Steel rod life expectancy

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by joespanova

Anyone using steel rods to 9000 RPM (give or take) with 300 plus runs?
I lost a rod this weekend, ( Howards aluminum ) although the damage was basically just the block , 1 piston..........., Now I'll put a spare block into service and consider steel rods..............but , I'm not about to spend 3-4 grand on a set of Carillos.........no way. I'll go back to aluminum , possibly. I think any rod manufacturer that tells you their aluminum rods will see 300 runs in a combo like mine is full of shee-ot.
My fault / stupidity for running them past the 80 -100 runs ..........I should have chucked them a month ago........I'm a slow learner......... But my best guess is I didnt have more than 125 runs on those rods.

Small Chevy , 14.0 comp 6.150 rod.........so you can do the math , the piston isn't heavy.........

Whomever said you could run an aluminum rod for that many runs was full of it. Fatigue and detonation are the worst enemies of an Aluminum connecting rod.

If you select the right brand and material of steel connecting rod, it will go that many runs down the track. One of the biggest factors in longevity is to select the correct rod bolt. My preference is also an "I" beam over the "H" beam style of rod. The steel rod will also allow you to run a tighter deck since they don't stretch like Aluminum rods do. Pro Stock and many Comp guys are currently running steel rods successfully.

Some of the companies I would recommend are Carrillo, Crower, R&R and Oliver. I good set of steel rods from these vendors will not cost you $3000.00 to $4000.00.