Engine oils · 02
Gear and axle oils for manual gearboxes and hypoid final drives.
Extreme-pressure gear oils in API GL-4 and GL-5 performance, monograde SAE 90 and SAE 140 and multigrade 80W-90 and 85W-140 — for truck and bus axles, tractor final drives, off-highway differentials, steering boxes and industrial-duty automotive gearing.
EP 90 · 80W-90 · EP 140 · 85W-140
Grades
API GL-4 and GL-5
Performance
Sulphur-phosphorus EP additive system
Chemistry
1 L to 210 L drums
Packs
Overview
GL-4 or GL-5 is the only decision that really matters
Both are extreme-pressure oils. The difference is how much sulphur-phosphorus chemistry is in them, and that decides whether they protect a hypoid crown wheel or corrode a yellow-metal synchroniser.
In a loaded gear mesh, oil film alone cannot carry the contact pressure. Extreme-pressure additives — sulphur and phosphorus compounds — react with the steel surface under load and heat to form a sacrificial film that shears instead of the metal. That is what prevents scuffing, scoring and eventual tooth pitting on spiral bevel and hypoid gears, where sliding velocity is high and the contact patch is small.
API GL-4 carries roughly half the EP treat rate of GL-5. It is specified for manual transmissions and spiral-bevel axles operating under moderate to severe conditions, and it is the safe choice where the gearbox contains bronze or brass synchronisers and bushes, because heavy sulphur chemistry can stain and corrode yellow metals. Our EP SAE 90 and EP SAE 140 are GL-4 oils.
API GL-5 is the hypoid category: for final drives with high offset hypoid gearing running under high-speed shock load and low-speed high-torque conditions — truck and bus rear axles, tractor final drives, off-highway differentials. Our 80W-90 and 85W-140 are GL-5 oils, and both are also suitable for the limited-slip and heavy-shock duty that GL-4 oils are not rated for.
Viscosity choice is climate and load. SAE 90 and 80W-90 are the year-round grades for most markets; SAE 140 and 85W-140 are heavy grades for high ambient temperature, very high axle load or older axles with worn clearances, where the thicker film reduces noise and holds pressure. The multigrade 80W-90 and 85W-140 add cold-start pumpability, which matters for winter markets and for gearboxes that must shift smoothly cold.
All four grades are thermally stable, resist oxidation and foaming, protect against rust and corrosion, and are compatible with the seal elastomers used in commercial-vehicle axles. Typical values are published below; batch values are on the certificate of analysis with every consignment.
At a glance
- GL-4 grades
- EP SAE 90, EP SAE 140
- GL-5 grades
- 80W-90, 85W-140
- Applications
- Manual gearboxes, hypoid axles, final drives, steering boxes, worm gears
- Yellow-metal safe
- Specify GL-4 where bronze synchronisers are present
- Test methods
- ASTM D1298, D445, D2270, D92, D97
- Packs
- 1 L, 5 L, 20 L pails, 50 L, 210 L drums
How we work
We source from India's established brands — we do not manufacture
Akarta Exports is a sourcing and export house. We do not own factories and we do not claim to. Our value is that we know which well-known Indian brands and manufacturers make what, to what standard, and at what price — and we buy from them to the exact specification you give us.
01 — Your specification, written down
We start from your specification, not from a catalogue. Grade, dimension, tolerance, finish, test standard, pack, artwork and labelling are put in writing and confirmed with you before a single enquiry goes out.
02 — Matched to the right Indian brand
We place that specification with established, well-known Indian brands and manufacturers in the cluster that genuinely makes the product — Morbi for tiles, Rajkot and Ludhiana for machinery, Meerut and Jalandhar for sports goods, Kerala and Gujarat for spices.
03 — Offers compared on merit
Because we own no plant and owe no factory a minimum offtake, we compare offers openly on quality, consistency, capacity and price — and tell you where a lower price will not hold up in your market.
04 — Inspected, consolidated, shipped
Our own inspectors clear the goods at the brand's plant and again before loading. Multiple brands and multiple divisions consolidate into one container, one invoice and one document set.
Brand names are disclosed to you on the offer and named on the inspection report, so you always know whose production you are buying. Where a buyer already has a preferred Indian brand, we are happy to source that brand and handle only the inspection, consolidation, documentation and shipping.
The range
Gear oil grades we supply
Four production grades covering the great majority of commercial-vehicle and off-highway gear duty.
