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An investigation of conventional glassware techniques for determining the thermal-oxidation stability of gear lubricants revealed a lack of correlation with field service results. Therefore, a new apparatus and procedure were developed to provide industry with a reliable method of qualifying military gear lubricants. The history of the technique development is presented in this paper as well as test data. The results show that the thermal-oxidation stability of gear lubricants may be satisfactorily predicted with good repeatability and the test data agree with field results in both order and magnitude of rating. Following the development of the test technique, a new project was initiated to enhance existing knowledge of temperature and oxygen influences on the thermal-oxidation phenomena using the apparatus previously described. The effect of oxygen was studied by conducting tests with oxygen, air, and various inert gases while keeping the test oil temperature constant.