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Gear Lubricants Background & Properties castrol.com/GPS 800 255 4417 May 2025 GPS Types of Gears Gears are the most common way to transmit power from one revolving sha to another. Different combinations of gears are responsible for increasing speed, decreasing speed and changing the direction of the sha. Gears are usually found in meshed pairs; the smaller gear is called the pinion and is responsible for speed reduction, and the larger gear is called the ring gear and is used to increase speed. Due to varying needs and applications, there are several different types of gears. A basic knowledge of the most common types of gears, their components and method of operation is helpful in understanding which lubricants will enhance gear performance. Below are some of the types of gears encountered in today's equipment. Each gear is typically named for its general shape or by the arrangement of its teeth. Spur Gears A spur gear is a toothed wheel whose teeth run parallel to the gear sha or axle. Spur gears are simple to manufacture, limited in their load-carrying ability and known for their noisy operation. A variation of the spur gear can be found in planetary gear sets. Helical Gears Helical gears transmit motion between non-intersecting parallel and nonparallel shas. Similar in design to the spur gear, the teeth of the helical gear are angled or twisted to allow several teeth to be in mesh at the same time. Because the gear teeth engagement area is larger, helical gears can carry greater loads and tend to be much quieter and smoother in operation than spur gears. Herringbone Gears A double helical gear is commonly called a herringbone gear based on the opposing angles of the gear teeth. Herringbone gears can carry heavy loads at high speeds. Bevel Gears Bevel gears employ two intersecting shas with meshing teeth cut straight across the face of a cone-shaped gear blank. Bevel gears are commonly used when a 90-degree change in direction of sha power is required. A special grouping of bevel gears in automotive applications are known as differential gear sets. ese gears are used to divide power between two variable speed shas. Spiral Bevel Gears e teeth of an ordinary bevel gear can be twisted to form a spiral bevel gear. e "spiral" look results from cutting angled teeth into a cone-shaped gear. e angled teeth allow for a quiet, smooth transfer of power and a strong gear system. Spiral bevel gears are typically found in off-highway equipment. E2 ecastrof