To grease the ball or not?

Greasy balls are happy balls imo.

I'm not sure what's right. I am a non greaser, but I have greased in the past. If I did grease, I believe I would clean the ball and hitch from time to time, since the grease will tend to attract dirt and grit, which might actually exacerbate wear. Has anyone tried spray on graphite? I use this on my Pull-Rite.

The ball of the Andersen WDH tends to turn with the trailer, so there is very little relative yaw motion between ball and coupler.

However, there still is pitch-axis relative movement and roll-axis relative movement.

Since the Andersen's ball is pulled rearward against the coupler's latching mechanism with a force of maybe 1000-2000#, I certainly would lightly grease the ball if I were using one.

Ron

Hmmmm... Our Andersen system says grease free, so we don't.

Grease it!!!!!!!

On lighter trailer/loads I never bother. I have never had a TT, but towed some heavy race trailers. Those would show the friction on the hitch ball in a single tow. I always hated using grease if you leaned on it or used to much it gets everywhere. A friend of mine turned me onto a good alternative. For years instead of grease he has been using wax from an unused toilet bowl gasket. His current "ball" of wax was one of the freebies that came with a new toilet he bought (and he bought a better quality gasket.) And depending on how often he tows, he says should easily last him 5-6 years at a minimum. What I like about it is that it does not stain clothing, it does not collect as much dirt as grease does, and a little goes a long way.

I thought about using it on the top of the 5th wheel head instead of grease. I looked at a lube plate, but after two friends having lube plates bind up on hitching and cause drops in the past few years I am very hesitant of that and that is for another thread.

I always grease mine and I keep several of the plastic grocery type bags wadded up just inside the back door of my Van and anytime I disconnect I put one of those over the hitch head and tie it to prevent greasing other things. It also protects the hitch head when stored on the floor in my garage. It's not so much an issue with my Equal-i-zer, but with my last hitch that had the round bars there was grease in those areas to contend with in addition to the grease on the ball so the bag was even more important since those areas were where I could grease up my leg it I bumped into the hitch head when not connected to my trailer.

Larry

That's right a little of anything is way better than nothing!

I always grease mine. The few times I haven't it has been a bear to decouple,sometimes to the point of pulling the receiver pin.
I don't slather it on just a quick spray of lithium. wipe it down with a paper towel and no mess.

Teflon lube does a good job and and is not as messy as grease if you happen to clean off with your trousers walking by the hitch as I sometimes do.