Have you tried Brake & Clutch cleaning spray on your creaking...

[Mike_5041040]

Just wondered if anyone has tried this, as it has been recomended to me by my dealer. Before I try it though, I thought I'd seek some feedback !

I've already tried cleaning the pads ( Alko 3004 ) and tow ball with steel wool, but to no avail. The noise still wakes the kids up (arghhh !! )

Thanks,

Mike.

 

[Rod_5041370]

I use Halfords Brake cleaner on my Winterhoff hitch when that starts squeaking.....no problems.

 

[PC_5119929]

I use that cleaner for all sorts, from grease on the awning fabric followed by a quick wash off to cleaning plastic lawn mower carb and removing graphics glue on GRP.

Well worth trying as it is OK on brake pads it should be OK on similiar friction pads of the stabiliser.

 

[rob_jax]

Hi,

Brake cleaner is a 50:50 mix of a light petroleum hydrocarbon (usually heptane and or xylene) and an alcohol (usually ethanol or iso-propanol).

You can achieve the same effect, except for the almost instant drying, by using white spirit for a fraction of the cost.

White spirit just takes a minute or two to dry, and we use it on our Brink tow-ball and ALKO stabiliser - works just as good.

Robert

 

[gary]

Thanks for that Rob, wondered whats in it!

I recently bought a can for just a pound to try and found it excellent as the powerful spray washes away dirt and grease easily.

I am now using it on all manner of things, buying ten cans at a time and using a can every couple of days!!

How well it cleans brakes I have no idea, but used it once on the towball and not heard a peep out of the hitch since.

 

[TrevorM]

I am not sure, and do not have a 'clamp' type stabiliser, but I would have thought white spirit would leave a light film on things. From experience in cleaning eg. tape heads, electrical contacts etc., I would think Isopropyl-Alcohol (available from your friendly chemist) should do the trick; this is known to 99.9% (I think) evaporate, very quickly, leaving a very clean surface.

As I said earlier, I do not have this type of stabiliser, so have not been able to test the theory.

Enjoy your hols.

Trevor M

 

[Val & Frank]

Hi All

Quote from AL-KO instruction sheet.

If the tow ball is to be used with an AL-KO stabiliser then the paint should be removed using fine emery paper. The ball should then be wiped with White Spirit or Brake Cleaner.If using a Swan Neck type tow ball the cleaning instructions still apply

Val & Frank

 

[354]

I keep a kitchen scruber, a clean lint cloth and a can of brake cleaner in the gas locker, always give theball and hitch a spray before setting of and if there is any surface rust give it a light rub with the scourer. Not had a problem with squeeky ball.

 

[rob_jax]

Hi,

Tow bar contamination primarily comprises car exhaust smoke, oil and / or grease from inside the coupling head, and stabiliser (brake) pad dust.

The first two are the major reasons for squeaking and dissolve in hydrocarbon solvents (like heptane, xylene and white spirit)but not in alcohols, so using an alcohol or washing with water won't help.

Brake pad dust floats off brake disks quite nicely in iso-propanol, but will also wash off in white spirit.

Brake cleaner is readily available and convenient to use, except in this application you won't be making full use of the alcohol part.

White spirit is cheaper and if you haven't been cleaning paint brushes with it, it will totally vaporise and disappear.

Robert

 

[John_5040782]

There have been various messages over the last few months regarding creaking AL-KO stabilisers to which I add my recent findings. I have an early AKS 2000 which suddenly started to creak and groan quite badly, I am now updating to a newer van and intend to transfer the stabiliser. When I removed it and examined it closely I found the the edges of the friction pads were badly chipped, the AL-KO website for the later hitch (http://www.al-ko.co.uk/edit/files/support/TSHOOT1300.doc) implies that this could be the reason.

I will now give the hitch a thorough overhaul before re-fitting!

John (Bridgend)