Gear oil

G

Gecko123

New member
Is it worth paying more for certain brands of gear oil

A litre of Castrol oil is $20 but other gear oil such as Mobile 1, Royal Purple, etc is about $30 or more


The Castrol oil meets all the Toyota specs for gear oil ( diff oil)

Thoughts ?

Big savings when doing the two diff and transfer case.

By the way, these are Canadian prices.
 
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rdruss said:
East Coast Gear says Royal Purple is about worst gear oil. They recommend
Lucas 80W90 non synthetic. Go to their site and check it out.
Click to expand...

85-140 for standard conditions, 80w90 for cold conditions. 85-140 is what I've been running since I regeared 3 1/2 years ago and haven't had a single issue since. I do still run mobil 1 synthetic in the transfer case though.

ECGS Gear Oil Recommendation
 
I used Valvoline since I was bale to get a 4 quart jug and a few extra quarts on the side. Ended up being cheaper then the Mobil1 that I was gonna go with.

I looked at amsoil but was alot more $$. Anything is better then the black goop that dripped out.
 
rdruss said:
East Coast Gear says Royal Purple is about worst gear oil. They recommend
Lucas 80W90 non synthetic. Go to their site and check it out.
Click to expand...

Drunner97 said:
85-140 for standard conditions, 80w90 for cold conditions. 85-140 is what I've been running since I regeared 3 1/2 years ago and haven't had a single issue since. I do still run mobil 1 synthetic in the transfer case though.

ECGS Gear Oil Recommendation
Click to expand...

not sure what year your guys 4runners are, but no 4th gen calls for 85/140 in any of the diff's. & only calls for 80/90 in the rear if you operate below 0*f, otherwise it says straight 90w, but thats hard to find so 80/90 is perfectly fine for all temps... & as of 08 toyota says to use full synthetic the rear also which is usually a 75/90.

the front & center diff call for 75/90 which is only available in a full synthetic. not sure why you would suggest a non synthetic or 85/140 unless theres a specific purpose for it or aftermarket parts call for it.

as for brands, there is nothing wrong with any brand gear or motor oil if it meets the specs of your vehicle. & as mentioned above, walmart gear & motor oils are great, they are made by a major oil company for walmart & have been tested to be very good oils. i use valvoline since its a top rated brand & is usually quite a bit cheaper than the other popular brands like mobil 1 etc.
 
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firebirdguy said:
not sure what year your guys 4runners are, but no 4th gen calls for 85/140 in any of the diff's. & only calls for 80/90 in the rear if you operate below 0*f, otherwise it says straight 90w, but thats hard to find so 80/90 is perfectly fine for all temps... & as of 08 toyota says to use full synthetic the rear also which is usually a 75/90.

the front & center diff call for 75/90 which is only available in a full synthetic. not sure why you would suggest a non synthetic or 85/140 unless theres a specific purpose for it or aftermarket parts call for it.

as for brands, there is nothing wrong with any brand gear or motor oil if it meets the specs of your vehicle. & as mentioned above, walmart gear & motor oils are great, they are made by a major oil company for walmart & have been tested to be very good oils. i use valvoline since its a top rated brand & is usually quite a bit cheaper than the other popular brands like mobil 1 etc.
Click to expand...

I use Valvoline and/or Mobil1 75/90 myself and have for years with no problems. With regard to specs though, you can just barely meet specs so as to be certified or you can exceed the specs comfortably to provide longer and better protection. One thing that many marginal spec makers are weak on is pour point, in 30 degree and below their oil doesn't want to flow. That is not so important in warm climates, but in the north it is definitely something to be considered.
ECG has first hand experience with diffs and I would take what they say to heart if I were putting my vehicle to the test off road.
 
Gonna run M1 Full Synth when I change all mine out next weekend - used a coupon from Advance Auto. Also picked up some M1 synth grease for the driveshaft zerks.
 
rdruss said:
I use Valvoline and/or Mobil1 75/90 myself and have for years with no problems. With regard to specs though, you can just barely meet specs so as to be certified or you can exceed the specs comfortably to provide longer and better protection. One thing that many marginal spec makers are weak on is pour point, in 30 degree and below their oil doesn't want to flow. That is not so important in warm climates, but in the north it is definitely something to be considered.
ECG has first hand experience with diffs and I would take what they say to heart if I were putting my vehicle to the test off road.
Click to expand...

by "specs" i meant the proper weight & that it has the correct rating like GL4 or GL5. toyota & most other brands simply call for a GL4/5 gear oil of the right weight for their diffs. playing around with brands is fine but experimenting with weights or ratings on stock parts has no real benefits for the average street driven vehicle. you cant really tell if a brand barely meets specs or greatly exceeds them. most you can do is compare additives from an analysis to compare brands. to me if it meets the GL5 rating it is acceptable to use for 99% of 4runners on the road. inluding castrol.

i agree there are better brands of oils & types of oil for cold pour point, a synthetic will usually pour better than a regular oil. but there are vids comparing many brands of oils from walmart supertech to amsoil & redline & royal purple & mobil1. supertech synthetic beat all but one or 2 of the most expensive synthetic brands in the cold pour test & did very well in the other wear & burn tests. just saying its hard to say one oil is better than another based on brand or price alone.
 
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firebirdguy said:
not sure what year your guys 4runners are, but no 4th gen calls for 85/140 in any of the diff's. & only calls for 80/90 in the rear if you operate below 0*f, otherwise it says straight 90w, but thats hard to find so 80/90 is perfectly fine for all temps... & as of 08 toyota says to use full synthetic the rear also which is usually a 75/90.

the front & center diff call for 75/90 which is only available in a full synthetic. not sure why you would suggest a non synthetic or 85/140 unless theres a specific purpose for it or aftermarket parts call for it.

as for brands, there is nothing wrong with any brand gear or motor oil if it meets the specs of your vehicle. & as mentioned above, walmart gear & motor oils are great, they are made by a major oil company for walmart & have been tested to be very good oils. i use valvoline since its a top rated brand & is usually quite a bit cheaper than the other popular brands like mobil 1 etc.
Click to expand...

For one, if you actually read the link from ECGS you'd see a few reasons to run Lucas 85-140, not least of all cling factor and heat dissipation.

Second, I run what's specified by the guys who hold the warranty on my geared and locked differentials. I'll go ahead listen to the experts on this one considering ECGS's reputation in the off road community.
 
Drunner97 said:
For one, if you actually read the link from ECGS you'd see a few reasons to run Lucas 85-140, not least of all cling factor and heat dissipation.

Second, I run what's specified by the guys who hold the warranty on my geared and locked differentials. I'll go ahead listen to the experts on this one considering ECGS's reputation in the off road community.
Click to expand...

for one, i did read the link. if you actually read my reply you'd see i simply said that toyota calls for 90w or 80/90 for stock 4runners rear diff, & that 85/140 would only be needed if theres a specific purpose for it or aftermarket parts call for it. im just saying its not needed for the average 4runner on the street, many run to 250-300k without any diff fluid change or special super clingy lube.

second, thats great to run whats specified, you have aftermarket parts & sounds like you probably off road or tow pretty heavy to have done a gear change. that doesnt apply to the majority of more street driven or stock 4runners, so i'll go ahead & listen to the manufacturer of the vehicle on this one considering toyotas reputation in the real world of driving.
 
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