This week were talking about aluminum vs. I have some questions concerning the use of aluminum roller rockers on a street engine with a stock type camshaft and valvetrain.
Maximizing Your Cam S Potential With Better Rocker Arm Ratios
Stainless steel roller rockers vs aluminum. Steel roller rockers and rocker ratio in daily driven high mileage fleet vehicles. In an engine application aluminums lifespan is significantly shorter than steel or stainless steel due to the fact that it fatigues faster. Steel body rockers are stronger than aluminum rockers. Steel typicaly is much better for most applications. With those cam specs aluminum will be fine. Solid roller spring rates combined with rpm require a good steel roller rocker.
They are heavier in full weight but lighter in the way there designed lighter on the valvetrain. Steel rockers flex less than aluminum ones which is part of the fatigue life issue. The sportsman series rockers are constructed from 4340 steel and use a roller tip to reduce friction and minimize scrubbing the valve top while also working to free. So by all means id say go with stainless rockers and never think about them again. Aluminum is used in alot of applications because of weight requirements but in the case of a rocker arm with correct design the weight where it matters can actual be less with a steel rocker due to steels strenght. Im in the middle of buy some roller rockers and i have always thought that the aluminum roller rockers where the best because they are the lightest but i have read that the steel roller rockers are the best option.
It depends on the rocker. Comps pro magnum roller rockers are designed to be an effective middle ground between inexpensive aluminum rockers and extremely strong and reliable but more costly stainless steel rockers. In general steel will be stronger but its strength you probably dont need. Stainless steel rockers arms vs aluminum rocker arms stainless steel rockers are a bit heavier but stronger aluminum rockers are a bit lighter and a bit weaker when stressed with 800 pounds spring pressure open. The reason stainless rockers last so much longer than aluminum rockers is that steels fatigue life is far longer than aluminums. The company offers four lines of stud mount rocker arms the sportsman series pro series aluminum pro series steel and performance quotient platinum series steel rocker arms.
The comp cams pro magnums are steel and on the tip where it matters are actually lighter than aluminum.