Fifth-Wheel Grease: Identify the Model Before Service

A low-lube top plate does not define every lubrication point. Match the fifth-wheel model and its manual before approving the next service.

Fifth-Wheel Grease: Identify the Model Before Service

Manufacturer product illustration: Fontaine 7000CC Clean Connect, from its product identification page. This is one identified model, not a photograph of every fifth-wheel design.

A service request that says only “grease the fifth wheel” can leave the actual equipment unidentified. Manufacturer instructions distinguish the trailer contact surface, locking components and mounting brackets. A treatment specified for one area or model must not automatically become the instruction for another.

Fontaine separates the top plate from the lock

Fontaine’s LT-072 covers No-Slack 6000, 7000, 7000CC, NT and H7 models. Its surface-lubrication steps exclude the 7000CC Clean Connect version, but its jaw-and-wedge lubrication step applies to all models listed in that document. The same sheet separately identifies brackets marked LUBE FREE, whose liners require inspection rather than that bracket-greasing step.

That distinction matters when reviewing a work order: “no grease on this surface” is narrower than “no maintenance anywhere.” Ask which component the instruction names instead of treating the product label as a complete service plan.

Check the exact JOST procedure

JOST’s JSK 37U W Low Lube procedure calls for a light EP lithium-based coating on the liner plates at new-product break-in, with no further plate lubrication. It separately requires lubrication of the kingpin lock through the provided fitting using a hand grease gun. JOST warns against a powered gun for that line and specifies qualified personnel working with the tractor uncoupled.

A different design can change the answer

SAF-HOLLAND describes its FW31 NoLube variation as eliminating grease at the top plate surface, mounting-bracket interface and lock mechanism. That is a statement about the identified design. It does not turn another manufacturer’s low-lube fifth wheel into a completely grease-free assembly.

A useful handoff to the shop

For an owner-operator or small fleet, the practical task is to make the service request traceable. This administrative checklist is TSN’s synthesis, not a substitute repair procedure:

  • Record the manufacturer, model and identification plate before ordering service.
  • Attach the matching instruction revision to the work order.
  • List contact plate, lock and mounting areas separately.
  • Ask the technician to document inspection findings and work actually completed.
  • Keep the completed record with the unit’s maintenance history.

Do not copy adjustment values or replacement intervals from a different model. If identification is unclear, resolve it with the manufacturer or a qualified technician before work proceeds. To plan a stop, research service businesses in Truck Savers Finder and confirm the required fifth-wheel service directly.

Original sources: Fontaine LT-072, April 2019 R11; JOST LT SK37W-02 Rev.H; SAF-HOLLAND FW31 NoLube technology description. Manufacturer documents checked November 3, 2026; this is a service-planning guide, not a newly announced specification.