# To grease or not to grease?



## heruide (Feb 12, 2008)

Created 6/13/08​




​I was going to write about safety chains but another topic popped up last week that I thought I would spend some time discussing. As I’ve said earlier within the folding trailer community there are some topics that cause swords to be drawn. Well I ran right into the blade of one such topic last week. The topic was whether one could prevent rust by greasing a hitch ball. 

Previously when this was discussed there were some that argued against it on the basis that the grease would dirty their pants. To be honest I’ve never accepted that argument as legitimate. If I did then I would have to accept someone saying they refuse to grease their ball bearings because it would get grease under their finger nails. Plus there are several ways to prevent the grease on the pants. 

You can cover the ball with a tennis ball or commercial covers. I’ve also heard of some using the good ole wax paper option and I even offered up the greaseless hitch ball which unfortunately I’ve not used yet. 

Anyway during this discussion someone mentioned that greasing the hitch ball would cause sway. RIGHT! I had always thought that sway was cause by too light a tongue and could be fixed by increasing the tongue weight or adding a sway bar. I guess the thought process was “If increasing friction reduces sway then reducing friction must by default increase sway”.

All this discussion made me realize that on the internet anyone can make a statement and if not challenged it might become fact… and that’s how urban legends are born. Have you heard the one where a dealer said - A noisy hitch ball was a happy hitch ball?

So in the sprit of setting the record straight I decided to share some of the folding trailer manufacturers’ recommendations from their manuals: 

The company previously known as the Fleetwood Folding Trailer Company recommends - Maintain a coat of light grease on the ball hitch of your vehicle. This will induce longer ball hitch life and towing ease.
Jayco has a similar recommendation "For best operation of the coupling mechanism it is best assured by lubricating the ball with standard automotive chassis grease."

Starcraft says you should use wheel bearing grease on the coupler release lever and socket and commercial lubricant or soap on the ball.

I thought this would help but all that did was bring out a whole list of manual recommendations that some might question. Well I guess the manufacturers don’t know what they are talking about.

So I added the recommendation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on this topic. 

They state:

The connection point may require periodic lubrication to permit free movement of the coupler to the hitch ball.

Unfortunately response to my post focused on the word “MAY”

Time to throw in my grease stained towel.
At that point there was general consensus that – Greasing the ball would prevent rust and folks would continue doing what they were doing regardless of what the manufacturers or the government says.
Now I wonder what disagreements I’m going to get into over safety chains?

Ruide


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