Cost Reductions in Driveline Maintenance
The key to cutting driveline maintenance costs is minimising the operational stresses inside gearboxes, differentials, planetaries and the like — because the less stress and loading placed on each individual part, the longer everything lasts.
Short answer: reduce the friction between moving parts in your driveline and you reduce wear, heat and stress — so gearboxes, diffs, hydraulics and final drives run cooler, smoother and last longer. AW10 Antiwear is proven in the lab and the field to do exactly that, cutting driveline maintenance costs.
This article looks at driveline maintenance and lubrication enhancements. Stress reduction means lowering the coefficient of friction between moving parts (gears, bearings, thrust washers and so on). Lubricated parts then move with less drag for the same load — and so with less wear and lower contact temperatures. Alternatively, for the same drag, they can withstand a greater load without extra wear or higher temperatures. Where friction reduction is significant, you can notice smoother operation, cooler running, improved performance and efficiency, and less noise and vibration.
What the Lab Tests Show
AW10 Antiwear has been demonstrated under controlled laboratory conditions to reduce an oil’s coefficient of friction by up to 34% when added to stock oils — with substantial drops in operating temperature and wear rate alongside it.
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up to 34% lower coefficient of friction |
69°C lower bushing temperature in test |
up to 96% reduction in wear rate |
In a controlled frictional-heat test, two steel bushings were run against a rotating drill rod under heavy load for 60 minutes. With a synthetic reference oil plus commercial ZDDP antiwear (an additive widely used by lube oil makers), the bushing temperature stabilised at 218°C. Repeated with the same oil but with AW10 Antiwear added, the temperature ran 69°C lower.
Wear-rate reductions of 88% and 96% were recorded at AW10 concentrations equivalent to 73% and 109% of the ZDDP product, and the torque needed to drive the rig dropped by 34–44% on two engine oils — pointing to real reductions in frictional losses and improved efficiency. (Full test rig: Sanderson drill rod 15 RMS, 100–120 Rb, rotated at 290 RPM under 680kg jaw load via two V-bushings of SAE 4615–4620 steel, 16 RMS, 90 Rb.)
In practical applications — transmissions (manual and automatic), differentials, planetaries and hydraulics — those lab benefits translate into smoother operation, easier gear shifts, less wear, longer-lasting equipment and lower operating temperatures.
AW10 Antiwear’s molecular polarity makes it adhere to metal parts, and that protection persists after shutdown and into the next cold start. It also appears to penetrate harder-to-lubricate areas, improving lubrication and reducing noise. Its high load-carrying ability gives far superior protection against abrasive and adhesive wear, and it’s suitable for engines, transmissions (including automatic) and hydraulics — a very effective step in keeping equipment in service much longer.
Cost Reductions in Driveline Maintenance — Real Field Results
Long-term field experience is just as impressive as the lab data. Overheating automatic transmissions in Mitsubishi Pajero 4x4s are quite common, and customers are correcting this simply by adding a little AW10 to the oil.
Pajero 2004 NP 3.2L DiD Auto — John Tasker
“While towing my 1500kg caravan, I noticed that under load the transmission tunnel was becoming extremely hot. At 45,000km, I added a dose of AW10 at 1% to the auto transmission. Problem solved! I’ve now used AW10 in the auto transmission for 45,000km with no problems whatsoever — no more excessive heat, and changes are smoother. It had its oils and fluids changed at the 90,000km service, with AW10 again added. AW10 has been used in the diffs, transfer case, engine and power steering since new.”
Result: towing overheating solved, smoother changes
Road transport and earthmoving are other sectors reporting operating improvements and lower driveline maintenance costs.
Freightliner FLC112 — Phil Riseley, Riseley’s Bulk Haulage
Powered by a Series 60 Detroit with an 18-speed Roadranger and Eaton diffs. AW10 brought smoother gear shifts, especially when cold, with no click on fast changes — and a slight engine rattle disappeared too. Temperature reductions going up the Toowoomba Range were 25°F for the gearbox, 15°F front diff and 20°F rear diff.
Result: gearbox & diffs 15–25°F cooler, smoother shifts
Earthmoving Fleet — Schulz Earthmoving
Schulz uses AW10 throughout the fleet, in all components (hydraulics, engines, transmissions, final drives, etc.). They report much cooler hydraulic temperatures in hard-work applications — on a Komatsu dozer during stick-raking, the hydraulics were previously too hot to touch, but with AW10 they’re relatively cool. A scraper with a chattering hydraulic pump was quietened considerably, and AW10 has proved useful in a Komatsu PC300 excavator and in grader hydraulics.
Result: much cooler, quieter hydraulics across the fleet
13-Speed Roadranger Overdrive Gearbox — Marr’s Haulage
Running five road trains, Marr’s tried AW10 instead of a $3,000 repair on one gearbox that had become very notchy. Gear shifting and operation immediately became smooth — and four years later the gearbox was still in service. AW10 in one of their engines also produced a noticeable increase in oil pressure.
Result: $3,000 repair avoided — still going 4 years on
Lubrication Enhancements for Driveline Maintenance
The greater the size and number of moving parts, the greater the mass to put and keep in motion — and the greater the frictional forces that consume some of the fuel’s otherwise available power. This applies to engines (where numerous dynamometer tests have confirmed benefits), as well as transmissions, differentials and hydraulics. The more widespread use of synthetic oils has let manufacturers design engines and transmissions that run on lower-viscosity oils, which plays a minor but important role in improving efficiency — and reducing friction further builds on that.
Ford Ranger with 6-Speed Manual — Gary Scrivens
Rangers typically have a clunky gear change, and Gary also had a whine in top gear and a noise in third under load — the Ford dealer said this was normal. He’d tried Molybond, which helped a little. Then he changed the gearbox and transfer case oils to AW10: the gearbox was way quieter straight away, changed smoothly, and the top-gear whine had gone (a little third-gear noise remained, but much reduced). His fuel economy improved by 0.5L/100km just from using AW10 in the transmission — he even has to brake more approaching a red light, because there’s less drag through the driveline.
Result: quieter, smoother shifts — and 0.5L/100km better economy
For more on how AW10 reduces friction across the whole driveline, see our guide on reducing friction with AW10 Antiwear, and on keeping equipment running longer, how to make your vehicle last longer.
To discuss AW10 Antiwear for your fleet or driveline, give the team at Cost Effective Maintenance a call on 07 3376 6188.
Recommended Products to Reduce Driveline Maintenance Costs
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Engine Overheating, Main-products, Oil Additives, Our ProductsAW10 Antiwear
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