To grease the ball or not?
Should you grease the ball? I have been but was just recently told I shouldn't.
Forum Discussion
To those of you who maintain it is not necessary to grease the ball, I suggest you all take a good long look at the first post in this thread written by Ron Gratz. Specifically I suggest you look at the diagram where the coupler meets the ball. Take a look at the amount of pressure between the ball and the coupler interface. That is a steel on steel interface and the pressures are VERY high. Lack of lubrication in that area will promote galling, wear, and the good possibility of the ball being turned enough to loosen the nut or wallowing out the hole of the balls shank.
In my opinion, the decision to not grease the ball is foolish. It only takes a minute to wipe off the grease when done towing and re-grease before the next tow.
Barney
EDIT: I asked Ron Gratz, whose thread I linked to above, about the amount of pressure between the coupler and ball when WD is used. Here is his response.
"If the rear end of each WD bar is loaded to 1000#, the two bars will pull down on the A-frame with a force of 2000#. Since the lift chains are attached about 30" behind the ball, some of the 2000# acting on the A-frame will be carried on the ball, and a much smaller amount will be carried on the TT's axles.
In the example, I assumed 1700# was added to the ball and 300# was transferred to the TT's axles. The 1700# added to the ball by the WDH plus the 1000# from tongue weight, means the total downward force between coupler and ball is 2700# -- nearly three times the tongue weight. I think it would be wise to use grease."
In my opinion, the decision to not grease the ball is foolish. It only takes a minute to wipe off the grease when done towing and re-grease before the next tow.
Barney
EDIT: I asked Ron Gratz, whose thread I linked to above, about the amount of pressure between the coupler and ball when WD is used. Here is his response.
"If the rear end of each WD bar is loaded to 1000#, the two bars will pull down on the A-frame with a force of 2000#. Since the lift chains are attached about 30" behind the ball, some of the 2000# acting on the A-frame will be carried on the ball, and a much smaller amount will be carried on the TT's axles.
In the example, I assumed 1700# was added to the ball and 300# was transferred to the TT's axles. The 1700# added to the ball by the WDH plus the 1000# from tongue weight, means the total downward force between coupler and ball is 2700# -- nearly three times the tongue weight. I think it would be wise to use grease."
