Hitch Ball getting chewed up

[slo-ryde]

Just pulled my travel trailer from Louisiana to California and noticed the ball is pretty chewed up. There are a few places where some deep grooves were cut into the ball. The coupler on the trailer looks chewed up too. Before hitching up the trailer I applied a generous amount of grease. Is this wear on the ball/coupler normal?

 

[parcher]

With even a small amout of lube, the ball should last nearly forever. I towed my drag car for 5 years now and haven't worn out a ball.

 

[y-knot]

No that would not be "normal". Have you ever pulled this trailer before? Is this a new ball, or first time you pulled with it? If you did start with a clean and lubed ball, then the ball if self is of poor quality (cheap) or there was something wrong with the coupler. Which ever it is, now you have to fix it. The ball is useless so you might as well toss it, and get a "good" replacement. The coupling if not to bad can be cleaned up with a die grinder and some patients, if you can get it smoothed out, take it to someone who can, or replace it. Most of these couplers are welded on so that will take some work. After everything is fixed, use only EXTREME PRESSURE GREASE this is made for applications like hitches, wear balls see very high loads. Good luck.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Some models of couplers have a seam and a weld inside the pocket where the ball rides. Check for roughness and grind as needed. I use disk brake wheel bearing grease. Get a good ball rated well above the weight you are pulling. The hitch mfg. have them. I'd get plain steel, not chromed (chrome can flake).

 

[slo-ryde]

y-knot,



This was my first tow of this trailer, everything was installed new at the RV dealership. It looks like there might have been something inside the coupler that chewed up the hitch ball. We're thinking metal from the welding of the hitch coupler might have splashed on the inside. A new coupler is on the way from the trailer manufacturer, I'll get reimbursed for cost of having it welded on at a certified welding shop in town. New hitch ball will be installed at that time. I was using grease made for lubricating hitch balls sold by Reese. I'm assuming it's designed for the high loads placed on hitch balls.



Joseph,



I can't see any evidence of a seam in the coupler where the damage occurred. The ball was polished (not chromed) and rated at 10,000 lbs. Trailer weighed roughly 9,500 lbs on trip back to California. The next hitch ball will be rated for 14,000 lbs.