Do you grease your hitch ball

[fried1765]

I had a boat trailer with cable “chains” and a big sticker that said do not cross safety chains.

That "sticker" would seem to deny convention trailer safety wisdom.

 

[CobyRupert]

A friend and work associate of mine pulls a commercial chipper with an Isuzu arborist truck. We hitched and unhitched and pulled the chipper around constantly day in and day out. One day the chipper jumped the ball. Why? After many years of extended use the ball had shrunk and needed to be replaced. True story. After that, the precaution was to keep that ball and socket lubed up. It never happened again.

Anything is possible.......but are they sure they didn't have a 1-7/8" ball with a 2" hitch, and then one day the trailer coupler's "toe-plate" (or whatever it's called) that goes under the ball wore down, or got loose enough, to pop off the ball? A 1-7/8" ball will work on a 2" hitch most of the time...until it doesn't.

I'm hesitant to put any dielectric, like grease, on the ball hitch as I'm often relying on good metal to metal contact for the negative ("ground") return path back from my trailer lights. Heck, sometimes it takes a few miles of going down the road and making turns to wear the rust off before the lights work if its been sitting for the winter.

 

[fried1765]

I tow with a 14,000lb. Equal-i-zer hitch, and keep it well greased.

I have been through US/Canadian customs a number of times.
When I get a nice agent (nearly 100% are great), I warn them about the Equal-i-zer hitch grease.
Once in a great while....not!

 

[oosik]

I shall forgo any possible humor here. Likely to be "booed" out of the stadium. I do not have any ball hitches. My one and only trailer is a farm wagon and it has the typical pin hitch. No grease required.

 

[Deere Dude]

Yup, Curt even puts out a video on the subject

Got it. Have the wife do it.

 

[cqaigy2]

Got it. Have the wife do it.

Go head, give that a go. Take picts.

 

[cat fever]

I did one time many, many years ago. What a mess, I'll live with a rusty balls.:laughing:

 

[ruffdog]

Not the ball, but I do shoot chain lube up into the coupling socket to keep the works freed up.

I also lube the socket as it keeps everything moving freely. You can always wipe your balls off after use.

 

[aczlan]

I'm hesitant to put any dielectric, like grease, on the ball hitch as I'm often relying on good metal to metal contact for the negative ("ground") return path back from my trailer lights. Heck, sometimes it takes a few miles of going down the road and making turns to wear the rust off before the lights work if its been sitting for the winter.

Why not fix the ground wire on your trailer lights? Then it won't be trying to ground through the hitch ball?

Aaron Z

 

[jmc]

I read somewhere (probably on TBN) that ball friction applies a loosening torque on the ball. Left-hand turn if I'm thinking properly. Since my ball was loose the last time, i lubed it and as a bonus, the coupler also seated nicely even though it wasn't quite lined up beforehand.

 

[fried1765]

I also lube the socket as it keeps everything moving freely. You can always wipe your balls off after use.

Learned that at age 17 .
Excellent advice !!!!

 

[CobyRupert]

Why not fix the ground wire on your trailer lights? Then it won't be trying to ground through the hitch ball?

Aaron Z

Ground wire? Aren't you fancy! On many trailers one hot (switched) wire runs to the lights, the light's return path are through the bolt that mounts them to the frame.
Yes, on one of my trailers after a decade or two of owning it, I replaced the wiring connector on the trailer with one that had a short white wire stub that I drilled and tapped a hole for on the trailer tongue.

 

[ruffdog]

Reese hitch ball lube:

https://www.amazon.com/Reese-Heavy-Duty-Hitch-Lubricant/dp/B0052EJRVC/ref=asc_df_B0052EJRVC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241895017383&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6769068318295385405&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9018912&hvtargid=pla-617551097513&psc=1

 

[ruffdog]

Trailer grounding through the hitch ball? E-trailer says to fix the grounding circuit.

Does Trailer Lighting Ground Through the Hitch Ball | etrailer.com

 

[ruffdog]

Tech rep from Pullrite Systems says to definitely grease the ball.

Grease up the hitch ball? - RV Travel

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Anything is possible.......but are they sure they didn't have a 1-7/8" ball with a 2" hitch, and then one day the trailer coupler's "toe-plate" (or whatever it's called) that goes under the ball wore down, or got loose enough, to pop off the ball? A 1-7/8" ball will work on a 2" hitch most of the time...until it doesn't.

I'm hesitant to put any dielectric, like grease, on the ball hitch as I'm often relying on good metal to metal contact for the negative ("ground") return path back from my trailer lights. Heck, sometimes it takes a few miles of going down the road and making turns to wear the rust off before the lights work if its been sitting for the winter.

Re-wire your lights. The trailer light connector has a dedicated ground that does not depend on the trailer hitch. Yours is corroded or broken.

 

[KennyG]

I regularly spray some grease into the hitch socket. I don't worry about the ball but I don't leave it on the truck when not in use. Electrical grounds are a minefield. I hard wire all the grounds AND ground to the frame of the trailer and truck.

 

[skipmarcy]

I use regular axle grease on the balls and couplers both. I keep the ball mounts in my toolbox with an old cut-off sock over the balls, works great.

 

[teejk]

I just give the top of the coupler (in the lock down lever) a shot of PB Blaster once and a while. Makes a big difference in the ability to lock it down and I think it leaches into anywhere it should go.

 

[CobyRupert]

Re-wire your lights. The trailer light connector has a dedicated ground that does not depend on the trailer hitch. Yours is corroded or broken.

I tend to fix the things that don't work. I really don't have the time to fix the things that do.