Perhaps we are the first company that used aluminum material in rods for normal passenger vehicle applications in 1999 when we realize that steel rods bend under high load.
Aluminum is a good material for connecting rods because of its lightweight. Reducing the weight of the rods reduces the mass of the rotating and reciprocating parts and allows the engine to rev faster and rev higher. In addition to good throttle response, aluminum’s lighter weight can reduce vibration and stress on the crankshaft. Lighter rods also allow the use of heavier, stronger pistons.
Almost all Top Fuel dragsters and funny cars use aluminum rods in their motors. So do many ProStock racers. But aluminum rods can have a limited service life depending on how they are used. The rods can stretch, and may fatigue and fail after they’ve been subjected to one too many runs down the strip. Top fuel race teams tear down their engines between every race, and typically replace their rods after 8 to 10 runs. ProStock racers may replace the rods after 20 or 30 runs. In the lower drag racing classes, a set of aluminum rods may last 100 to 200 runs or longer. It all depends on the load, the rpm, and the quality of the rods used.
Aluminum rods are not used much in circle track engines because of rule restrictions, although light rods are a plus in engines like sprint cars that are constantly on and off the throttle.
On the street, old myths about aluminum rods are slow to die. Some say aluminum rods won’t last and must be replaced after 15,000 to 20,000 miles if they are used on the street. However, makers of aluminum rods say a set of high grade forged aluminum rods can last upwards of 100,000 miles in a street application. It all gets back to cost and weight. If a customer wants throttle response, or has a high revving engine, light rods of either aluminum or steel would be a good choice.
We use the best and highest quality aluminum plate material to build our famous high quality Aluminum rods. We have customers pushing +90psi of boost with these rods and +1700hp on a 4 cylinder engine.
*All our products are ISO 9001 certified.
