As a dealer of Wavetrac LSDs, we get asked what gear oil is recommended for use with a Wavetrac limited slip differential. Below are the recommendations from Wavetrac:
Your new Wavetrac® differential is incredibly durable and will withstand the harshest environment… as long as suitable oil is used.
Many customers ask what oil we recommend for use with the Wavetrac® differential. We feel the best answer is: Use the “factory fill.”
In other words, use the gear oil spec that your car manufacturer recommends for your car. The Wavetrac® is compatible with virtually all factory-installed gear oils used today.
If you are racing your vehicle, and wish to upgrade the gear oil to improve performance or durability in racing conditions, choose the oil carefully: be aware that some gear oils have additives that are not recommended for use with your Wavetrac®.
Some have friction modifiers designed for limited slip differentials. These modifiers generally increase slipperiness and are intended to reduce clutch disc chatter in conventional clutch-type LSDs. Some gear oils such as Red Line Oil’s Shockproof® type have microscopic solid particles in immersion in order to “cushion” transmission components, acting as an extreme pressure agent.
The Wavetrac®, and all helical gear differentials in general, operate using friction. The friction generated between its internal gears and its housing are what allow this type of differential to function.
Gear oil additives that drastically reduce friction will actually reduce the performance of gear differentials. The internals of the diff get too slick to generate adequate friction – reducing the differential’s effectiveness – reducing its ability to drive both wheels.
In conclusion, when using a Wavetrac®:
- Use factory spec oils for your car
- Use factory-compatible high performance oils if you wish to upgrade the oil (consult Autotech Driveline for recommendations).
- Do NOT use gear oils with friction modifiers or limited slip additives.
- Do NOT use Shockproof®1 or similar gear oils designed to reduce friction.
Please note that you will void the Wavetrac® Limited Lifetime Warranty if incorrect gear oil is used.
Red Line Oil offers many, high quality, high performance gear oils that are compatible with Wavetrac® differentials. Only the Shockproof® types should not be used with the Wavetrac®.
Evo LSD/Gear Oil
We previously discussed the Evo Gear/LSD Oil Recommendations, Wavetrac have backed-up these recommendations.
BMW LSD/Gear Oil
With BMW’s, the factory oil is a good one to use. However, in gearboxes/transaxle that use gear oil, Wavetrac prefer Fuchs Oil SYN5 (Silkolene), but Castrol and Mobil both make synthetics that work great, too.
Want to know more about Wavetrac LSDs or place an order? Contact us today.
Tags: differential, gear, lsd, oil, transmission, wavetrac
