Lubricants containing aryl arenesulfonates as lubricity additives

A process for increasing the lubricity of a lubricating fluid which comprises adding an aryl arenesulfonate to the lubricating fluid in an amount greater than or equal to about 0.5 percent and less than or equal to about 5 percent based on the weight of the lubricating fluid, wherein the aryl arenesulfonate is of the formula ASO.sub.3 A, ASO.sub.3 BSO.sub.3 A, or (ASO.sub.3).sub.3 B wherein A is independently in each occurrence phenyl or substituted phenyl, wherein when A is substituted phenyl the phenyl can be substituted by halo, keto, alkyl of up to 10 carbons, polyhaloalkyl, alkoxy, polyhaloalkoxy, aryl, polyhaloaryl, aryloxy, polyhaloaryloxy, polyhaloalkylaryl, or polyhaloaryloxy, and wherein B is benzene or two benzene rings connected by a divalent bridging group selected from the group consisting of C(CH.sub.3).sub.2, O, OCH.sub.2, OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O, C(CF.sub.3).sub.2, S, SO.sub.2, CO, and 9,9'-fluorene.