saw them on the Buschur site and wondered if they where in use by anyone on here?????

obviously they are lighter in weight and will allow a few extra revs out the motor but are there any other advantages?? i hear that some of the domestic guys run them on the street! is this recomended or a strickt no-no?? how do they compear to the similarly priced steel rods in terms of strength and longivity???

thanks in advance,

Chris.

 

The longevity of aluminum rods is reduced as compared to steel due to the relatively short fatigue life of aluminum. This is why aluminum rods are aimed primarily at race cars that will be refreshed periodically and not OEMs. What works for a race engine is not always a smart idea for long-term street use. The primary goal of a Ti rod is to give the lightweight of aluminum, but with a fatigue life closer to that of steel. Unfortunately, Ti costs much more.

 

+1 I've seen them schit the bed in an RSX before, not pretty at all. Looked like the metal guy in Terminator 2.

 

wow thanks Ted B and SWOLN!

i have seen some forged Ti rods and they look really good! but they cost about $500 each!

is anyone using them on here??? i think i heard of a guy looking for them a couple of years ago. are they any downsides (apart from cost) to using them???

thanks Chris.

 

Ti comes with its own set of disadvantages. Ti in any moving mechanical applications tends to tear at the stuff around it. It is very very hard stuff. The cost is also due to machining costs. The stuff is so hard only certain tools are allowed to touch it, and then it just takes so long to cut, the production costs go way up. Other than than that fun, its really light, neat stuff.

Like Ted mentioned, long-term use in an EVO usually means super good steel rods.

~j.

 

I have built my 2 engines with Crower Ti rods ( together with Crower billet crankshafts ), never had any problems, they are strong and really lightweight, i don't remember the exact weight, but there is a difference compared to the usual 4340 rods.

 

No to mention that you NEVER want to let an aluminum Rodded motor Decel in gear.
You always want to keep the rod under pressure/acceleration, by decelerating in gear you run a very high risk of stretching the rod and destroying your motor.

 

Some good info on rod selection:

http://www.rrconnectingrods.com/choosing.htm

 

Aluminum rods don't sound very good for road racing...I wouldn't consider putting them in a street driven Evo or one that ever sees turns.

 

They are used mostly in dedicated drag racing applications.

 

If I remember correctly, shepherd actually uses aluminum rods in his 7 second awd talon.

 

Here is what BME says about Their rods

"In a street application, using the aluminum rod is a no brainer," BME President, Bill Miller recently said in an interview with an automotive magazine. "I don't know exactly how the myth that aluminum rods can't be used on the street got started, but I'll guess that early manufacturers of aluminum rods, back in the 60s and early-70s, weren't makin' them using the forging process we're using. With the material we've got and they way we manufacture the connecting rods, they'll live a couple hundred thousand miles on the street because a street application is, for the most part, low load. You gotta understand, our basic Aluminum Rod is made for 10,000 rpm and 800-hp. The design criteria for the connecting rod is way overkill for what it's gonna see on the street. We been runnin' aluminum rods on the street for 20 years."

http://www.bmeltd.com/rods.htm

 

FWIW, the stresses on a rod in a V8 are about half what they are in a 4cyl at the same power level.

Anyway, having seen my fair share of grenaded aluminum rods, I'm unconvinced by the above statement. Give me a 100,000 mile warranty that covers expenses related to replacement and repair due to comprehensive engine damage as a result of rod failure, and I'd consider it.

 

Nothing like a aluminum rod thats "grown" .030 at the end of the run due to deploying the chute while in gear on a car that's running .020 quench and .050 PTV clearance on a interference motor.

A quick way to end a weekend.

 

thanks everyone. great to see all the responces from you guys.

i have heard of a guy over ehre (uk) thats using Ti rods in his motors (427 ls1s). he loves them!

so for an ultimate "race" setup would you guys run ally, Ti or super strong steel rods???

how about a a street mainly but still wanting the strength of a race setup for the weekends???

thanks Chris.