Hold the Grease

Greasing the fifth wheel is a dirty job, but someone has to do it, right? Not exactly. Holland Hitch of Canada announced a new lube plate design and proprietary metal coating for its 3500 series fifth wheels that eliminate the need for lubrication of the top plate, locks, or brackets.

The design, called “NoLube,” replaces the company’s “LowLube” urethane top plate inserts with a new, stronger polyethylene insert material that forms a stronger bond with the structural steel plate, can handle more compressive weights, and performs more consistently across a wide range of temperatures than other materials, explains NoLube project manager Dave Pernesky.

A strong, consistent bond between the lube plate and the internal structural plate is critical to resisting the “buckling, folding, and tearing that is common to other approaches to creating a lube-free surface,” he adds.

Furthermore, Holland introduced a manufacturing process for its lock-jaw that incorporates new alloys and binding materials. The Laser Induced Surface Improvement (LISI) coating requires no lubrication and is highly resistant to chipping, the company claims.

The yoke, yoke shaft, cam plate, lock pins, and other mechanical components that typically require greasing are coated with lube-free dry film compounds.

Holland said the NoLube option would be available for its 3500 series fifth wheels starting in September. It is available for on-highway applications only, and carries a six-year/600,000-mile warranty against defects workmanship. In addition, the lube plate inserts are warranted for two years/200,000 miles.