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ABSTRACT
The automotive market's demands for increased efficiency and improved fuel economy are driving a change to lower viscosity lubricants. However, the move to increased efficiency cannot come at the expense of hardware life and durability. Modern lubricants are being developed to provide efficiency and durability and the additive package is an important part of this design. Laboratory tests that simulate vehicle subsystem operation are an important tool to ensure that lowering the lubricant viscosity does not result in reduced hardware life. This article presents results from dynamic radial lip seal testing of a variety of driveline lubricants. In addition to overall seal failure life parameters such as seal lip and shaft wear, changes in radial load, seal failure analysis, and lubricant rheology and surface tension are discussed.