Method for reducing engine wear with lubricants comprising 2-hydroxyalkylamide friction modifying / anti-wear compositions

A method for reducing wear during the operation of a truck or automobile engine comprising adding to a lubricating oil comprising one or more naturally occurring base stocks or synthetic base stocks, a friction reducing/antiwear additive composition comprising a mixture of two or more fatty acid sec-hydroxylalkyl amides of formula I,

• wherein n is 1 or 2;
• when n is 1, m is 1;
• when n is 2, m is 0;
• R is C1-4 alkyl;
• G is H or C1-6 alkyl;
• and
• R′ is selected from the group consisting of C7-19 alkyl and C7-19 alkenyl,
• wherein the mixture of fatty acid sec-hydroxylalkyl amides comprises
• about 15 to about 45% by weight of the sec-hydroxyalkylamides are compounds where R′ is C15 alkyl or alkenyl,
• about 40 to about 80% by weight of the sec-hydroxyalkylamides are compounds where R′ is C17 alkyl or alkenyl, and
• 0 to about 15% by weight of the sec-hydroxyalkylamides are compounds where R′ is selected from C7-14 and C18-19 alkyl or alkenyl,
• wherein the friction reducing/antiwear additive composition is added in an amount to prepare a lubricant composition comprising from about 0.01 to about 5 wt % of the friction reducing/antiwear additive composition, based on the total weight of the lubricant composition, which lubricant composition is added to an engine or crankcase of a truck or automobile.