M20 5th Wheel Hitch Lubrication

[DesertDrifter]

Our Ram M20 5th Wheel hitch, according to the manual, requires Black Graphite Grease, every 1k of towing mileage. Black Graphite grease is VERY hard to find, not to mention the 50 bucks for one 14oz tube. Anyone with this type of hitch, are you using the Black Graphite grease (where did you find it?!) or have you had luck with another type of grease?

 

[2003F350]

I've never used the M20, let me preface my statement with that.

However, I have always had great luck with white lithium synthetic grease, in fact it is what my B&W hitches call for.

Black graphite sounds like a synthetic type grease, which is going to cost a bit more but will hold up better over time.

Where is it suggesting you grease? Just the moving components or on the big flat surface? Moving components, yes, I'd grease those as well as the king pin. But for the big flat surface, I buy a lube plate that slides on over the king pin and stays with the trailer. It's cleaner than grease and just as good at keeping things quiet, and doesn't have to be replaced very often.

 

[DesertDrifter]

I've never used the M20, let me preface my statement with that.

However, I have always had great luck with white lithium synthetic grease, in fact it is what my B&W hitches call for.

Black graphite sounds like a synthetic type grease, which is going to cost a bit more but will hold up better over time.

Where is it suggesting you grease? Just the moving components or on the big flat surface? Moving components, yes, I'd grease those as well as the king pin. But for the big flat surface, I buy a lube plate that slides on over the king pin and stays with the trailer. It's cleaner than grease and just as good at keeping things quiet, and doesn't have to be replaced very often.

Lube plate is the only way to go and that's what I use. Yes, the manual says to use that black graphite grease on all the moving parts including some zerks.

 

[Bearcatrp]

I just use regular grease on mine. Just lube it more often.

 

[stevenP]

I have the CURT version of that hitch (Q20). Worked great, until I greased it. Now its a chore to get the thing to "latch" on the pin quite often. Since then I have used silicon spray, or WQD40 to lube it.

 

[nlambert182]

I always used silicone spray on the moving components and a lube plate on the top plate. Mind you all of my fifth wheel hitches were B&W so I don't know if there's a difference, but never had any issues nor had to use some unicorn pee to do it. I couldn't imagine that another brand would be any different.