Ok I’ve made a bit of a boo-boo and not covered my towball up during the winter, so it has a lovely rust coating now. I’m planning on getting to work with some wet and dry paper tomorrow but is there any easy cheats I can use to make my job a bit easier
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I've watched several YouTube videos on how to remove the surface paint from the towball which is no different to removing any surface rust. All of them seem to be a painstaking long process which takes time and effort which progressively involves using lower grades of grit paper to remove the previous scratches applied. One easily solution which takes no longer than 5 minutes and without the need of any sand paper is to buy a bench grinder and a wire wheel brush as an attachment. The grinding wheel can be removed, replaced with the wire wheel brush and away you go. In less than 5 minutes the results are a 100% perfect finish like it's come direct from the factory minus the paint. I've recently removed the black surface paint from a new detachable towball using the method above but if it's a fixed flange towball you are referring to then you will have to unbolt the 2 x 16mm. nuts and bolts from the towbar flange first.
Some may reply saying it's an expensive way of doing it but for under 40 quid it was a good investment for me personally as I use the machine for sharpen scissors, garden shears, hedge cutter blades and lawn mower blades.
I used a wire brush attached to a drill to clean the tow ball. Lot easier than sitting there sanding it. Afterwards sprayed it with brake fluid to give it a good clean.
Quote: Originally posted by iank01 on 16/4/2023
I used a wire brush attached to a drill to clean the tow ball. Lot easier than sitting there sanding it. Afterwards sprayed it with brake fluid to give it a good clean.
That's a good alternative way of doing it actually if you haven't access to got a bench grinder. You end up with the same results which will take just a little longer that's all.
Quote: Originally posted by camcroft on 16/4/2023
After sanding do not grease it. Some towballs are not to be greased.
That depends entirely on what you intend to tow with it. If it's a caravan with a stabiliser hitch then definitely do not grease it, but if it's a trailer or an older caravan without a stabiliser hitch then grease it. I normally use a smear of Vaseline on mine, protects it against rusting too.
If you use a drill attached wire brush or any other mechanical method make sure you wear good safety goggles, I didn't last year and had an emergency trip to A&E to have a small strand of wire removed and suffered considerably
for a week because it abraded my eyeball!
saxo1
Quote: Originally posted by saxo1 on 17/4/2023
If you use a drill attached wire brush or any other mechanical method make sure you wear good safety goggles, I didn't last year and had an emergency trip to A&E to have a small strand of wire removed and suffered considerably
for a week because it abraded my eyeball!
saxo1
I quite agree, I have done the same thing myself many years ago when I used to work on vehicles. Just the tiniest piece of wire can cause untold suffering.
Thanks we got sorted. Caravan went in for some repairs on Monday. Guy in the shop changed the pads in the tow hitch, when we came to pick it up he took one look at my tow bar, whipped some sandpaper out and did the job for me. A new cover is on order
------------- Good cakes aren't cheap. Cheap cakes aren't good
Quote: Originally posted by miss baritone on 18/4/2023
Thanks we got sorted. Caravan went in for some repairs on Monday. Guy in the shop changed the pads in the tow hitch, when we came to pick it up he took one look at my tow bar, whipped some sandpaper out and did the job for me. A new cover is on order
That has solved the greasing issue. You obviously have a stabiliser hitch if it has pads in it, so definitely do NOT grease the tow ball.
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Topic: Rust on tow bar
via mobile 15/4/2023 at 7:33pm
