Is amsoil severe duty gear oil THAT much better than the rest?

2000Trooper

2000Trooper

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I always remember this website when I’m doing maintenance on my cars, specifically when the 30k intervals come around as I order gallons of oil for the drivetrain. I got on here to do some reading and catch up on my morning commute today. I searched for some threads on gear oil, and I’m seeing some praise for amsoils severe duty gear oils. I’ve heard this on several social media platforms as well, automotive oriented groups that is, though I typically just scroll past.

Word is that their base oil is proprietary and originally made for wind turbines. I understand base oils aren’t everything and that additive packages are just as important, if not more important. Anywho, what’s all the fuss? Seems to be a good gear oil, but I’m not convinced it’s far superior than other brands or off the shelf products. I can be pretty ignorant on some of these subject so I’m genuinely curious if I’m missing something.
 
It supposedly keeps diff temps lower than any other brand. This is unverified info, though I have heard of a test out there somewhere. Maybe someone can dig it up.

I used the Amsoil 75w90 in my Tacoma’s diff and I did notice that the howl reduced. It did seem to have better flow characteristics at the low temps I changed it at. Shrug. It’s not really more expensive than any other bagged diff fluid option so I figured I’d use it. I’m happy with it.
 

Mega 75w90 testing thread!

@ford250 @SNWMBL @Impatient and maybe more (sorry, it’s been awhile!) contributed samples for this test. We’ve imported the other 75w90 tests from my other thread here, and also add these 75w90s: Shell Spirax Subaru HP Ultra Plus (cool clear bottle!) AC Delco Valvoline Synpower Ravenol VSG...
bobistheoilguy.com

I think the test results speak for themselves.
 
I assume you are actually referring to their "Severe Gear" series of lubes? (There is no "severe duty" in their product line).

These are high-end products; worthy of all the praise they get.

To your question, are they "THAT much better" than the rest?
Yes, and no. What all are you including in the "rest" by definition?

I would not say they are better than HPL and some other ultra-premium products, but SVG is certainly better than many products. It would be very difficult to say Amsoil, HPL or some other uber-super lube is "better" or "best" without real world intense severity testing. But it is very fair to say that Amsoil, HPL and a few others are incredibly capable fluids and likely would suffice for any task you put them to. Also, have you used the PRI QPL link in this subforum?; look at all the approved lubes on that list as well.


Further, is this just an exercise in curiosity, or is there a specific application and OCI in mind you ask about?
 
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2000Trooper said:
Word is that their base oil is proprietary and originally made for wind turbines.
Click to expand...
Really, Wind Turbines!

2000Trooper, anyone can say anything on a Social Media Platform, that does not mean it is true.

I am so glad that I was not drinking something when I read Wind Turbines, because I would have spat the drink out on the Computer Screen.
 
Will the rear ends out last the vehicle with any proper oil rating and maintenance? Amsoil is a quality product , is it worth the extra expense? Only you can decide . Differential oil usually isn't change that often unless waters gets in So the cost isn't that much more over the time of the oil change. If you push the oil change intervals why not use Amsoil . If you change the oil often probably not worth it.
 
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dnewton3 said:
Further, is this just an exercise in curiosity, or is there a specific application and OCI in mind you ask about?
Click to expand...
Without this, it IS just another (formerly banned) "best" thread. You'll just get the usual opinions.

Yes, SVG, SVO, SVT are really good. SVT people like because first on market with 75W-110 years ago, filling the upper (old) SAE 90 slot.

 
wpod said:
Will the rear ends out last the vehicle with any proper oil rating and maintenance? Amsoil is a quality product , is it worth the extra expense? Only you can decide . Differential oil usually isn't change that often unless waters gets in So the cost isn't that much more over the time of the oil change. If you push the oil change intervals why not use Amsoil . If you change the oil often probably not worth it.
Click to expand...

I personally lean towards favoring frequency, so $22/qt before taxes and shipping are not in my budget. I was just curious nonetheless.
 
2000Trooper said:
I personally lean towards favoring frequency, so $22/qt before taxes and shipping are not in my budget. I was just curious nonetheless.
Click to expand...
Again ... what is the application and intended OCI?

