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What's an engine without connecting rods? I giant paperweight! What's an engine with cheap, inferior connecting rods? A catastrophe waiting to happen! If you are going to build a high-performance engine, you need to do it right. Vivid Racing carries connecting rods or conrods, as some call them, for most high-performance engines.
The connecting rod carries the force from the piston to the crankshaft. It is continuously subjected to stretching, squashing, and bending forces as it acts as an intermediary in this push-pull relationship. The connecting rod needs to be structurally strong, and it is no coincidence that it takes the form of a miniature I-beam steel, similar to its larger brothers holding skyscrapers and bridges. The I-beam profile gives maximum structural strength at a minimum weight cost, and, like the piston, we want to keep the weight of the connecting rod as low as possible.
The top of the connecting rod, which is secured to the piston, is called the small end. It's not always going to have bearings. The rod runs in an I-beam shaped profile down to the large end from the small end, which is divided into two parts to allow it to fit around its crankshaft journal. The rod's bottom part is called the cap of the rod, and either the studs or the bolts are attached to the rod itself.
The rod is now typically made as one piece, and then the rod cap is scribbled and broken. This leaves an uneven finish on the mating surface but gives more strength. The rod caps mustn't be mixed with the other connecting rods-they belong together as a set.
The large end will have inserts of bearings in two halves, and these inserts of bearings will be made of the same material as those of the main journals. The large end bearings are lubricated with oil received under pressure through the passageways in the crankshaft.
Many connecting rods will have a hole drilled through them from the big end up, through the shaft, to the outlet hole somewhere along their length. This passage allows the oil to pass through the connecting rod from the large end and be sprayed onto the cylinder wall's thrust area, where friction is at the maximum.
Installing a set of stronger, lighter-duty rods and pistons will create a stronger engine. This may be essential for the turbocharging or supercharging of the engine. Moving from forged rods to titanium or powdered (sintered) steel will lead to a stronger motor.
If you need help matching up the connecting rods to the new pistons and crankshaft you are buying from us, give us a call. We can help. We can also hook you up with the high-performance connecting rod bearings you're going to need for your project. Maybe we can save you some money with a full stroker kit. Bolt kits, stud kits valve components, lubrication we can ship it all right to your door.
Vivid Racing carries high-performance parts for almost any need. Click these links to choose from our selection of Body Kits, Big Brake Kits, Seats, Custom Wheels and Tires, Engine Parts, Exhaust Parts, Intakes, Suspension, and Transmission Parts.
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