Heat-bodied oils were prepared by thermal treatment of soybean oil under inert atmosphere. Different viscosity grades of heat-bodied oils synthesized by varying the reaction time were investigated for various properties including viscosity, viscosity index, elastohydrodynamic film thickness, and pressureviscosity coefficient. Heat-bodied oils displayed elastohydrodynamic film thickness characteristics typical of lubricating oils. The film thickness of heat-bodied oils increased with increasing entrainment speed and viscosity, decreased with increasing temperature, and was unchanged with varying load. Pressureviscosity coefficients of heat-bodied oils were estimated from film thickness as well as from physical property data. The pressureviscosity coefficient values of heat-bodied oils increased with increasing viscosity and decreasing temperature and were in the range displayed by such oils as polyol esters, poly-alpha-olefins, and petroleum-based base oils. Heat-bodied oils provide access to a wide viscosity range of biobased oils not attainable with vegetable oils, without serious negative impact on critical lubricant properties such as viscosity index, film thickness, and pressureviscosity coefficient.