Aluminium vs Steel rods

[peejay]

Planes have millions of miles put on them if anything they are replaced for newer more efficent fuel cost engines.

Aloha flight 243 may have needed pulled out of service sooner for reasons other than fuel efficiency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8G0dviUr5U

Aluminum isn't used in aircraft because of it's fatigue properties. It's weight.
Aircraft go through constant inspections looking for the inevitable cracks will show up.

Randy

Thank you, I was going to post this up...

Aircraft are very definitely closely monitored on a "cycle" basis as well as runtime and everything, including the airframes themselves, get "lifed" out on a regular basis. Flight 243 was interesting because the short hop flights in Hawaii put many pressure cycles on the airframe in a short period of time.

With every accident like this, we learn and readjust operating procedures to suit.

Growing up, I was into mountain biking, and it was in the era of ultralight handlebars. The rule of thumb was you never used a handlebar for more than a season, then you threw it out. Magazines were cycle-testing handlebars and rating them on cycles per failure (carbon fiber, incidentally, was determined to be nearly immortal as long as you didn't nick it). Some bike manufacturers who made aluminum frames, notable Cannondale (or "Crack-n-fail" as we joked) had different ratings for their bikes and would advise weight limits and frequent replacement on the lightest ones.

Of course, this was before full suspension became common, so it was a goal to have a sub-20lb bike. I think mine was in the 23lb range, but I wanted something I could ride on a regular basis, so nothing crazy like 28 spoke wheels or titanium chains.

[swampbuggy]

Cool story, Woody B., Mark H.

[Little Mouse]

Light rotating assembly better for the crank and main webs. If your just racing brackets no reason to even run guick except for your own enjoyment.

[Morgo]

Cool..
On the road duty rods may last the lifetime but the time run on the redline..

[MadBill]

Light rotating assembly better for the crank and main webs. If your just racing brackets no reason to even run guick except for your own enjoyment.

?

[swampbuggy]

Chris, is that your Camaro ?

[Warp Speed]

Chris, is that your Camaro ?

It is Troy LaCrones Dragweek entry. It has our 3.0 Grudge CNC Program in a set of AFR castings. It is a pump gas 582. It is 1000HP on pump gas and 1700 with a 500 plate kit.

Hence the need for a forgiving rod!

[6.50camaro]

Light rotating assembly better for the crank and main webs. If your just racing brackets no reason to even run guick except for your own enjoyment.

Yes ,I do get personal satisfaction and enjoyment from going quicker . I'm a "hobbyist" and have done all the work on the car. From body restoration and paint to chassis mods to engine build . It started as as primered street-strip build running 7.50's in the 1/8 with a warmed over 350 to a 383 running 6.90's with a hyd.roller to 6 years later it's run the best of 6.31@ 107.71 1/8 with a 1.38 60 with a 11.5 CR flat top 422 . Some of that satisfaction is from knowing the knowledge shared by others ( such as here on ST ) did not fall on deaf ears . Just my thoughts Dan

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[rebelrouser]

I was told by Herb McCandless to keep a big block mopar together either use aluminum rods or aluminum main caps, I have done both and it seems to work. I run Mickey Thompson forged aluminum rods in my personal engine a 725HP based on a 440. The first set of rods I ran for 10 years, got to feeling like I was pushing my luck so I sold the engine to a friend, with the advice to change the rods, he ignored the advice ran the engine for three years sold it and that guy has run the rods for another years and counting. So from that one example I would say as long as you don't stress them a lot they last just as long as a steel rod. My current set has been going for 8 years and the bearings are like new when I check them every 3 seasons or so. So I have to believe that Herb was right that they help keep the bearings alive. I seldom recommend aluminum rods to a customer unless they are wanting a high rpm high HP engine that they are going to rev regularly over 8,000 rpm.