Hitch Ball Lubricant

[rideandslide]

Spray Silicone cost me a set of tow mirrors, have used it for many years as a general lub. Sprayed it on the socket joints (plastic)) of the mirrors , and they never moved again, something it it fused the plastic together. no more spray silicone for me, unless metal to metal !

[ModestMonk]

Originally Posted by hoosierrun

I have a spray can of white lithium grease that I use on everything including the ball. It works for my electric stabilizers and door step slides too. I have the rubber cover for the ball and so far haven't got grease on my pants. This stuff does help me to disconnect somewhat.

I got the spray can of white lithium at Walmart.

We use spray graphite on much of the equipment here, available at farm stores like Tractor Supply. Can't see why it wouldn't work on the road also.

[HoboPals]

Originally Posted by lynnmor

Hardly an extreme pressure lubricant. Hope you don't use it on the wheel bearings.

I only use it on the hitch and ball when I'm hitchin or unhitching. I let me RV dealer do the wheels.

Should I be using a heavier duty spray? If so, can you suggest a name/brand. Thank you for your response.

[rideandslide]

Absolutely Yes !!!!

I just squirt a bit on my finger and swap it around the inside of the coupler, and the same for the ball. But i don't mind my hands getting a little dirty ! You need grease over spray, what ever compound !

[dix39]

Interesting thread. It reflects about all the answers I got when I first started towing many years ago. After thinking about it back then I decided to use chassis grease and still do. I guess, after reading this thread that must have been, for the most part, a correct decision. I do clean it off occasionally because after a while it seems to pick up enough dirt to resemble grinding compound and is probably worse than not having it at all.

It does make a mess when your pant leg rubs against it, and I've used zip lock sandwich bags to cover it with the bag zipped up tight to the bottom of the bag to keep it from blowing off. I also have several ball covers from HF, but they fit pretty tight and I prefer the sandwich bags that we carry all the time anyway.

Just my 2c.

Steve

[Super Thirty]

I used to carry a tub of wheel bearing grease and a roll of paper towels. Before hooking up I cleaned the ball and coupler before putting fresh grease on. Worked really well. Used the grease in the hitch head of my E2 as well. Now I don't need it with the Andersen.

[Mr_D]

Back when I was towing a TT (1967 to 1988) I used wheel bearing grease out of a can. I think I still have that can in the garage!!

[09 harley]

Are there still RVers out there who don't think it is a good idea to lubricate any metal to metal contact?
As Bugs Bunny would say. UNBEWEEVABLE !

[Gigattime]

This product works great and is easily available online or at Walmart. It's a relatively small can, but last for years.

[Off Road]

Alright time to get out the pitchforks and light the torches. I am a farmer who works all the time with heavy equipment in dirty and dusty environments. We never lube trailer hitch balls and we have 3 equipment trailers plus multiple boat and pipe (irrigation pipe) trailers. Plus we pull heavy field cultivating equipment like plows, cover crop discs and the like and never grease attachment points. Amazing that after 40 years of doing this with many of the trailers being old with lots of miles everything still works. Hitch balls don't wear out, couplers don't cease to work, nor have we ever had a trailer leap off a ball and be left hanging by the safety chains. Not saying it will never happen, just never seen it. My travel trailer came from the dealer with grease smeared all over it, but I'm just not convinced it is necessary. Hitch balls and couplers must be made from some pretty stout metal because failure rates are pretty low. Say what you want about pressure and stress and I will show you a 200 horsepower tractor pulling a 6 bottom switch plow with NO lube on the three point hitch. When we do lube stuff we try to use graphite spray powder lube whenever we can because it dries to a powder that doesn't collect dirt. We do grease wherever there is a grease zerk as much to keep dirt out as anything. I don't know, call me a Neanderthal, but I don't worry about grease on a trailer hitch ball.

[lynnmor]

Originally Posted by HoboPals

I only use it on the hitch and ball when I'm hitchin or unhitching. I let me RV dealer do the wheels.

Should I be using a heavier duty spray? If so, can you suggest a name/brand. Thank you for your response.

I don't know of thin spray lubricants, but there might be something out there. Many wheel bearing greases have the EP rating on the container. That's what I use.

I was just kidding about using spray on wheel bearings just to highlight the point that both the bearings and the hitch ball both should have extreme pressure lube.

Folks talking about not greasing farm machinery are not comparing like kind metal to metal joints. Swivel joints on farm equipment usually have hardened steel parts, your trailer coupler and ball are soft steel and they can become galled. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galling

[HoboPals]

Thank you. Someone told my husband years ago to use silicone spray (on the toad hook up) because it wouldn't collect dire and dust from the road. I just assumed the same thing about the ball and hitch. I appreciate everyone's assistance.

[ROAquaman]

Interesting topic. I'm just getting ready to pull a towed and I have never added lube to a ball or hitch. I guess I will start with my towed.

[Off Road]

Folks talking about not greasing farm machinery are not comparing like kind metal to metal joints. Swivel joints on farm equipment usually have hardened steel parts, your trailer coupler and ball are soft steel and they can become galled. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galling

Are you sure that trailer couplers and balls used on travel trailers are soft steel prone to quickly wear out? In all my years of towing I've yet to see one wear out and some of our hitch balls are probably 20+ years old. There are also applications where you can use a Lunette ring with a hitch ball. A lunette ring is able to handle a far higher load than a typical ball style hitch and yet no one greases them. I don't think you can hurt it by greasing it, other than the oft mentioned greasy pant legs but probably not really necessary either. https://www.etrailer.com/p-TR63042.html