The connecting rod transfers power from the piston to the crankshaft and can cause engine failure. Steel and aluminum are common materials used in production, with casting, forging, and powder metallurgy being common methods. Cast rods are reliable for low horsepower engines, while forged bars are used in high horsepower applications. Aluminum rods allow for faster engine revs but are less durable. Powdered metal rods are a new technology that is durable and profitable to produce.
The connecting rod is an important link within a combustion engine. It connects the piston to the crankshaft and is responsible for transferring power from the piston to the crankshaft and sending it to the transmission. There are different types of materials and production methods used in the creation of connecting rods. The most common types of connecting rods are steel and aluminum. The most common type of manufacturing processes are casting, forging, and powder metallurgy.
The connecting rod is the most common cause of catastrophic engine failure. It is under enormous load pressure and is often given special care to ensure it does not fail prematurely. Sharp edges are sanded smooth in an attempt to reduce stress risers on the rod. The connecting rod is also skinned or hardened to increase its resistance against cracking. In most high performance applications, the connecting rod is balanced to prevent unwanted harmonics from causing excessive wear.
The most common connecting rod found in production vehicle engines is a cast connecting rod. This type of rod is created by pouring molten steel into a mold and then machining the finished product. This type of rod is reliable for low horsepower engines and is the least expensive to manufacture. The cast rod has been used in almost all types of engines, from gasoline to diesel, with great success.
Heavy duty applications often use a forged steel bar. This type of connecting rod is created by milling a solid block of steel into a finished product. The forged bar is capable of withstanding much higher loads and faster engine revs than a cast bar. Forged bars are often called billet bars due to the process of machining a block of billet steel. This is a much more expensive way to make the rod and the reason they are generally only used in high horsepower applications.
Another type of high performance connecting rod is made from aluminum. The aluminum rod allows the engine to rev much faster due to reduced weight on the crankshaft. Aluminum also absorbs the harsh impact of acceleration and deceleration for a performing engine much better than steel rods. Aluminum is not as durable; however, and it must be changed more frequently than its steel counterpart.
New technology has created the powdered metal rod. These bars are created by applying high pressure to metal powder as it is formed into a bar. This is the dipstick of the future for most production engines. They are durable and profitable to produce.
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