Which Automotive Gear Oil Should I Choose?
Which Automotive Gear Oil Should I Choose?
Automotive gear oil is a lubricant used in manual transmissions, differentials, and transfer cases in vehicles. It helps to reduce friction and wear on gears and improve their overall performance. Gear oils have higher viscosity and more extreme pressure additives compared to engine oil. The choice of gear oil depends on the type of transmission, operating conditions, and manufacturer recommendations. The American Petroleum Institute (API) provides a rating system for gear oils to indicate their level of performance and compatibility with various types of vehicles.  Your automobile or truck's transmission, manual gearboxes, differentials, transaxles, and transfer cases all require gear oils as fluid lubricants. It frequently contains organosulfur compounds and has a fluid that is very viscous. These lubricating fluids guard against wear and tear on the interior gearbox and transmission components.

Different types of automotive gear oil 

In order to improve the performance of the base oil, several gear oil additives are added to the lubricants. Most gear oils are blended with various additives, such as; to improve the resistance of the hypoid bevel gears.
  • Extra-Strength Additives (EP)
  • additives against wear
  • Oxidation blockers
  • Anti-corrosion and rust products
  • anti-foaming substances
  • Pour-point inhibitors
  • derivatives of dithiocarbamate
  • Organic substances treated with sulphur
Gear oils serve multiple functions. These oils are essential in supplying the lubrication a gearbox requires given the large range of functions, components, and environmental factors that affect it.

Choosing the right type of grade for your vehicle

The gear oil standard is based on the base grade. Most of its specifications are defined. The American Petroleum Institute has published a few gear oil standards, which are primarily applied to contemporary automobiles. We as a leading gear oil manufacture follows all these standards. GL-1 These primarily apply to manual transmissions with light usage. Low pressures and a minimal amount of additives make up the operating conditions. This kind of oil lacks anti-corrosive and extreme pressure additives. GL-2 These are mostly used for worm-gear axle types and contain more additives than GL-1. These don't have any additives for extreme pressure. GL-3 These oils offer a good compromise between GL-1 and GL-2 oils in terms of performance. However, they perform worse than GL-4 in terms of efficiency. Typically, they are utilised for manual gearboxes in situations that range from moderate to somewhat intense. They can manage low pressure as well. GL-4 They specifically apply to manual gear systems in passenger automobiles and light trucks. This lubricant is useful for many transmissions since it contains high-pressure additives in a reasonable amount.  GL-5 Due to EP (extreme pressure) additives, these oils are able to endure extremely high pressures. It is categorised for use in passenger cars, light and large trucks, and buses with hypoid final drives that have heavily loaded systems. MT-1 This kind is now present in gear oils used in heavy-duty vehicles and buses with manual transmissions.

How often you should be changing your vehicle’s gear oil

The frequency of changing your vehicle's gear oil depends on several factors, including:
  • Vehicle usage (mileage, driving conditions, etc.)
  • Age of the vehicle
  • Type of gear oil used
As a general guideline, manual transmissions and differentials should have their gear oil changed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles or 2 to 3 years, whichever comes first. However, some newer vehicles with extended drain intervals may go longer between oil changes. It's best to consult your vehicle owner's manual or a trusted mechanic for specific recommendations for your vehicle.

Determining which brands are the best

Gars lubricants is a leading gear oil supplier for all types of vehicles. With the thousands of retailers all over the country gars lubricants has wins the trust of users as well as distributes also. Quality is the first thing that we keep in mind with this mindset we have gain the trust of our users. It might be challenging to comprehend the uses of gear oils. But for our convenience, it's essential that we understand the fundamentals. Knowing their applications and advantages will be of great assistance to you in making the best choice and determining when to replace them. This will undoubtedly help you to get decision regarding choosing best brand for your vehicles.