Durability Testing of Low Viscosity Borate Gear Lubricants

Vehicle tests under accelerated track and actual field service conditions were conducted using light duty and heavy duty trucks to evaluate the performance of borate additive technology in low viscosity gear lubricants. Earlier results in laboratory axle and bench tests showed superior EP and antiwear performance for low viscosity, SAE 75W, borate gear lubricants compared to SAE 75W and higher viscosity, SAE 80W-90, conventional sulfur-phosphorus gear lubricants. The vehicle results demonstrated that, through the use of borate gear lubricant additives, the inherent fuel economy benefits of low viscosity gear lubricants can be realized while retaining gear and bearing durability in both light duty and heavy duty service environments.