear those pieces have is just the cost of doing business. Friction is what makes them work.

To clarify, don't lube the points designed for anti-sway... but do lube the bar connection points into the ball mount unless the system states otherwise. You have to read the manual if you don't understand the different points and their purpose.


For the ball and coupler, yes lube them good!

Not sure what you're saying. The sockets are friction points and should be greased (any place where two parts move against each other is a friction point). From page 23 of the Equalizer Owner's Manual:

The friction surfaces of the head and sockets should be kept clean and
well lubricated with a good quality multi‑purpose or bearing grease. These
are the surfaces where the arm sockets rub against the top and bottom plates of the head. See Figure 23. We recommend Equal-i-zer high performance lubricant.

They should be lubricated before each trip. Check for damage or abnormal
wear at the beginning of each towing day and replace if necessary.
Clean dirt and road grit from all friction surfaces regularly.

See here also:

http://www.equalizerhitch.com/blog/h...l-i-zer-hitch/

You can also get these for the L-brackets:

[FrankG]

To get back to the OP's original post, thanks for the pictures. I think you need to clean up the ball and coupler with emery cloth (Dremel Tool) to remove any burs then coat it well with a good quality waterproof grease form now on. Remember to keep the sand and dirt out. I wipe mine clean after every trip and start fresh.

Follow the WD Hitch directions for lubricating it.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT. By design, a WDH places a large load between the ball and coupler, much more than the tong weight alone.

[RND]

Originally Posted by 325BH

^^^Thus X1000. I will never understand why people have a hard time grasping the concept of lubricating a metal-on-metal joint.

The pinnacle of it all sorts s when someone notices wear from grinding... then wonder if they should lube.

Maybe it's ignorance to be honest. That's the beauty of this forum, and any other for that matter. The wealth of info that I run into is amazing. In the short amount of time that I've had my TT, I've learned a ton of info from here. So, I believe most people, just to give them the benefit of doubt, are truly ignorant to most of this info. While others are just too proud to admit it or just think that they know it all would be the remaining. Just my opinion. Thanks for the info though. Need to go out and grease my ball now. Really, I do. Thanks again.