Changed my mind about using just any old grease on fifth wheel sliders

An old timer at the truck stop in Billings told me I was asking for trouble using regular chassis grease on my slide rails. He said the high pressure from the pins would push it right out, especially in cold weather, and showed me his rig's smooth action after switching to a proper high-pressure fifth wheel grease. I've been using the cheap stuff for two years, but after his demo I bought a tube of the good stuff last week. The difference in how the plate moves now is night and day, no more sticking or dry spots. What other specific greases or lubes have you guys found are worth the extra cash for certain jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

foster.mary1mo ago

Man, I learned that lesson the hard way with my trailer bearings. Used the wrong grease once and it turned into a sludgy mess by the next winter. Had to repack the whole thing. Now I only use that blue marine grease for anything that might see water or road salt. It costs a bit more but it actually stays put.

cole_patel411mo ago

That blue marine grease is good stuff, but calling it "marine" is mostly about water resistance. The real key is the thickener type. Lithium complex grease handles heat and water way better than plain lithium, which is what turns to soup. A lot of those blue greases are lithium complex, which is why they work. You ever check the thickener on the tube?