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Subject Topic: To grease or not to grease?! Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonBenR1
via mobile 15/8/2020 at 12:41pm
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Hello,

I have recently had a Brink detachable swan neck tow bar fitted to my car (which I must say I highly recommend as it’s so easy to attach and detach!)

Should I still be greasing the tow ball or not? It will always be detached and stowed in the boot inside the bag when not towing.

The caravan has one of those red Aklo stabiliser hitch’s.

I read somewhere that you shouldn’t grease the tow ball if you have one of these but thought I would double check as the tow ball is becoming scratched and losing the black coating

Many thanks
Ben


Person664DaveS
via mobile 15/8/2020 at 12:53pm
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You should not grease it as it will contaminate the pads in the stabiliser hitch, stopping it working. You should clean paint off the ball itself too.
Its worth giving thetowball a clean with some brake cleaner befoe use. Also remove any rust.

-------------
DS-There's more to life than football!!!


Personjaiash
15/8/2020 at 12:55pm
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You shouldn't grease the lowball when using a stabiliser hitch; indeed the black paint should also have been removed before you use it with the hitch as the paint contaminates the pads in the hitch. The pads probably need cleaning now.

-------------
Grahame


PersonMonty15
15/8/2020 at 12:59pm
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DO NOT GREASE THE TOW BALL!

You should also have cleaned off any painted finish on the towball back to bare metal before use!

The friction damped couplings have friction pads effectively like brake pads, anything like grease or paint will impair or completely negate the damping effect!

The towball needs to be kept bright bare metal without ANY coating or corrosion, and the friction pads in the hitch need to be kept clean (brake cleaner works well) for it to do it's job properly.


PersonBenR1
via mobile 15/8/2020 at 1:30pm
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Thanks for the fast replies, much appreciated! Wish the fitters had told me about taking the black coating off, but never mind.

I’ll get that cleaned off and will also give the hitch pads a good clean up too

Thanks again



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