INTRODUCTORY PRICE!
LIMITED QUANTITY!
REDUCING THE POSSIBILITY OF ROD INSTALLATION ERROR…WITH CLASS
We’ve used every rod bolt stretch gauge offered in the marketplace over the past few decades or so (ARP, Carrillo, Proform, and Lunati), took their pitfalls of design, and removed them from our version. From skinny 4 Cylinder steel rods to monster Hemi aluminum rods, this one tool covers them all. Features include:
Tactical Weapon Coated: At the top of the toughness coating chain, it was a no-brainer to apply this new epoxy-based formulation. NOT an anodized surface treatment and an entirely different coating than what our rods possess, this coating was sprayed for its durability, corrosion, and chemical resistance…and for just plain and simple militant brutishness for those that don’t attend church regularly.
Digital LCD Indicator: Quick visual and accurate stretch readings is what you’ll get without cumbersome needle counting and turning Zero dials. It reads in increments of .0005″ (.001mm) and is made with just the right amount of plunger pre-load (tension) when attaching to the rod bolt. Simply attach it to the bolt, push a button to zero the reading, and you’re ready to go. An Energizer 357/303 button cell also comes pre-installed for practically a lifetime of use.
Foam-Lined Plastic Protective Case: To protect your investment! And to downright give it some class. Crazy CNC form-cut Kaizen foam specifically to fit our gauge like a glove.
Ergonomically Sound: Nice, smooth radiused edges…a place for your thumb to rest…it just “feels” good in the hands. As it needs to be…as this is a “hand” tool. Nothing clunky here.
Personalized Engraving: The ONLY stretch gauge offered in the market that can show the world whose boss and that you own the best!
What were the pitfalls of using the competitor’s stretch gauges?
Trust us…we didn’t set out to fabricate and sell stretch gauges. This came about with the mindset of frustration and just the downright necessity to do the job properly. Being an aluminum rod manufacturer has always posed certain challenges…everything from piston fitment to possible block clearancing. And then, guess what? Just using a tool to check rod bolt stretch introduced a new snag. We had discovered with larger aluminum rods such as with BBC and/or HEMI (not just ours), the current stretch gauges offered out there do NOT fit those larger, beastly rods. The end of the bolt is sunk too far into the rod’s profile for the gauge’s tapered endpoint to “hit” without interference from the rod’s beam. What to do?
We made our own. We not only designed this gauge to fit our VADER rods without frustration but our competitor’s rods as well. That alone right there is enough to jump up and down with joy. And if we *had* to make our own, why not make it the best you can get. This has been our credo since opening our doors back in good ol’ 1999.
Did you know the majority of rod failures result from the assembly methods that were used to install them?
Using the “stretch method” of torque is the ONLY way to know your fastener’s clamping load is correct to ARP’s recommendations. Using anything less, you’re just flying blind. Too much torque and you may have stretched the bolt past its yield. Too little torque and the fastener is not holding the cap to the rod at the recommended clamping load the bolt was designed to handle.
And to make matters hairier, with aluminum rods, the more times you apply torque to the bolt (loosen, tighten, loosen, tighten), the more stretch there will be at the same given torque value! In other words, the stretch value will increase the more times you tighten and loosen the bolt at the same torque number. Scary stuff. This is because of thread “burnishing”. Instead of relying solely on a torque wrench given value, using the “stretch method” removes the friction variable on such a critical area…and the frictional variable is what gives erroneous torque readings…which gives inaccurate clamping force. You get the picture.
Let’s stack the deck in your favor. Our VADER Rod Bolt Stretch Gauge will help ensure greater success on your next build.
Hungry for more brain wrinkles? Check out our Stretch Gauge blog posting link below for a more granular outlook:
The Stretch Gauge…Thy Value Is Gold – FFWD Racing Rods