- Gear EP SAE 90 — API GL-4
- Monograde extreme-pressure gear oil for manual transmissions, spiral-bevel axles, steering boxes and industrial worm and spur gear drives under moderate to severe load. Yellow-metal compatible, anti-scuff, rust and oxidation inhibited. Typical KV 190 / 16.8 cSt, VI 96, flash 220 °C, pour −18 °C.
- Gear 80W-90 — API GL-5
- Multigrade hypoid gear oil for truck, bus and LCV rear axles, tractor final drives and differentials under high-speed shock and low-speed high-torque duty. Good cold pumpability with a stable hot film. Typical KV 142 / 14.6 cSt, VI 102, flash 215 °C, pour −27 °C.
- Gear EP SAE 140 — API GL-4
- Heavy monograde EP gear oil for high-ambient markets, heavily loaded gearboxes, worn axles and industrial enclosed gearing where a thicker film is required to control noise and metal-to-metal contact. Typical KV 400 / 26.8 cSt, VI 94, flash 226 °C, pour −12 °C.
- Rear axle 85W-140 — API GL-5
- Heavy multigrade hypoid axle oil for fully loaded trucks, tippers, buses and off-highway final drives in hot climates and mountainous duty cycles. Combines cold pumpability with a very high hot film thickness. Typical KV 410 / 27.5 cSt, VI 95, flash 228 °C, pour −12 °C.
- Specialities on request
- SAE 80W-90 limited-slip axle oil with friction modifier, SAE 75W-90 semi-synthetic for modern light vehicles, SAE 90 GL-5 monograde, and long-drain synthetic 75W-140 for high-load applications, all sourced against your written specification.
Technical data
Typical characteristics — gear and axle oils
Determined on current production by the blender's laboratory. Appearance of every grade is clear and bright; density measured at 29.5 °C per ASTM D1298.
Swipe table to see all columns →
| Product | Performance level | Density g/ml | KV @ 40 °C cSt | KV @ 100 °C cSt | VI | Flash °C | Pour °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gear EP SAE 90 | API GL-4 | 0.895 | 190 | 16.8 | 96 | 220 | −18 |
| Gear 80W-90 | API GL-5 | 0.890 | 142 | 14.6 | 102 | 215 | −27 |
| Gear EP SAE 140 | API GL-4 | 0.900 | 400 | 26.8 | 94 | 226 | −12 |
| Rear axle 85W-140 | API GL-5 | 0.902 | 410 | 27.5 | 95 | 228 | −12 |
KV per ASTM D445, VI per ASTM D2270, flash point (COC) per ASTM D92, pour point per ASTM D97. Typical of current production, not a specification — batch values on the certificate of analysis govern.
Applications & markets
Where each grade is used
Match the grade to the gear type first, then to climate and load.
Commercial vehicle drivetrains
- Hypoid rear axles — 80W-90 GL-5 year round
- Fully loaded tippers and tractor-trailers — 85W-140 GL-5
- Manual gearboxes with bronze synchronisers — EP 90 GL-4
- Mechanical steering boxes — EP 90 GL-4
Agriculture & off-highway
- Tractor final drives and differentials — 80W-90 GL-5
- Harvester gearboxes and PTO drives — EP 90 GL-4
- Loader and excavator swing/travel drives — 85W-140
- Worn or noisy older axles — SAE 140 heavier film
Hot & heavy-duty markets
- High ambient temperature fleets — SAE 140 / 85W-140
- Mountainous, continuous-grade routes — 85W-140
- Overloaded mining haul roads — GL-5 heavy grades
- Cold-start winter markets — multigrade 80W-90
Industrial automotive-duty gearing
- Enclosed spur and helical gear drives — EP 90/140
- Worm gear reducers — EP 140 GL-4
- Winches, hoists and conveyor drives — EP 90
- Machine tool gearboxes on moderate load — EP 90
Division in numbers
4
Gear grades data-sheeted
GL-4 and GL-5 performance
410
Heaviest KV @ 40 °C cSt
85W-140 rear axle oil
−27 °C
Lowest pour point
80W-90 multigrade
210 L
Largest standard pack
Pails and drums palletised
Quality assurance
Nothing leaves India until our own inspectors clear it
Akarta runs an in-house quality department with inspectors assigned to each division. Goods are checked at the factory during production and again before loading, against the written specification agreed on your purchase order — not against the factory's own grading.
