Excessive popping/grinding

[fisduki]

Trying to find out if this is normal or not.

When I am pulling out TT, there is a TON of popping/grinding from the ball and hitch I think. I thought it was the sway bar, but when I took the TT back to storage, I did not put the sway bar on since it was across town and I don't get above about 35-40mph. But there was still what seemed like an awful lot of popping.

Should I put some grease on the ball before attaching the TT?

I have ran my hand around the ball and it seems fairly smooth so I don't think it is a damaged ball.

[Marcm157]

Grease on the ball will help a bit but I am thinking more than likely its the suspension on your camper making the noise. Mine is pretty loud especially at slower speeds.

[fisduki]

Originally Posted by Marcm157

Grease on the ball will help a bit but I am thinking more than likely its the suspension on your camper making the noise. Mine is pretty loud especially at slower speeds.

Thanks, hadn't thought about that!

I thought ball/sway bar because it seemed to be the worst when we first took off on a trip, mainly at turns or corners. It was really bad Sunday morning when we were leaving the campground to head home. It does it occasionally once we get up to street speeds, so after about 15-20 mph the noises seem to significantly be reduced.

I have a bearing kit ordered and am planning to repack my bearings in a couple weeks, I may have to look at the suspension while we have the tires/wheels out of the way.

[RAurand]

Not only do I grease my ball very liberally, but I also use the Equalizer Sway Bracket Jacket.

My trailer makes very little hitch noise. No creaking, grinding like you mentioned.

https://www.amazon.com/Equal-i-zer-9.../dp/B007HRJNIE

[Jagiven]

You say you did not put on the sway bar. What are you using for a sway bar? Just a simple friction bar, or a weight distribution system with integrated sway control? Different hitch setups have different lubrication needs.

My hitch makes a lot of noise unless it is lubed up. I lube the ball every 1000 miles or so, and lube the trunnion bar pivot points. Some people wipe off the grease every trip and put on new.

[WeRJuliian]

I grease our ball with white lithium, every time we hitch up, and I find this considerably reduces the metal-on-metal noise.

I do clean the grease off when we arrive, or cover the ball, for two reasons:

1 To avoid grit and dust sticking to the grease, and

2 To avoid grease stains on the knees of my trousers every time I go to get something out of the back of the car.

(A plastic drinking cup makes a perfect ball cover)

[fisduki]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

You say you did not put on the sway bar. What are you using for a sway bar? Just a simple friction bar, or a weight distribution system with integrated sway control? Different hitch setups have different lubrication needs.

My hitch makes a lot of noise unless it is lubed up. I lube the ball every 1000 miles or so, and lube the trunnion bar pivot points. Some people wipe off the grease every trip and put on new.

When towing, the trailer has a Campcp sway bar installed that looks like this CURT.

https://www.curtmfg.com/part/17200

I should have been more clear. I always put this on, but left it off last time I took the trailer back to the storage lot which is just under 5 miles from the house, there is no highway and the highest speed limit is 40 since the route is entirely in city limits.

I do not have a WDH.

Here are a couple pictures of my TT and TV. Sorry, I took them upright, but they are sideways in here

[Route 66 Traveler]

You should probably check your suspension for loose shackle bolts. Do you know if you have wet bolts... they need to be lubed periodically.

[fisduki]

Did a bit more testing tonight before and as we took the TT back to storage.

Setup #1. Camco sway bar attached and engaged, the popping was very noticeable at slow speeds and while turning, but not so bad while driving straight ahead on the street.
Setup #2. No sway bar attached, very little popping while turning, but much more while driving straight ahead.

With my son standing beside the TT as I slowly drove it along the curb, he said the popping was coming from the hitch area, not the axle area.

After getting to the storage and parking the TT, I looked at the ball on the receiver and there was a lot of black power on it, Not sure what that means?

I also inspected my sway bar and it does have some up/down give to it, so I am thinking about getting a new one.

[JFlightRisk]

I bet if you clean off the hitch ball, and the sway bar balls, and give them a light coating of grease, the noise will all but subside. The black powder you're seeing is dry metal from your hitch. One other bit of maintenance I do, is wipe out inside the TT tongue and latch mechanism, and coat the inside with grease too. We use an Equalizer WDH, and it gets lubed every time we hook up. No noises...those drive the DW crazy.