To grease or not to grease

[NelsonQ]

Re: To grease or not to grease

This is why I never do it, the grit and sand is far worse at wearing the ball and receiver out prematurely than never greasing your ball will be.........Irv964

You're right. However, I use my trailer to drop the boat in my slip in May and then again to take it out in Sep/Oct. Maybe once in between to fully clean and check things out. I simply clean and regrease just before re-using it.

But if you trailer a lot, I could see it being a PITA

 

[water wiggle]

Re: To grease or not to grease

I don't use grease. I do use the teflon ball lubricant sold at alot of marine stores. When I am done towing I wipe the ball off and the inside of the coupler to prevent dirt and any other crap from sticking to it. I always pull the draw bar from the receiver and store it. I too hate kicking it. Just my .02

 

[hankll]

Re: To grease or not to grease

yes, its part of my routine to put a little dab of grease on top of ball before hooking up my trailer. Then when done a paper towel is all thats needed to clean the mess off the ball. Yes, I have gotten stains on my pant legs, but thats not half as bad as the dent in my shin bone!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: To grease or not to grease

Never really bothered lubing the ball.

 

[NelsonQ]

Re: To grease or not to grease

No. Personally, I don't think it is needed. On top of that, I don't want the shins of every pair of pants I own stained.

Took the cover off the ball today, went to line it up with the trailer, and presto, pants are full of grease.... Should`ve skipped the grease....

 

[cprince]

Re: To grease or not to grease

Nothing worse than dirty ball grease.



I have been cracking up reading this thread... thanks guys!!

 

[bowman316]

Re: To grease or not to grease

I just keep my tow hitch on my truck all the time. I don't really care if it rusts on, because i need to use it a lot. And by now i know to walk around it, and not into it.
If i really need to get it off, i tie a chain to it , and the other end to a tree, and drive forward, and it comes off right away.
Greasing up the coupling, seems like just another thing the do when boating, I already have to do 100 things before i get my boat in the water.
You can't keep up on every little thing involving a boat, it is immpossible.

 

[Cole_l]

Re: To grease or not to grease

I loaded my new (used) 23 1/2 ft boat on back of my Denali and started hauling. I had an enormous shimmy at about 65 mph - the speed I decided was ideal with the load. When I stopped at some friends in Nebraska some 1500 miles later, it was suggested that I lube the ball. Did so and the shimmy went away so I am now a ball greaser. I don't worry about grit on the ball since I remove the receiver after trailering and re - insert it just before hookup. I wipe and reapply grease before almost every use anyway. Grease is cheap.