Community Forums

hamman · 04-30-2011, 01:39 PM

Do you guys grease the inside of the jaws of the 5th wheel hitch or not? I don't have the instructions for the hitch. I keep the under side of the hitch greased and lubed but not sure if I should grease inside the jaws. I use the nylon beraing plate on the hich pin but do not grease the jaws. Thanks in advance.

IC2 · 04-30-2011, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamman

Do you guys grease the inside of the jaws of the 5th wheel hitch or not? I don't have the instructions for the hitch. I keep the under side of the hitch greased and lubed but not sure if I should grease inside the jaws. I use the nylon beraing plate on the hich pin but do not grease the jaws. Thanks in advance.

Since it's steel on steel and a potential wear surface - think a bearing - those jaws need grease. That top surface bearing plate (polycarbonate, Teflon or whatever the current space age material used these days) only keeps the hitch box and hitch separated and maintains a slick surface - while not needing lube, it does need to be kept clean - and yes, some folks even grease them too, but it's not necessary

hamman · 04-30-2011, 08:56 PM

Well I am old enough to of known that but I thought I would ask. I keep the teflon disc clean but do not grease it. Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it.

Roam America · 05-07-2011, 09:53 AM

i've been using spray white lithium grease on the hitch. I spray the jaws and in through the sides to the internal workings of the hitch. Don't know what other opinions you will hear, but it seems to work for me. My hitch is 6 years old and still works.

**NLOVNIT** · 05-07-2011, 09:52 PM

Like John, when we had a 5-r, we used white lithium grease on the hitch.

Lori-

RustyJC · 05-08-2011, 05:18 AM

White lithium grease on the hitch internals and an EP (extreme pressure) paste grease on the jaw bore where the kingpin is clamped.

Rusty

Ray,IN · 05-08-2011, 10:22 PM

I've never heard of too much grease wearing things out, just keeps it messy. Seriously, every 5er hitch comes with lubrication instructions in the owners manual. Pivot points and pins are lubricated with light oil per my owners manual. The 5er pin is lightly greased with HD chassis grease, which transfers to the hitch jaws when hooked up.
The reason for "lightly greased" is; it should be cleaned and re-greased when it begins to appear dirty and contaminated with dirt and grit, which-when combined- form a crude grinding compound.
The plastic wear plate is actually Nylon, very tough material in this solid form. BTW, when your Nylon plate gets worn and falls off when un-hitching, just lightly ding each finger (while warm) with a ball-peen hammer about 1" from the end. This smashes the material enough to close the hole so it holds onto the pin.

justimagination · 05-09-2011, 12:07 AM

...........When in doubt !!! grease or oil it. White Lithium is hard to beat, either spray can or like a butter tub @ your local Parts store. Good luck and travel safe.
David G.

Ray,IN · 05-10-2011, 10:10 PM

I once cleaned the 5er pin during my normal maintenance and forgot to re-grease it. It didn't take many miles to realize the harder turning I was experiencing was because the pin was not lubricated. Ever since then I have carried a small container of pin grease in my toolbox.

hamman · 05-12-2011, 06:45 PM

Thanks guys I was just thinking of the mess created when I walk under the pin and forget to stay clear of it. Nice shirt, hair, head, mad wife etc.. I will grease mine now and keep it that way. I found a "can cozi" that is tall enough and fits tight. I am going to use it to cover the pin. Thanks again guys. I appreciate it.

roadstertr6 · 05-15-2011, 09:50 PM

OK guys, Lithium is just the carrier (soap) for the lubricant. In an application like a 5th wheel hitch, it really doesn't matter what the soap is. Lithium (including Lithium Complex) is about 60% of the North American market. Calcuim Sulfonate soap is the current hot topic in high performance greases.

EP additives, A tempreature of about 400 degrees C is needed to make the reaction work (the heat triggers a reaction which causes the asperities to become coated with phosphorous), so EP in this application is neither here nor ther. It won't do any damage but won't be an advantage either.

As you may hage gathered, I'm a lubricants guy and use a Lithium Complex grease with Moly Disulphide on the pin and jaw mechanism. The moly provides a solid lubricating film (a boundary layer) at ambient temperatures. I use a plastic disc for the top.

However, as was stated above, nothing ever failed because of too much grease ! (well, that's not true but that's a whole other story)

Sorry to ramble on but I just couldn't resist !

RVhauler · 05-15-2011, 10:59 PM

I have used both regular "gun" grease/bearing grease in the past but about 15 years ago went to using the white grease with teflon which comes in a small jar and is available just about anyplace that RV supplies are sold. however keep in mind that any grease/oil is better than nothing at all in a pinch