GL-4 or GL-5 for Transfer Case

[fixkick]

Can I use GL-5 in the transfer case?? As far as I know the transfer case does not have sychromes.
96' Sidekick Sport 1.8l auto JX.

It is your car  can do as you please.

GL5 (only) is rear axle (or front with 4wd) axle lube. (extreme pressure hypoid gear lube ) GL5 must be used in axles or the ring gear fails. hard.

it only has 1 problem is yellow metal damage (brass) there is no brass here. so.....  (and is brand specific this effect !!!)

it might make transfer case shifting harder? , IDK never tried doing things wrong, I buy only correct lube, or  here in texas , we have GL3/4/5 lube all one,.
works too.

I do not think i can damage any thing. (not mixed with other lubes that  it) answering for full lube change out,.

IIRC< IDK and good luck. YMMV

Please help confirm the available gear oil here.
They are in a city far away! I asked them to send some pictures:
https://imgur.com/a/85jpoin

Are they the right gear oil for Suzuki Sidekick transfer case and differentials??

that bottle of oil is very old so old hard to read. but....
Arab oil,  from UAE
says right there,  API- GL4 (api is our standards for oil "American Petro institute) and GL4 means gear lube oil #4  and MTF means manual transmission fluid
and means never put that in any AXLE. ever.  only your 5speed box and transfer case
GL5 if for hypoid gears sets inside a normal axle. like seen on large pickup trucks, rear axles.


GL5 has EP, extreme pressure rating. to keep the ring gear/pinion gear from burning up (hypoids) must use only this rated fluid or the gears will be damaged.


do not use ATF, as you see in some "front wheel drive cars" in the front transAxles, and ATF automatic transmissions. never. in your front or rear axle.
that example car has special gears just for ATF usage, not you, ever.

I guess you do not have pickup trucks in your country or never change out the rear axle  GL6 lube?


some companies have and sell gear lube for GL2 to GL5 , all in one bottle,  and does so using EP rated lub and no brass damage (chems safe from no sulfur)

as  reference only see amazon;
see all these brands,  all sold in USA (we have huge oil industry here)

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=GL5+gear+oil&..._sb_noss_2


the rear label. shows, many facts.

GL rating, 4 or 5 (lower numbers are for very very old 60's cars or older.
MT1, means any transmission box, that has no brass synrcho rings. what we called CRASH boxes. ( using what is called double clucthing to shift)  as seen on say a 1950 school bus or in 20 ton dumb truck I drove as 16yo

There are makers of Lube that do the GT3/4/5 and most cost more and are EP rated and do no eat up the brass syncoro rings. (syncro mesh)

yes it is a bit complex, my newer cars have non brass sychro's  (and can run GL4 or 5) that is why we read the book first to see what each box  and axle needs.
heed the book,  for sure.


my 96, transfer case uses, non synro;s at all , no brass.
so GL5 can run there,


warning 2: if you use some brands of synthetic oil lube in the 5 speed gear box the synchro fail (no damage) they just slip the oil is to slippery
so be warned  there (not sure at al what transmission you have) use DINO oil (rock oil, not syn oil in the box)
This will make shifting the box super hard (5sp) even to the point of needed to learn how to "double clutch:" the box.


good luck finding GL5 , for axles, ask for AXLE lube,  all autoshop know what that means. ask them.

you don't pull a 2000lb trailer or put 1000 lbs of bricks on rear of this car so any viscosity will work. and is warm climate so same answer, any.
these weight put huge load on axles see. and cause huge heat build up . but GL5 goes there and no other.

good  luck
PS I cannot  help you shop, ever,  I'm in texas you in viet nam, impossible. (oil here vast) check out Oil City Texas.

just find a shop that does pickup trucks they know what to do.  (but watch them, make sure the correct lubes are used)