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Old 02-13-2019, 12:19 PM   #15
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When I first started towing things back in the '60's, I asked the people I thought would know this same question and got a mixture of answers from grease it to leave it dry. After thinking about it for a while I concluded that it was two surfaces moving against each other and that most other surfaces of this type were lubricated. I decided to lubricate and have used wheel bearing lubricant/chassis grease most of the time. Occasionally, when on the road, I have even resorted to vaseline when that was all that was available. I have done just about everything listed by the other posters to cover the ball when not in use, from covers I bought at HF, to the plastic bag that is on it now. It was like the grease, the best that was available at the time. If nothing was available I used the wipe method with a paper towel, but then there needs to be grease available to replace what was wiped off. That may have been when the vaseline was substituted.

My thought would be to grease and cover, or wipe off and re-grease. I wipe off and re-grease occasionally anyway.

I've always wondered if greasing was correct or not, but after reading this I think it is what most others do. Thanks for starting the thread and posting.

Steve
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Old 02-13-2019, 12:23 PM   #16
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I've been pulling trailers for 40 years, very little of it was with any lube on a ball. Never has the ball or a hitch worn out or ever shown any signs of wear. You really don't need to lube the ball. The moving parts of the coupler, yes, but not the ball.


With grease you get all sorts of crud stuck to it all. People try to do things to cover the ball but ignore the goop built up inside the coupler and that becomes a crusty mess.
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Old 02-13-2019, 12:46 PM   #17
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Anytime you have two metal to metal objects it needs to be lubricated, period. It also will quiet the mystery groan when making a slow turn in the parking lot!
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Old 02-13-2019, 03:08 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charliez View Post
I've been pulling trailers for 40 years, very little of it was with any lube on a ball. Never has the ball or a hitch worn out or ever shown any signs of wear. You really don't need to lube the ball. The moving parts of the coupler, yes, but not the ball.


With grease you get all sorts of crud stuck to it all. People try to do things to cover the ball but ignore the goop built up inside the coupler and that becomes a crusty mess.
Towing all types of trailers since the 60's and the only ones that got greased were the semi trailers from the fifth wheel

A good quality ball isn't going to wear out and sand is your enemy, the light trailer hitches are light weight material

Never have worn out a trailer hitch

This is one that if you feel better use white grease or teflon otherwise just enjoy camping
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Old 02-16-2019, 10:14 PM   #19
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Starting with my parents, have been towing since the 60’s and never used any lube on the ball and with no bad results, no worn ball or tongue. However, I occasionally spray silicone lube into the tongue mechanism for lube and so it doesn’t get all gummed up.
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Old 08-17-2019, 05:41 PM   #20
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Stainless Steel ball harder because of the chrome content Bulldog hitch cast steel, eight years with no lube no lube and no apparent wear.
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Old 08-17-2019, 07:07 PM   #21
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I have never lubed a hitch ball in 40 years and never had an issue.
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