So, I typically grease the ball, the trailer hitch (where ball goes), the surfaces where the WDH anti-sway plates rotate, and the L-brackets where the bars rest. The hitch is usually quiet. Unfortunately, the grease catches dust, sand, and grime, and becomes noisy, squeaky, and ratchety after a trip or two. What grease do you all use? Do you grease the same points? How often? I am just following my dealers recommendations, but it seems wrong. It's like greasing stabilizer jacks. The grease collects sand, and it kind of defeats the purpose.
2009 North Trail 31BHD
2008 Ford F-150 King Ranch Supercrew
Equalizer & Prodigy
Me, the DW, and the Two Rugrats
I am not sure what you are currently using, but this is the stuff I purchased at the time I purchased our equal-i-zer system.
Mine still makes noise after a few trips even using this stuff, but I was told to use VERY LITTLE per application.
I use a Teflon grease and grease the points you have mentioned with the exception of the "L" brackets. I understand that greasing those points reduces the effectiveness of the hitch. I don't know or does anyone else as to what degree. I think the best rule is it makes noise, it's working correctly.
Robert,
This is from the Equal-i-zer installation manual, see page 24: http://www.equalizerhitch.com/pdf/equalizer_instructions.pdf
I also used the "special" grease from Equal-i-zer, in fact I have 1/2 a tube left over that you can have; don't need it with my fiver.
2007 Dodge RAM 2500 Quad Cab w/6.7 Cummins
2008 Palamino Sabre 31RKTS
Reese 15K Pro Series manual slide
Prodigy
Firestone Air Bags
Travel in peace...leave the M-I-L at home.
I use a little jar of white Reese ball grease for my Reese Strait-Line trunnion bar hitch, and also use it VERY sparingly on the Dual-Cam sway control to prevent noise from binding. I don't really have any problems with dirt, etc., because I apply the grease VERY sparingly on the ball, hitch, and sway control every time I hitch up, then wipe them clean each time I unhitch with a clean blue paper towel from Sam's club, removing all grease and contamination. This doesn't take more than a minute, or at the most two, and the microscopic amount of grease left on the surfaces after cleaning them off helps prevent surface rust from forming on them, and the resulting noise it causes.
To illustrate how little grease I actually use, we camp about twice a month from March-November, I've had this tiny jar of grease for almost 7 years now, and only about 1/4 of it has been used. If you are getting a LOT of debris contamination, you may be using too much grease, and not cleaning it off after unhitching allows it to just keep building up.
An alternative would be to spray silicone lubricant on these parts (as I have on my stabilizing jacks), and once it's dry, it will lubricate but is not sticky and won't attract dirt. Or, as Dick B does, you can use wax paper for just a smidgeon of lubrication.
Both the Equal-I-Zer L-brackets/WD bars and the Reese Dual-Cam sway control surfaces should be lubricated VERY sparingly, if you do use lubricant on them, as this reduces the friction, and therefore, the effectiveness, of the sway control. The Reese Dual-Cam has a center detent position, and the tension on the WD bars either keeps the cams centered in the "saddles" in the ends of the bars, or forces them to return there with extra bar tension if the tongue of the trailer tries to move in either direction. I haven't experienced any adverse reaction by very lightly coating the Dual-Cam's surfaces, even with our 33' TT.
* This post was
edited 08/18/08 11:32am by campercajun *
2003 GMC Sierra Crew HD; 6.0L; Prodigy
2006 Thor Tundra 30RL-DSL; Reese Strait-Line & Dual-cam HP
2001 Honda Elite Scooter
Jim & Gayle Bryant
Murphy's Law: "Anything that CAN happen, WILL."
Bryant's Law: "31 years of RVing? Probably already HAS."
I use the Reese Ball Lube on my Equal-i-zer as well. A bunch on the ball and a bit on the sockets for the bars. I don't put anything on the L brackets... I want as much friction there as possible.
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