Super UDT fluid in front axle???

[SkyPup]

I been using Super UDT in our L-3130 front axles for 725 hours now with no problems.....

 

[gsxr1100]

Properties listed for UDT are:
Viscosity @100°C, cSt 9.5
Viscosity @ 40°C, cSt 60.0
Viscosity Index 140
Pour Point, C° max -35
Zinc, % wt. 0.12

For Super UDT:
Viscosity @ 100°C, cSt 9.00
Viscosity @ 40°C, cSt 45
Pour Point, C° max -46
Zinc % wt. 0.17

My gear fluid (Amsoil Series 2000 75w-90)
Viscosity @ 100°C, cSt 15.7
Viscosity @ 40°C, cSt 113.5
Viscosity Index 146
Pour Point, C° -46
Brookfield Viscosity, @ -40°C: 35,000

 

[botaman2]

At 400 HRS. I replaced the front diff. oil with S-UDT. I now have 700 hrs. on my L3010. It takes 5.8qts. every 400hrs.,not that costly. For cold weather operation, I think it's a good idea.

 

[IH3444]

Just bought a 5 gal pail of Amsoil 75w-90 severe gear synthetic. My neighbor just tore down his JD 655 front axle at 2500 hrs. It was shot. He's putting in Amsoil severe gear syn. also. To each his own. Synthetics resist shear forces 3-4 time greater than conventional oils......pick your poison.

 

[Soundguy]

Very rarely have i seen a lube related failure.. gear or engine... IMHO.. I see lots of gearboxes running on engine oil.. When i see a detonated gear box.. I look for a mechanical problem.. I.E. a bearing that was not inspected / kept in adjustment, or a complete lack of lube at some point in its life / seal failure / contaminated fluid.. etc.

2500 hours is a decent amount of time. I don't think I could kick a tire on a machine at 2500 hrs and 'blame' a gear/bearing failure on bad oil, without having been in there in the interim... no way to know if it was a simple part defect.. All it takes is one chipped gear in a box like that to eat up the next gear.. then you are circulating metal till the whole thing detonates...

I've seen a mack truck rear, rear end go from new to junk in 8 hours after a keeper came off and circulated.

Soundguy

 

[IH3444]

Porsche factory racing team 20 years ago had a terrible problem with the factory 944 racer, rod bearings going away after each race, with 14.5 to 1 compression. This compression ratio is at the most upper end of the thermodynamic curve for gasoline engines. They switched to mobil 1 synthetic engine oil and their rod bearing problem disappeared. They then built a 930S whale tail twin turbo racer, welding the cylinder heads to the cylinders like aircraft engines. They broke it in on high quality conventional oil, then switched to mobil 1 synthetic, and turned the boost way up. Raced all season, and then did a post season tear down and inspection. All engine parts were still within new engine specs, not wear limits, new engine specs. Mobil 1 is a what? class 3 hydro, where amsoil is a what? class 4. My neighbor is installing sever gear amsoil from the get go after he gets his $1000 axle back from the dealer rebuild shop. Agreed 2500 hrs is a lot, but a little extra protection can go a long way.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Agreed 2500 hrs is a lot, but a little extra protection can go a long way. )</font>

Sure it can.. but all things being equal.. I'll bet that front end damage would have occoured with =any= oil in there... Like I said.. all it takes is 1 part to be marginal, and the whole shebang is ruined.

Your reference to the high tolerance, 'edge of technology' limits on that super high performance / top fuel / non-stock racing are probably close to 'nasa' specs.... we are talking tractor specs here... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif huge difference.. like I said.. 2500 hrs is plenty of time for something to simply break on it's own. Could have been any number of factors.. hard shifting, bad bearing.. debri.. bad tire ratio.. loader work.. etc.. Probably all those reasons are more likely than 'lube failure'.. Though i agree.. doesn't hurt to go back with quality materials, and exceded oem specs to try to help.. etc.. In the end.. i would agree.. a superior lube, when viewed over time, should show better wear characteristics, vs a lesser lube, on two otherwise equally used parts.

Soundguy