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Open Roads Forum  >  Travel Trailers  >  General Q&A

 > weird noises coming from hitch???

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emsdad

Va

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Posted: 06/17/08 07:17am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

The last time I towed my TT I noticed alot of sqeaking coming from the hitch. I do not have any lube on the points that are getting worn. Is this normal. It is only my second tme towing it. I took it in for the Dometic recall. The dealer told me to put some lube on the places where I could see wear......is this correct?

wayne_tw

South Dakota/Georgia

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Posted: 06/17/08 07:21am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

YES you have metal to metal rubbing. The only place where you do not lube is on the friction sway control device.

swebber

Brunswick , MD

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Posted: 06/17/08 07:25am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

If the Reese Dual Cam HP, I lube the bar ends at the hitch head as well as a very light coating on the cam , per the Reese instructions. I use petroleum jelly as the lubricant.


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jay2003

San Joaquin Valley, California

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Posted: 06/17/08 08:53am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

swebber wrote:

I use petroleum jelly as the lubricant.


Spray can of white lithium greese works better and will last longer than petroleum jelly. Spray some on the ball and in the "tubes" where the weight bars are inserted into the hitch. Makes a world of difference.


05 Toyota Tacoma DC 4x4 SB Off-Road Package w/Tow 128" WB
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swebber

Brunswick , MD

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Posted: 06/17/08 09:13am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

jay2003 wrote:

Spray can of white lithium greese works better and will last longer than petroleum jelly. Spray some on the ball and in the "tubes" where the weight bars are inserted into the hitch. Makes a world of difference.


Have used spray White Lithium in the past. I switched to PJ this year as the jar is smaller and easier to store

softballjunky

palm desert california

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Posted: 06/17/08 10:11am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

What kind of hitch do you have? Our Equal-i-zer hitch can be quite loud at times. Especially if the weather is damp.


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emsdad

Va

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Posted: 06/17/08 04:14pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I do not know the manufacturer name but its the equalizer with the chains. Can I lube the place where the chain hooks to the TT?

Rollin' Gator

Lutz, Fl, USA

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Posted: 06/17/08 04:20pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Also have an Equalizer that's noisy as heck. If anyone has any suggestions they'd be appreciated.

BarneyS

S.E. Lower Michigan

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Posted: 06/17/08 05:03pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

You should put grease on the ball. Clean the ball and the coupler socket every now and then. I used to grease my ball every time I hooked up. I would wipe the grease off the ball and the bar ends at the end of the tow so as to keep it off my pant legs and get any dust or dirt off. I usually used bearing grease but Walmart sells Reese hitch grease in a small white/blue tub. I believe it is a Lithium type grease.

Another place to grease is where the WD bars enter the hitch head. If you have the round bars that enter under the head, put grease on the bars before you insert them. You will be able to see where they wear. It is on the top front and bottom rear of the round bars. Without grease, those areas will eventually turn into an oval shape and then it is time to buy a new hitch.
If you have the trunnion style bars, put grease or oil on the knobs of the trunnion or in the cups where they go.

There is a terrific amount of force being put on both the ball/coupler and bar/hitch head interface. Without lubing those points you can expect now only a lot of noise but rapid wear. All hitch manufacturers recommend using grease at the points that I just mentioned.

For those the have an Equal-i-zer brand hitch, they recommend greasing the sockets in the hitch head where the bars insert - especially the top surface of those sockets where they rub on the hitch head. In addition, they say you can put a light coat of grease on the WD bars where they rub on the L brackets to quiet the noise during turns.
Of course, you should also grease the ball like you do with a regular WD hitch.
Barney


2004 Sunnybrook 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch
2002 Ford F250 Super Duty, 7.3L PSD
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