Gear oil for trans and rearends

[kryten]

(02-05-2017 )Unilevers Wrote:  its more of do you have the patience for it.

When people ask me how can I drive so slow, I've been driving 90 - 95 kph for close to 20 years, all I can think to say is "I just pass the time counting all the money I'm putting in my pocket."

[JMBT]

I used to drive around like a chicken with its head cut off, usually at least 5 mph over the limit. 70, 75, even 80 loaded and empty, it didn't matter, but I had to be in the left lane, and I had to be passing someone! Then in 07 when fuel hit $5.15 a gallon in CA and I was going through $1500 a day in fuel, (team operation) I decided to try slowing down to 55-60. The truck I had at the time I had spec-ed to haul ass, so 17th became my new road gear as 18 lugged to much at that speed. A few months in I had noticed drastic changes in fuel consumption, tire wear, and just overall the way my body and mind felt after a long day of driving! I also noticed as all the goofballs flew by me that I was back far enough to see how many near accidents they were having, truck jockeying, lane changes for no reason,...etc., and I was back at a distance that it was of no concern to me, rarely did I even need to touch the brakes and never hard.
I liked driving that way so much better that I never went back to running fast or even driving the speed limit in most states. When I spec-ed my current truck in 2011, I went with 3:70 rears, instead of the 3:08's I had ordered on the previous truck. The 3:70's have me at 1450 RPM in top gear at 62mph. I have never looked back....just enjoyed saving the $$$, and not always needing the current "bear report"!

The only downfall I have encountered with running slow is that I do go through a sh!t-ton of windshields! Usually from company drivers cutting over the minute their DOT bumper clears my hood, but that is a trade off I am willing to make!

[kryten]

(04-14-2017 )JMBT Wrote:  and not always needing the current "bear report"!

The older guys will probably remember this, you might have to dig a bit. This is the long version.

[Diesel_Pusher]

Part # for the Shell 75/90 synthetic....gear Lube???

Has anyone had experience with Royal Purple "MaxGear" synthetic?????

[Toolguy]

(12-10-2016 )Johnboy Wrote:  Honestly the not changing the oil is the biggest reason I see rearends go for some reason people seem to think the synthetic oil doesn't need to be changed.
Personally I use the synthetic with half a gallon of lucas in the rearends and 50w in the transmission. I have thought about changing to conventional 80w 90 after an internal cooler cracked in a trans and filled it with antifreeze I drained and filled it with 80w90 to get it home.
That was the best it had ever shifted literally clicked in and out of gear where it had always rumbled a little bit. I was just curious if any of you had tried it thanks for the reply.

Granted this is a was a ways back, but why would you put Lucas in the rear gears? Lucas has no additives and gear oil/lube does?

[Rawze]

I agree.. pukas is not a good thing to add as a thickener.. and 50wt is too thin for rear ends unless you live on the extreme north pole or something.

Simply running some 80-90wt, or even better, some 85-140 in them if ya go all 48-states, or heavy-haul, would make em last quite a bit longer.

Just as a reference: I ran ~80/90wt synthetic in mine and replaced the rears due to wear at roughly 1.13 million miles finally... though they were still ok. I just did not want one laying down on me or binding up, etc. without warning.

(Synthetic or not synthetic)...
Synthetic has absolutely no advantage as far as longevity or change intervals is concerned. It is a bit more costly to use synthetic oil in the rears and tranny.

However in rear ends, and usually the tranny, ... because there is no way for them to maintain a steady operating temp,.. Synthetic is still recommended in those components. This unless you only drive in the south and do not do a lot below-freezing winter driving.