hitch grease

Lynnmor wrote:

wnjj wrote:
I’m curious how there could be enough friction to overcome a properly torqued ball shank nut. It seems to me that if grease is the only thing preventing the ball from loosening there’s a serious issue with that kind of design. I have no data, just my opinion.

A little information to help you understand: Galling

I get how there can be friction, but with a properly torqued nut of that size (over 200 ft-lbs) that would need to be over 2400 lbs of linear force applied at that 1” distance on the ball head. The amount of resistance from galling seems hardly enough to crack the nut loose.

Again, if grease is the only thing preventing these things from coming loose, why aren’t hitch balls designed with two parallel shanks so the cannot turn with these forces?

I suspect most of these cases of the ball coming loose were tightened by someone pulling on a bar “as hard as they can” instead of torque wrench.

I would be interested to see if anyone has done any scientific studies to show this can happen.

wnjj wrote:
I’m curious how there could be enough friction to overcome a properly torqued ball shank nut. ...

A couple years ago, we were in South Carolina when I realized my hitch ball nut was loose. I have an Equal-i-zer WD system and I ended up taking the nut to several places to find a socket that would fit it.

We finally found a Mom-&-Pop auto parts store that had the right socket, and it was thin walled enough to insert the pocket under my hitch head (for those who have Equal-i-zer's, you know what I mean.

I ended up buy a new breaker bar with it, since it was a 3/4 inch socket shaft. I was beginning to get real concerned after going to the 3rd place and still couldn't find the socket to fit it. But persistance paid off.

I now keep that socket and that breaker bar in my RV specific tool box which stays in the back of the truck all the time. Every time I put the hitch in the receiver, I grab the socket and breaker and give it a little "umph".... which is always tight and I physically can't get it any tighter by hand without a cheater or something.

Well, after 2 more years, the nut has never wiggled loose again. I was extremely lucky to realize the problem when the ball wiggled after unhitching the trailer. Just a few more miles down the road, and the nut could have fallen off completely. Then, only the WD bars themselves would actually be causing enough force downward to hold the ball from coming out of the hole. Yea, it was a "reality check" moment for sure.

So yes, the nut can come loose on the hitch ball.

wnjj wrote:
I’m curious how there could be enough friction to overcome a properly torqued ball shank nut. It seems to me that if grease is the only thing preventing the ball from loosening there’s a serious issue with that kind of design. I have no data, just my opinion.

A little information to help you understand: Galling

I’m curious how there could be enough friction to overcome a properly torqued ball shank nut. It seems to me that if grease is the only thing preventing the ball from loosening there’s a serious issue with that kind of design. I have no data, just my opinion.

Those of you who do not grease the ball and using a WD hitch better be careful. The constant rotation of the coupler on the ball and the heavy metal on metal contact tends to often loosen the ball and it could eventually turn enough to drop the nut on the bottom, causing the ball to wiggle and egg out the hole.

If it is on a regular weight carrying hitch or drawbar, then there is a good possibility that the ball will come off the hitch with quite disastrous consequences. It has happened to many who thought it "couldn't happen to me".

Anytime you have heavy metal on metal contact you should normally use some type of lubrication. All hitch makers tell you to lubricate the ball except possibly at least one or two of those that don't rotate on the ball like the Andersen, although even it has up and down and side to side rocking motion on the ball.
Barney

Most people grease, some do not. I do because I like some lube on moving parts.

Even with heavy grease you will wear through the chrome plating, it just takes longer.

Frame grounding is pretty rare the days, but the grease does not insulate the metal to metal contact.

Lynnmor wrote:

GrandpaKip wrote:
I got rid of the grease when I got an Andersen hitch. My wife appreciates it.

Those hitches still move up and down working the latch hard, apply grease to minimize the damage.

I lubricate the latch system, but not the ball. After 6 years, there is no sign of damage to the coupler that I can see.

Atlee wrote:
You aren't thinking about an electric tongue jack are you? Those do use the hitch frame as the ground.

Not always - my new UltraFab 3502 has two wires, one for positive and another for negative to ensure a positive connection under all circumstances.

Pin 1 on the Bargman connector, both tow vehicle and trailer, is ground ... it's nonsense for anyone to suggest physical contact between hitch ball and coupler is necessary for a positive ground connection between the TV and trailer.

You aren't thinking about an electric tongue jack are you? Those do use the hitch frame as the ground. They have a hot wire running from the jack to the positive side of the battery. As long as you have a good metal to metal contact, just tightening it to the trailer frame provides the negative contact.

big_jeff wrote:
I never grease the hitch.. I read somewhere that the ball and trailer hitch act as a ground and greasing it would defeat that purpose. The newer brake controllers use that ground and you may get an error using grease.

It is not uncommon for older utility trailers to use the hitch as a ground. My landscaping trailers all used the hitch as ground, they came like that from the dealer - I added wired grounds through the hitch plugs to make more secure connections.

Sure, campers should have the ground wired through the hitch - but many people depend on the dealer to make sure that is done. So I would double check that!