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Topic: Sanding down tow bar

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Alan Chilestone

18/2/2016 at 10:56am
Location: Suffolk
Outfit: Adria Sportline 532 UP

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Yes, I was not doomed but! if I had been aware of this advice, I would have taken it from the start and taken the paint off the tow ball. Thanks everyone. Off to get some brake cleaner.

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Alan

2016
February C&CC Theobalds Park
March C&CC Salisbury
May C&CC Adgestone IOW
July Le Clos Auroy, Auvergne France
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cx5man

18/2/2016 at 2:47pm
Location: yorkshire
Outfit: Mazda CX-5 & Unicorn Valencia

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Well i can assure you there are lots more like yourself who didn't follow the advise from Alko.

Toolstation i've found resonable for brake cleaner, and silicon.

andyd99

18/2/2016 at 8:20pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: 1998 elddis ex select 450 4

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Looks like I've opened up a full can of worms here 😳😳😳

freeatlast

19/2/2016 at 5:58pm
Location: Teesside
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Quote: Originally posted by Alan Chilestone on 18/2/2016
Yes, I was not doomed but! if I had been aware of this advice, I would have taken it from the start and taken the paint off the tow ball. Thanks everyone. Off to get some brake cleaner.

Unless there is grease on the pads, simply use a little soap and water on a cloth, and wipe off the soap. Don't waste money on brake cleaner. A bit of soap won't harm, after all, do people cover up their brake linings when they wash the car? Soap and water cure most squeaking pads too.

SmithRC

19/3/2016 at 1:34pm
Location: Near Milton Keynes
Outfit: Volvo XC60 - 2003 Bailey Ranger 550 6

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Hi all,

We bought a van 18 months back and towed with a Skoda Octavia, we were new to it and I didn't clean the tow ball but had no problems.

We towed it 2-3 times before my company car was replaced, new car was a lot beefier (Volvo XC60) so should have towed a lot better... but to me it felt worse... We towed all the way to the south of France and back with it and I wasn't as confident towing with it as I was with the octavia (my wife said I was just being hard on the new car as I'd had issues with it).

Anyway, I started reading up and realised what we should have done - both tow balls were black originally. I have now checked the pads and they were in a proper state - Cleaning didnt work so I even tried to emery them but the surface of the pads had started to delaminate.

I've just fitted new pads and sanded / wire wooled the tow ball.

Fingers crossed it now tows a lot better.

Anyone else replaced their own pads?
if so, any help >HERE< would be great.

greasychipbutty

19/3/2016 at 2:06pm
Location: Sheffield
Outfit: lunar ultima 525

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Hi all
Same here ,i did not know you had to clean the paint off a tow ball and since reading this thread have cleaned off the paint that was left on and cleaned the pads with break fluid ,although up to now have had no issues ,so thanks for the advice on this thread
The thing that annoys me is the company fitting it should surely have let us know this had to be done.

blueexpo97

21/3/2016 at 5:26pm
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I hope you used brake cleaner as opposed to brake fluid.

-------------
XVI yes?

As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.

greasychipbutty

12/5/2016 at 6:21pm
Location: Sheffield
Outfit: lunar ultima 525

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Quote: Originally posted by blueexpo97 on 21/3/2016
I hope you used brake cleaner as opposed to brake fluid.

i meant brake pad cleaner fluid

Onewheelonmywagon

14/5/2016 at 10:04am
Location: W Midlands
Outfit: Fleetwood Heritage 560-4 & Discovery 4

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I removed the black paint from my new tow ball with a gas blowlamp - you don't need to muller it with emery cloth.

chrisn7

14/5/2016 at 10:09pm
Location: West Yorkshire
Outfit: Bessacarr Cameo 625 2011

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If anyone here remembers using the old blade type stabiliser, Then you will also remember that after a while they used to start groaning, and this was due to a build up of dust from the friction pads , which became glazed as a result.

If you don't remove the towball paint/rust, ask yourself 'where does it go?'.

The answer is that it get transferred onto the surface of the friction pads in the stabiliser, that, like the old blades before, then become glazed/shiny. This then reduces the friction and therefore effectiveness. Cleaning with a non oily brake/carb cleaner is ok, but you also need to remove glazing from the build up of pad dust from time to time. A fine grade emery paper is fine for this, followed by your brake cleaner..

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