What is considered the best oil filter for truck and why?
simple answer…any filter that is equivalent to the OEM filter.
I recommending buying based on what you’ll get out of it. Shorter intervals, cheaper filter. You’re dumping the sump often enough. The only reason I recommend against Fram is due to the cost of them. You can get a better filter for less money. I do like the XG (Extended Guard - NOT Extra Guard). They’re very well built, but more than most may need. PureOne filters are a decent value, but again, don’t spend money for a short interval and think you’re getting any benefit out of it. If your engine is subject to start up rattle, then a filter with a silicon Anti Drain Back Valve (ADBV) might work for you. This will typically be a more expensive filter (like a PureOne or WIX/NAPA Gold). Holding capacity is much more important than the level of filtration, imo.
I am happy using any name brand filter. Not something to worry about.
There is little if any hard evidence for choosing one filter or another. The most popular evidence is available on the web and it consist of photos of filters that have been taken apart.
Looking at the guts of the filters will show some that appear to have cardboard parts (a back check valve for example.) but then they don’t comment on the fact that most if not all use paper filters. Another approach is to use any of several real test of the ability to filter.
The real problem is non of the test I have seen are life studies. That is studies of like cars with like drivers and driving conditions and maintenance over many miles (at least 300,000 miles) to determine which filters resulted in reduced engine life.
So far I have not seen that. Frankly I doubt if there is any significant difference in engine life or performance from one filter to another.
I have read where many Dodge truck owners have been happy with the Mopar filters availablel at Walmart. hard to go wrong with the OEM. I get my Motorcraft filters for my Fords there because the price is definitely right.
I have also used nearly every brand under the sun in my cars (includng the Fram orange can of death) and never had any issues with any of them. For extended oil change intervals (7500 miles on one car), I use OEM or something like a PureOne or Wix.
I’ve never noticed any difference between oil filter brands. I buy whatever they have in the parts store.
Use whatever filter got you the first 102K miles.
I doubt that anyone knows because nobody has access to what is needed, filtration micron rating and flow rating or else a pressure drop rating with a standard oil at a standard temperature at a specified flow rate. You might try different brands and when you change the old one out, open it up and measure the filtration area. I use a hammer and a sharp cold chisel next to the end cap.
I like to think that a larger filtration area will result in a lower pressure drop with consequently less force to push dirt through a filter.
Filter people don’t give us what we need to make an informed decision, just marketing hype.
You can get all the filter data you want if you call or write them. Wix (Napa Gold), Champ (M1, K&N, RP, AcDelco and most ASSEMBLY LINE OEM FILTERS), Purolator (MotorCraft - MOPAR Ford and Chrysler’s AFTERMARKET OEM filters), and Fram (Honda aftermarket OEM filter- some).
As was said, whether or not there is a significant difference in filtration, there’s no study to prove significance in engine life. Filters mainly load due to combustion byproducts during the warm up cycle. It’s why you’re allowed in many instances to use the filter for two oil change intervals if mileage is used instead of time. The warmed miles are mostly invisible.
Again, buy based on how long you’re going to run it. Get your money’s worth out of it.
I doubt that anyone knows because nobody has access to what is needed, filtration micron rating and flow rating or else a pressure drop rating with a standard oil at a standard temperature at a specified flow rate.
That information MAY be helpful…but I suspect that range is pretty wide. One filter (on paper) may have a far far better rating then another filter…but that doesn’t mean the crappier filter isn’t good.
Give you and example…Our company sells a piece of telecom equipment to the phone companies…We guarantee less then 2-bits of voice data lost for every 1,000,000,000 bits transmitted. But in actuality you’d be hard pressed to see any difference in sound quality if there were 1 million bits lost. Some companies we compete with are in the 1000 bit lost range…and are perfectly fine…A customer will NEVER hear the difference.
I’ve NEVER had a problem with any brand name filter…Never heard of anyone having a problem with any brand-name filter. I’ve used them all…Fram…Purolator…Wix…STP…Never ever had a problem…and have had no problem keeping my vehicles running great well past the 250k mile mark or even the 300k mile mark.