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To grease or not to grease, that is my question.

Old Sep 3, 2008 | 09:34 AM
  #31  
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I believe you are right about the 4 way flat having the ground. I have goats and when I parked the trailers in the field they would constantly eat the wires. Which meant I was constantly re-wiring everything. I always remember having a dedicated ground for the 4 way flat and 6 way round. The seven way I don't know about, never owned a camper thingy.
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 09:40 AM
  #32  
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Y'all are right, the exposed pin is ground. I must have had a brain fart.

MikeyB
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 03:11 PM
  #33  
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Hydraulic hamburgers?

Originally Posted by MikeyB
Y'all are right, the exposed pin is ground. I must have had a brain fart.

MikeyB
Maybe too many hydraulic hamburgers, it happens!!!

L8r,.......dogger
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 06:20 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by huntr70
Oh, and you don't ground your trailer through your hitch, that's why you have a plug to your trailer........
the is a dedicated wire but the ball is a good ground to, and in often cases a better ground than the wire
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 08:09 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by Number47
the is a dedicated wire but the ball is a good ground to, and in often cases a better ground than the wire
But not a very good ground going down the road because the ball and tongue are not secured together good enough to make full contact. Take a boat trailer and put it on the ball then lift the tongue up and down, it will lose contact.

Hub
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Old Sep 3, 2008 | 08:45 PM
  #36  
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wow ! metal on metal no grease? ok no oil in engine LOL always grease period i use sythetic or any kind . it is easier on the componts for one and less wear on the parts.
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Old Sep 4, 2008 | 12:23 AM
  #37  
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Ok. So its settled! We all agree that we need to grease when the ground wire on the 6 pin connectors is reversed and no grease when backing up. Its so rare around here when everybody agrees.
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Old Sep 4, 2008 | 08:01 AM
  #38  
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From: League City, TX
All trailer electrical connections (4, 5, 6, and 7 pin) have a dedicated pin for grounding the trailer to the tow vehicle. If your trailer is grounding through the ball instead of the wiring harness, that indicates that the trailer has a wiring problem.

http://www.accessconnect.com/trailer_wiring_diagram.htm
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Old Sep 5, 2008 | 08:51 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Forty-Two
I hooked my first trailer (bumper pull) awhile ago and my very experienced friend said to always grease the ball. I wouldn't have thought of that I don't think.

Bought a new 2 5/16 ball in an after market diesel shop the other day and asked what they recommend for grease. He said Oh no, never grease your ball. It will collect dirt and act like sandpaper wearing stuff out twice as fast as dry. He accually seemed annoyed that I had succumed to a destructive urban legend.

I did a little searching; found a few varying oppinions.

Whats the general current consensus?

Thanks
Its really quite easy to keep a greased ball clean if when you unhook just put a ziplock bag over the ball asap & don't worry about the coupler for the most part dust & other things fall down not up. This is how I've been doing it for over 30 years never had a damaged ball or coupler yet.
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Old Sep 5, 2008 | 04:47 PM
  #40  
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I grease my GN and just try to keep it clean: I dont think I have ever grease my bumber pulls. My GN coupler actually has a grease zirt, maybe thats a sign?
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Old Sep 8, 2008 | 09:14 AM
  #41  
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Definitely grease

I'm partial to greasin' kind of like Demi Moore and Burt Reynolds in Strip Tease when ole Burt vaselined up the inside of his boots. That's really disgusting some people may say.

L8r,.........dogger
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Old Sep 8, 2008 | 09:21 AM
  #42  
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I never grease but i spray WD-40 or PB blaster on the slides in on the trailer and some on the ball. Works fine. Just do it every few months.
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Old Oct 9, 2008 | 10:00 PM
  #43  
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Thumbs up

Originally Posted by CTDinMT
I grease, but I was raised by an old diesel mechanic who's theory is "never too much grease in metal on metal contact". I just clean the grease/dust off the tongue and ball after each trip. To each their own, I guess...
What he said
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Old Oct 10, 2008 | 08:12 AM
  #44  
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From: Indianapolis, Indiana
Electrically Conductive Grease

Hey guys, I use electrically conductive grease because if my ground wire (circuit) breaks I can still ground between the vehicles... and it also lubricates
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Old Oct 13, 2008 | 09:54 PM
  #45  
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This thread might be getting a bit old, but I havent seen anyone mention to fold a few layers of waxed papaer from the kitchen and place it over the ball as your hooking up. Works perfect. Plus there aint no grease to get onto anything.

Also it really is a bad idea to depend on the ball as a ground. It's it's better than your wiring, then you really need to rewire.
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