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Old 03-02-2014, 07:08 PM   #1
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Lube for the hitch ball and coupler

Does anyone lube the hitch ball when towing a trailer? I have hear good and bad, just wondering what the majority does and why.
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Old 03-02-2014, 07:13 PM   #2
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I would just put a teaspoon of axle grease on top of the ball for long range towing (200+miles one way).


You can clean it up with carb cleaner to keep dust and other junk from sticking when your not towing.
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Old 03-02-2014, 07:18 PM   #3
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I just put a little on top of the ball maybe once twice a year. Usally cuz it looked rusty and why not. I am sure it dont hurt anything and may even help little on the turns with the friction and such.
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Old 03-02-2014, 07:25 PM   #4
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Vaseline! Youroo!!
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Old 03-02-2014, 07:32 PM   #5
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I lube it when I use it , wipe it off when done. Never seen wear on the top of the ball. I have on sides or radius of the ball. Thus I do the whole ball.
A old-timer at the cc I go to told me towing without lube made his ball come loose.
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Old 03-02-2014, 07:34 PM   #6
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Vaseline! Youroo!!
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Old 03-02-2014, 07:40 PM   #7
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Wheel bearing grease. Mine is WAY to noisy without it.
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Old 03-02-2014, 07:55 PM   #8
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Vaseline on your balls is a clean lube to apply and easy to wipe off after use. Wheel bearing grease or Anti-sieze is very hard to remove after use! Vaseline applied to Dual cams lessens wear also! Youroo!!
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Old 03-02-2014, 08:02 PM   #9
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Yes I did, but ever time I hooked up I would wipe the ball and coupler off and re apply a small amount each time.
Dirt will collect in the grease so it needs to be removed.
The type of grease I use is synthetic Exxon polyrex.
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Old 03-02-2014, 08:09 PM   #10
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Vaseline on your balls is a clean lube to apply and easy to wipe off after use. Wheel bearing grease or Anti-sieze is very hard to remove after use! Vaseline applied to Dual cams lessens wear also! Youroo!!
X2 on using Vaseline. Easy to clean off and re-apply. Senseless to lube the top of the ball as they are flat. Just as easy to clean the inside of the hitch socket and apply the Vaseline all around the inside the socket.
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Old 03-02-2014, 08:19 PM   #11
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Vaseline on your balls is a clean lube to apply and easy to wipe off after use. Wheel bearing grease or Anti-sieze is very hard to remove after use! Vaseline applied to Dual cams lessens wear also! Youroo!!
I'm not a fan of vasoline because it thins too much when put under pressure. I'm not against it as it is better than nothing!

I would feel better with vasoline if doing it like I feel people have mentioned here and cleaning it all off when not in use an then re applying new when towing.

The negative comments I have heard about "lubing" is the line will attract dust and rocks and cause more wear than if the ball were left dry. I personally don't agree with with this and am a firm believer of wiping the ball and coupler when not hooked up and re applying fresh for my hour long or longer trips.
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Old 03-02-2014, 08:32 PM   #12
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I use the same lube I use on my Equal-I-zer hitch. When not hooked up, I've got one of those rubber covers. Take off the trailer, put on the rubber cover, put the entire WDH in a large plastic bin with a cover. Ready to hook up, put the hitch in the receiver, take off the rubber cover and throw it back in the plastic bin. Everything stays nice and clean. You don't need a lot on the ball. Just a little to keep it slippery.
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Old 03-03-2014, 08:02 AM   #13
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Just remember if you happen to live in the country on dirt roads like us, if you grease the ball with anything it collects all kinds of fine particle material then the grease with it's new found material acts like very fine emery cloth and there will be no chrome left on the ball. Ask me how I discovered that little tidbit.
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Old 03-03-2014, 08:16 AM   #14
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I use a thin coat of Reese Teflon hitch lube. I remove the hitch from truck when not in use to keep dirt away and clean with brake cleaner at least once a year depending on my travel miles. chrome still looks good
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Old 03-13-2014, 09:21 AM   #15
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I use the reese lube, it’s no more expensive than anything else. I lube the ball and all 4 contact points of my equalizer hitch. Makes for a much quieter and smoother turning rig.
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Old 03-13-2014, 09:35 AM   #16
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With our Clipper I also use Reese Teflon hitch lube. I put a thin coat on the ball before every trip and wipe off the ball and inside the hitch when I unhook. Only takes a couple of seconds and I'm still on the same container of lube I started out with many years ago.
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Old 03-13-2014, 10:02 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by rockfordroo View Post
I use the same lube I use on my Equal-I-zer hitch. When not hooked up, I've got one of those rubber covers. Take off the trailer, put on the rubber cover, put the entire WDH in a large plastic bin with a cover. Ready to hook up, put the hitch in the receiver, take off the rubber cover and throw it back in the plastic bin. Everything stays nice and clean. You don't need a lot on the ball. Just a little to keep it slippery.
^^^This. I use white lithium grease and a rubber ball cover.
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Old 03-16-2014, 12:36 AM   #18
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I've used the Amsoil MP HD dry lubricant for years with great success. It isn't messy like grease and it keeps the hitch from rusting.
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Old 03-16-2014, 03:37 AM   #19
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I've used the Amsoil MP HD dry lubricant for years with great success. It isn't messy like grease and it keeps the hitch from rusting.
I need to try that. I hate grease! My legs hate it more!

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Old 03-16-2014, 06:22 AM   #20
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When we owned our Jayco TT, always used white lithium grease on the ball and BARELY used any lube on the weight distribution bars, perhaps a drop or two of oil. I was told by a tech years ago the bar ends should be lubed by a few drops of oil and that's all due to the fact that you want the friction to work with you keeping the trailer stabile and difficult to sway especially when being passed by a semi at highway speeds. Although the trailer did sound like a sinking ship, moaning and groaning when turning tightly, I did notice more stability when testing this lube theory myself.
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