Do you grease your 3 point hitch swivels?

[themichelob]

I'm not sure about using grease to protect the parts, but it sure makes it alot easier to attach and remove the implements, in my experience.
Regards, Mike

 

[studway]

1953 Ford Jubilee and have never lubed. Work just fine.

Maybe it's a Ford thing. Mine is a 1972 Ford 5000.

I think it's safe to say that if someone wants to lube, grease, or spray the ball swivels they can, and it may make implement changes easier, but if you don't it's no big deal.

 

[DiezNutz]

I like to light oil the balls and wipe the excess off every time I change an implement..

umm... I sure hope we're still talking about hitches here...
Anyway, I like the graphite lube myself... just haven't gotten around to it for this yet. Maybe someday. Or not.

 

[N80]

I had some white lithium spray lying around and squirted some on the hitch balls. All it did was collect dust and dirt and hold it there.

Now I just give them a squirt of WD-40 to loosen them up when its time to change implements. No more grease for me.

 

[Cap-n-Cray]

WD-40 stands for "Water Displacement, 40th attempt.

Main ingredients, from the material safety data sheet, are:

* 50%: Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits, also commonly known as dry cleaning solvent)
* 25%: Liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant, carbon dioxide is used now to reduce considerable flammability)
* 15+%: Mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
* 10-%: Inert ingredients

WD-40 is not a very good lubricate, in fact it cleans most lubrications away. I used it on desk drawer glides and file cabinet glides for a large bank at there branches to stop squeaks. About a year later I began replacing the glides because they wore out from lack of lubrication. The ball bearing glides would self destruct. It was good job security for me.

It does have a lot of uses, but lubrication is not one. IMO

Cary

 

[DiezNutz]

It does have a lot of uses, but lubrication is not one. IMO

Agreed...for one, it evaporates fairly readily. I think it's being used for its solvent properties in this application, not being relied on as a long-term lubricant.

 

[N80]

Agreed...for one, it evaporates fairly readily. I think it's being used for its solvent properties in this application, not being relied on as a long-term lubricant.

That's correct. It frees them up, gets in moisture out and makes it easier to switch implements. And it clearly provides some level of lubrication, but only for a very short while. To me, that fact that it essentially evaporates is a strength, not a weakness. Anything that sits there is going to collect dirt and dust....which become abrasives.

 

[fishpick]

WD-40 stands for "Water Displacement, 40th attempt.

Main ingredients, from the material safety data sheet, are:

* 50%: Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits, also commonly known as dry cleaning solvent)
* 25%: Liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant, carbon dioxide is used now to reduce considerable flammability)
* 15+%: Mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
* 10-%: Inert ingredients

WD-40 is not a very good lubricate, in fact it cleans most lubrications away. I used it on desk drawer glides and file cabinet glides for a large bank at there branches to stop squeaks. About a year later I began replacing the glides because they wore out from lack of lubrication. The ball bearing glides would self destruct. It was good job security for me.

It does have a lot of uses, but lubrication is not one. IMO

Cary

I thought it had fish oil in it... That's what makes it taste so good on ice cream!

 

[Tollster]

I spray mine with liquid graphite, same on the folding ROPS hinge points.