Gear Lube - 5 Things You Probably Don't Know About

So What's To Understand About Gear Lube?

Even if you're a lubrication expert, you may not know all of the ins and outs of gear lube. Sure, you know it's different from regular ol' motor oil, but you don't know exactly how it's different or why those differences are so significant.

Fear not… You're about to get a crash course in gear lube! By the time you make it through these 5 points, you'll feel like an expert.

1. It's used for a very specific purpose.

Gear lube is undoubtedly true to its name because it's used in gear housings. You will find it everywhere, from your car's transmission and differentials to your industrial equipment. Because it has such a specialized purpose, you need to follow the instructions in the manual that came with your equipment. If the manufacturer says you need gear lube, use it! If you try to use something else, like motor oil, it won't have the proper balance of ingredients that your sensitive gears need.

2. It can contain additives.

Lube manufacturers have been tweaking all of their "recipes" for years, thanks to an ever-growing list of additives that can do everything from reducing wear to increasing viscosity. But did you know that gear lube also benefits from these tweaks? As a result, you can get a gear lube that's formulated to meet your exact needs -- instead of being forced to choose between a couple of options that don't exactly thrill you.

For example, some of Schaeffer's gear lubes have Moly added, so it protects the gears better than a traditional lube does. Other types of gear lube may have special additives that prevent wear on the gears themselves. Other additives will help the lube handle extremely high temperatures. So, the next time you're shopping for gear lube, feel free to channel your inner-Goldilocks and look for one that's just right!

For automotive applications, you should check if your gear lube contains the proper additive system to lubricate limited-slip, positraction, and high offset hypoid gear rear ends and differentials. If you don't, you'll likely have to deal with some expensive consequences. 

The wrong kind of gear lube can damage your gears! If, for example, you've got a worm gear made out of bronze (yellow metal), an extreme pressure (EP) lube can weaken it and be corrosive, thanks to the chlorine and sulfur that those gear lubricants usually have in them.

3. That smell has a purpose.

OK, it's not like you were expecting your gear lube to smell like a fancy French cologne, but you've probably noticed that some types of lube have a more pungent smell than others. That sulfur scent you smell has a purpose, though. Specifically, the sulfur compounds will help prevent adhesive wear and withstand high amounts of pressure. After all, the teeth of your gears are constantly engaging and releasing, both of which are pressure-packed motions. To prevent the surfaces from degrading during all of that contact, your gear lube has special anti-wear additives in it that, unfortunately, have a rather pungent odor.

The next time that smell starts to bother you, remember all of the extra protection you're giving your gears. When you think about all of the damage and expensive repair bills you're missing out on, you won't mind a little bit of odor!

4. It's got extra responsibilities.

Motor oil is responsible for lubricating all of the various moving parts inside your gas or diesel engine. Gear oil's responsibilities extend even further. Specifically, a good one will protect your gears from weakening under high pressure, high speeds, and high temperatures.

But, if you want your gear lube to do all of the things it's supposed to, you've got to use the correct amount. One of the most common gearbox problems is not using enough lubrication. Your equipment won't malfunction right away with a shortage of gear lube. But don't press your luck. If your gearbox is too dry for too long, your equipment will fail. It may take days or even weeks, but it WILL happen!

5. It has an very low pour point.

In the lubrication world, the pour point is the temperature at which the oil becomes semi-solid and loses its flow characteristics. That's why it's so important to get a pour point that's as low as possible. After all, you don't want it to be rendered useless when you're right in the middle of using your equipment!

If you take a look at all of the different types of Schaeffer gear lube, you'll see that the pour points are all very low -- but they vary from product to product. You may see one that has a pour point of 30° F, while another one has a pour point of -50° F. So before you settle on one specific type of lube, you need to read ALL of the fine print and make sure that it will be effective under your specific working conditions.

You can count on Schaeffer Specialized Lubricants when it comes to reliability and quality.  They always use the finest and best quality base stocks and additive packages to provide you with premium products. You can find all Schaeffer gear lubes for sale here at stores.buy1oils.com

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