Need to Know: Tow Ball Care

The Adventuring Pals ask: Should you grease your tow ball?

Should you apply grease to the tow ball? This is one of those topics that seemingly divide the community. Some say no, as the grease attracts dirt and dust and once contaminated, it acts like a grinding compound and wears away at the components inside the tow hitch coupler and the tow ball itself. And on the other hand, we have the greasers who say yes as it’s a metal-on-metal coupling so it should be greased to stop wear from metal-on-metal movement. 

To me, both sides of the argument seem logical, which does not help in answering what I should actually be doing. 

So, I reached out to some industry experts to try and see if there really is a right way to do it.  

No Consensus

I reached out to caravan manufacturers, tow bar manufacturers, and tow bar fitters. However, no one was able to give me a definite official answer, rather they shared their own personal opinions.

Not exactly the definitive answer I was after, however, my efforts weren’t completely wasted because I did learn a few things that I didn’t know. What I found out was that it’s generally not a good idea to apply additional grease to the tow ball mostly for reasons mentioned previously.

Tow Ball Risks

Another thing is that the tow ball can and does get worn out due to corrosion but not where you would think. I was told that in the majority of tow balls, a few years or older, the threaded shaft of the tow ball which is not visible due to being inside the tongue of the hitch can get worn down and potentially snap the ball right off. A scary thought considering it’s the only thing keeping the caravan attached to the car. 

Tow Ball Care

So, for this reason it’s essential to regularly inspect the tow ball by removing it from the tongue. Even replacing the tow ball every couple of years or so, especially if you use it in a high corrosive environment such as towing your boat to the ramp or always kept outside. Makes sense to replace a $15 part that’s keeping your expensive caravan or boat attached to your car. 

As far as lubrication goes, it would seem to be better to lightly lubricate the coupler components rather than the tow ball itself as that’s what has the moving parts inside to release it from the tow ball.  

Final Thoughts

In the end, it seems like it’s not necessary to grease the tow ball because if it was, then it would surely be recommended to do so by the tow bar manufacturers and installers and even the caravan manufacturers.

So, I think I’ll not grease my tow ball and save my trousers from another grease obtained by brushing up against a greasy tow ball.

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