Choosing the right shock oil or differential oil is one of the easiest ways to fine-tune your RC car or truck’s handling, but oil “weight” (wt) and centistokes (cSt) aren’t always labeled the same way across brands. Use the converter below to quickly translate between wt and cSt when comparing shock oils from Losi, Team Associated, XRAY, TLR, and other popular RC brands, or when matching differential oil viscosity for your gearbox. Just enter a value, and get an instant approximate conversion — plus a full reference chart if you’d rather look up a value directly.
RC Oil Weight ↔ cSt Converter
Convert between shock/diff oil “weight” (wt) and centistokes (cSt). Note: wt isn’t a standardized unit — brands (Losi, Associated, XRAY, TLR) each define it slightly differently, so treat results as a close approximation.
How it works: Values are interpolated from a commonly-used shock oil reference chart (10–80wt). Differential oils are almost always labeled directly in cSt, so you typically won’t need to convert those.
Quick Reference Chart
| wt | cSt |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does “wt” mean for RC shock oil?
“Wt” (weight) is a numbering system RC brands use to rate shock oil thickness — higher numbers mean thicker oil and more damping. Unlike centistokes, wt isn’t based on a fixed physical measurement, so a 30wt oil from one brand isn’t guaranteed to match a 30wt oil from another.
What is centistokes (cSt)?
Centistokes is an actual unit of kinematic viscosity, measuring how easily a fluid flows. It’s a precise, brand-independent way to describe oil thickness, which is why differential oils are almost always labeled in cSt rather than wt.
Why don’t all brands use the same wt scale?
There’s no official industry standard for wt ratings, so each manufacturer (Losi, Team Associated, XRAY, TLR, and others) sets its own scale. That’s why the same wt number can produce noticeably different damping between brands, and why this converter is meant as a close approximation rather than an exact match.
Can I mix shock oils from different brands?
You can, but matching viscosity by cSt rather than wt will give you a more accurate result, since cSt is a true physical measurement and wt is not. When possible, stick with one brand’s oil line for the most predictable, consistent damping across your shocks.
Do I need to convert differential oil the same way?
Usually not. Differential oils are almost always sold and labeled directly in cSt, so you can typically use the number on the bottle as-is without conversion.