- Pre-production sample approved by the buyer before bulk manufacture begins
- In-line checks during production for shade, calibration, dimension and moisture
- Pre-shipment inspection with photographic report before container sealing
- Third-party inspection (SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek) arranged where required
ISO 9001:2015
Certified quality management system
Govt. approved
Registered Indian merchant exporter
In-house docs
Export paperwork prepared by our team
Packing & shipping
Packed the way your market receives it
Gear oils are heavy, viscous and sulphur-bearing, so pack integrity and clear grade marking prevent both leaks and misapplication.
- 1 L and 5 L HDPE bottles with induction seal, shrink-wrapped in printed cartons
- 20 L pails with lever-lock lids, palletised, strapped with edge protection
- 50 L and 210 L mild steel drums, bung-sealed and drum-clip secured
- GL-4 and GL-5 grades separated on the pallet plan and colour-coded on the label
- Batch number, manufacturing date and grade coded on every pack
- Load plan weight-checked so drums stay within destination road limits
Documentation
Paperwork prepared in-house, not outsourced
Every consignment travels with a complete document set, prepared by our own documentation team and checked against your letter of credit or contract terms before dispatch.
Certificate of analysis
Batch density, viscosity at 40 °C and 100 °C, viscosity index, flash and pour point against the declared SAE grade.
Safety data sheet
16-section GHS SDS covering the sulphur-phosphorus EP chemistry, handling and disposal.
Performance claim reference
API GL-4 / GL-5 claim documentation and OEM reference list per grade.
Storage & handling sheet
Sealed, covered storage at 5–45 °C, segregation from foodstuff cargo, used-oil disposal through authorised recyclers.
Global reach
Quoted in your currency, shipped from your nearest Indian port
Enquiries reach us from importers, distributors, contractors and retail chains across five continents — Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. We quote FOB, CFR or CIF, load from Mundra, Kandla, Nhava Sheva or Pipavav depending on your routing, and keep one commercial contact accountable for the consignment from purchase order to bill of lading.
Africa
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa
Middle East
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq
Europe
Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom
Americas
United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile
Asia-Pacific
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan
Load ports
Mundra · Kandla · Pipavav · Nhava Sheva
Incoterms
FOB · CFR · CIF · EXW on request
Correspondence
English, with documentation to buyer-country requirements
Buyer questions
What importers usually ask us first
Can we use a GL-5 oil in a gearbox that specifies GL-4?
Not safely as a rule. GL-5 carries roughly double the sulphur-phosphorus treat rate, and in a gearbox with bronze or brass synchronisers and bushes that chemistry can stain and corrode the yellow metal, degrading shift quality. Where the manual states GL-4, supply GL-4 — that is why we keep both EP 90 and 80W-90 in the range.
SAE 90 or 80W-90 — which should we stock?
80W-90 covers more of the market: it gives the same hot film as SAE 90 with far better cold pumpability, so one grade serves both warm and cool seasons. Monograde SAE 90 remains popular where price per litre decides the sale and ambient temperature never drops far, and it is still specified in many older manuals.
When is SAE 140 or 85W-140 justified?
Three cases: sustained high ambient temperature, axles running at or above rated load on long grades, and older axles with worn clearances where a thicker film reduces whine and metal contact. Do not default to 140 in a temperate market — the drag penalty costs fuel and cold shifting suffers.
Are these oils limited-slip compatible?
The GL-5 grades handle conventional limited-slip differentials in most commercial applications, but some axles require an oil with a specific friction modifier package. Tell us the axle make and model at enquiry stage and we will quote the correct GL-5 LS grade rather than the standard one.
Can these be supplied under our own label?
Yes, in bottles, pails and drums with your artwork, seal, hologram and batch coding. The blending plant is named on the offer and the certificate of analysis, and gear oils consolidate into the same container as engine oil, hydraulic oil and grease on one invoice.
Common enquiries
Specifications buyers most often ask us to quote
These are the enquiries that reach this desk most weeks. If yours is on the list, we already have the grades, packing and loadability worked out — send the quantity and destination port and we will price it.
Also in this division
Related ranges
Export desk
Request a quotation
Send your product type, grade, quantity and destination port. Our export desk replies with available grades, packing options, loadability and indicative pricing — usually within one working day.