Rusty Towball
Hi Folks,
My tow car has an electrically retractable (not detachable) tow-hitch and stows the tow ball under the car where it is exposed to rain, salty road spray etc. Consequently it gets rusty! I tried putting a cover over the tow ball but as the hitch is inverted under the car this just fills up with water.
Having spent the last half hour cleaning the ball using a wire brush and fine emery paper, I wondered if anyone had any suggestions to help stop the rusting?
I am reluctant to cover the ball in oil or grease when not in use because I would have to clean that off before towing because of the alko stabilizer.
Comments
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Hi John,
Could you spray it with a rust proof paint? I like the cling film idea though. I've also heard of people getting a tennis ball, cutting a slit into it an putting it over the tow ball.
When you decide on what to use and you find it a success it would be great if you could your thoughts on Club Together.
Thanks
Tracy
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I am reluctant to cover the ball in oil or grease when not in use because I would have to clean that off before towing because of the alko stabilizer.
Hi John, not of any help but did remind me of my Dutch friend telling me, while discussing stabilisers, that I must "keep my knob clean" and wondering why I was convulsed with laughter.
Mind you he did also tell me that his brother in law had a "small tackell" which is apparently their name for a dog.
Regarding your question,why not fit a normal tow ball cover but dill a small hole so the water drains out?
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Thanks for the swift replies!
I shall give the cling film a go and let you know how it works out.
I am not sure that a rust proof paint would be a good idea as I believe the tow ball should be un-painted otherwise it will adversely affect the stabiliser - let me if this is not the case though.
I should have said in my original post that I did try drilling a hole in the normal ball cover but because the cover fits very snugly (a loose one would fall off as the ball is upside down) it just fills with water and seeps down all round the ball. I suppose it might depend on where you drill the hole!
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John, someone posted a similar problem on another foum I read, and one solution suggested was (if space restricted using a tennis ball or alko type cover), to use either a balloon or a condom - I believe balloons are generally cheaper!
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Tracey123. Why are you suggesting the tow ball be painted?
An Alko hitch tow ball must be free of paint and grease for the stabiliser pads to work correctly. Paint will clog them up.
Perhaps you need to edit your post to remove the suggestion about the paint so as not to confuse other readers.
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I think u r being unkind to the staff member tracey123, she didn't suggest it she asked the question " can you spray it with a rust proof paint? " it was a question. She also said she Liked the cling film idea and the tennis ball. At no point did she say use the paint
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You say you spent half hour removing the rust so removing a bit of protective grease would only take 5 minutes, but I like the trying of the clingfilm idea better.
As for the rust proof paint comment, give her a break. If removal of 'dodgy' answers was the norm there wouldn't be much left to read or smile at on here.
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Whilst I know the ball must be free of lubricant when in use. Surely the ball is only retracted at the end of the holiday. Or do you retract it every time you remove the van. I would suggest a normal cover for whilst on site and then grease it at the end of the holiday before it is retracted. It will only take a minute to clean off with some brake cleaner, when you next want to use it.
I only suggest it, because I don't take my removable one off on each site, just at the end of the holiday. Whilst on site I fit a standard cover to prevent rust.
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Personally I can't see the point. We are on site for a week, then off again. It is a bit like the jockey wheel question up or down. It is just something extra to do. When we are not using it through the winter it comes off and is stored indoors. I also consider the 4 X 4 a work horse that we bought to tow the van, I did not really buy it for its looks. Having the removable tow ball just means it does not have to be there much if the year, or when loading heavy things in the load bay, when the potential for catching limbs is higher. It also perhaps makes it slightly easier to sell.
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I like Steve's idea. Personally having a tow bar on view troubles me not in the least. Whether it is aesthetically pleasing to others whilst I am driving or a more aesthetically smooth lined vehicle when I park it and walk away is of no concern. All my car choices are based on practicality and use for the given cash.
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It takes seconds to fit or remove, so why no? I do see the point. If it was up to me I'd not have a towbar ..... did I say they were ugly horrible things?
but if you want to tow a caravan, they're a necessary evil. My car is an all tings to all men, it was bought as a comfy large vehicle that was more than capable of towing & I quite like the look of it. 
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Perhaps by leaving the tow bar on blocks the registration number, therefore it is a legal requirement to remove it!
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I clean any surface towball oxidisation with fine emery cloth and then spray brake cleaner to remove any residual contamination. Brake Cleaner and emery cloth bought from Tool Station, much cheaper than Halfords.
Steve
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I too have the same challenge with the towball stowing upside down - any sort of cover on the ball precludes the bar from stowing away properly.
So I take a (clean!) black dog pooh bag and place it over the ball and then secure the handles around the bottom of the coupling. It is waterproof and keeps the ball clean and can be recycled if you want to use a clean one!!
When away I keep the towbar "open" and then use a proper towball cover - only returning to a plastic doggie bag when the towbar is folded away for any length of time.
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I just give the towball a wipe with a dry cloth to remove any loose rust. I figure that so long as the rust is still firmly attached to the steel ball it won't contaminate the pads and hence won't be detrimental to the function of the stabiliser.
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For what must be the few times I would need to do it, a longish layup, I would use a good rust protection fluid and accept I needed to give the ball a "degrease". I can't see applying or removing needs to be more than a minute or two tasks.
For the protection phase I would spray/ wipe it with Supertrol and cover with the "doggie" bag, suggested.
On needing it I would remove bag and wipe most of the Supertrol off with a bit of kitchen towel followed by a spray with brake cleaner, wipe off etc.
As said if out touring or a single trip I would not bother, but if not intending to deploy for a month I would.
Sorry for long link:
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Yes, it is a surprise these retractable tow balls, where 365 days year in year out are exposed to all weathers etc are not made from a more surface corrosion resistive steel alloy.
I expect in part it is the real challenges most steels have in resisting attack from the rock salt used on the roads. Plating for corrosion protection not being ideal with the wear attrition they will have in use on the loaded surfaces.
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Just a tip for anyone considering purchase of a retractable tow - hitch check the material from which it and specifically the tow ball is made. I`ve had one fitted by Merc and current by Volvo and both are "bright" with no rusting. A previous detachable towbar (Witter) used to rust in the garage let alone under the car.
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@JohnRH - what worked best in the end?
My Merc W204 (2012) swing out hitch has the same problem, it's steel and it rusts like crazy and cannot be replaced. I too have an Alko friction stabiliser so the ball needs to be 100% free from grease, paint or any rust that could contaminate the friction pads.
Anything I try to seal the ball with just channels water onto the ball when it is inverted under the cars eventually (over months).
TIP: I use a latex glove doubled-over for short stays for a few days.
For anything more than a week in wet weather I have to fully grease the ball with bearing grease and this of course requires degreasing with solvent and rags before going anywhere near the Alko stabiliser.
My next car will not have a swing out, I will go back to a detachable swan neck for this reason. Real shame as they are so convenient in every other respect.
To any car manufacturers out there - what is your solution to swing out hitches and friction stabilisers (virtually all braked caravans need them)? Do you supply rust-free hitches as standard?0 -
I also suffered from rusty ball syndrome. Now over winter I smear the ball with vasline, put on an old rubber Alko ball cover and then tape a small plastic sandwich bag over it making sure to totally cover the edge of the bag.
When touring I remove everything, give it a good clean and cover with a clean Alko ball cover. I've tended not to retract the tow hitch but leave it out for the season.
Colin
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