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    [RC] trailer hitches balls and silicone spray - Snodgrass, Bonnie


    I was recently told by a trailer/hitch man that you shouldn't ever use grease on your hitch ball. The sand and grit sticks to the grease and works like sandpaper between the ball and the coupler. Gradually wears them both down and eventually your ball is loose in the socket. He told me to use a high grade silicone spray instead. We/ve started the new hitch on the new truck this way. Learnt somethin' new evry day!
     
    Bonnie Snodgrass
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Maggie & David [mailto:maggieszoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
    Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2002 9:19 AM
    To: Linda Dewees; ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Subject: Re: [RC] trailer hitches

     
    " She told me later that the part of the hitch that goes around the ball had worn over the years and didn't clamp around the ball, just rested on it, but she didn't know that.  The bumpy road lifted the trailer right off.  I don't know if she had safty chains on.  Another thing to check on older trailers."
     
     
    I had something like this happen when I was younger. I was pulling my dad's very old 16ft stock trailer. We hit a bump and the tongue hopped right off of the ball. Thank God the old rusty safety chain that just looped around the ball held. The clamp had just worn down so much over the years that with enough force, it popped off. At least it was on a straight, level road.
     
    Maggie--of course, after this, I proceeded to run over my wheel chock!