Amsoil (because you asked about it specifically) is a ultra-premium product that is incredibly capable in uber-severe conditions and extended OCIs. But if neither of those apply to your intended use, well, frankly you can use a lot of other lubes which cost less and would still do a great job. Did you look over the QPL link? There are a lot of good lubes approved to that performance standard which would probably fit your cost-conscious approach.
 
In this severe use case, we use Redline gear oil, after lots of testing of alternatives.

Gainesville, '12 020.jpg


Based on that, I tend to use Redline in my own far less stressed vehicles.
 
2000Trooper said:
I always remember this website when I’m doing maintenance on my cars, specifically when the 30k intervals come around as I order gallons of oil for the drivetrain. I got on here to do some reading and catch up on my morning commute today. I searched for some threads on gear oil, and I’m seeing some praise for amsoils severe duty gear oils. I’ve heard this on several social media platforms as well, automotive oriented groups that is, though I typically just scroll past.

Word is that their base oil is proprietary and originally made for wind turbines. I understand base oils aren’t everything and that additive packages are just as important, if not more important. Anywho, what’s all the fuss? Seems to be a good gear oil, but I’m not convinced it’s far superior than other brands or off the shelf products. I can be pretty ignorant on some of these subject so I’m genuinely curious if I’m missing something.
Click to expand...
It done me right for 10-15 yrs in all of our vehicles :)
 
dnewton3 said:
Again ... what is the application and intended OCI?

Amsoil (because you asked about it specifically) is a ultra-premium product that is incredibly capable in uber-severe conditions and extended OCIs. But if neither of those apply to your intended use, well, frankly you can use a lot of other lubes which cost less and would still do a great job. Did you look over the QPL link? There are a lot of good lubes approved to that performance standard which would probably fit your cost-conscious approach.
Click to expand...

I assume you’re talking about this?


If so, I had not. But after looking at it, this just affirms that’s any off the shelf product from the big players is good enough.

The vehicle in question is a Tacoma. I do the whole drive line every 30k. Definitely not severe duty by any means. I prefer the shorter OCI since I off-road it and such. Truthfully I’m not trying to make this about my little Tacoma because I know this thing will eat up whatever oil you put in it without issues. I’m not looking for recommendations persay, rather I’m trying to understand how these products differ. Motor oils are usually the topic of interest so it’s easier to digest those topics as it’s reiterated in different ways as well as the info being more readily available.

But to your point, if a condition is severe duty enough wouldn’t the manufacturer recommend thicker oil like we often see with towing? Where is the line drawn to distinguish off the shelf is good enough and when one might need a premium oil? To me it seems like longer OCI are the main benefit, which I assume is a result of a better base oil and its ability to resist oxidation.
 
Nope.
Need to keep the opinions balanced. I agree with the frequency theory as outlined above. I also prefer Red Line for boutique applications. Plenty of Red Line gear oil being used on 10000 HP top fuel cars.
 
For a while I used M1 and valvoline synthetic gear oil. I noticed that at 30k intervals, they both came out “thinner” when drained. Went to amsoil. At the same interval, it did not drain “thin.” Have stayed with amsoil since then with longer intervals, except in the rare case the diffs get submerged.
 
sloinker said:
Nope.
Need to keep the opinions balanced. I agree with the frequency theory as outlined above. I also prefer Red Line for boutique applications. Plenty of Red Line gear oil being used on 10000 HP top fuel cars.
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Any idea how much Redline is paying for sponsorships via their marketing department these days? Not saying RL is bad by any means, but their 75w90 certainly wasn’t a standout by any means in the large group of gear oils I had tested.

As dnewton3 pointed out, the ultra-premium market will outperform most competitors, but the J2360 list is certainly capable of handling a massive portion of daily-driver duties.
 
Well, I have no idea what most of the categories for testing the oil are on the chart, so I doubt most people will.

They have pretty reasonable prices and they have it in some hard to find flavor like 75w85, 70w, etc.

I would assume they are pretty popular with the Euro crowd, behind Liqui Moly.
 
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