I'm looking at new rockers for my sbc that is mostly street driven and was wondering which rockers are better, stainless or aluminum. I can get crower stainless for $379 or the crower aluminum for $309. Also are the crower aluminum just as good as the cranes.

thanks,

If its an occasional use deal ( < 5000mi/yr), the alums should be fine. I have over 20K on mine ( only 130/340 spring pressure) . BUT, if its driven 5K/yr+ and you have the dough.... why not get the real deal. I wish I had.

I'm running the Crower "Enduro" Stainless Steel roller rockers on my BBC. 1.8's on the intake and 1.7 on the exhaust.

Not a 100% sure, but I believe the stainless steel Crowers are rebuildable.
They are really nice pieces. A bit pricey, but probably the best "conventional" style rocker you can buy.

For the price difference of $70, I'd go stainless.

For the little cost difference, I'd go for the stainless version.

But, I ran Comp Pro Magnums (chromoly) for several years. I ran them in my initial combination which had 300+ lbs on the seat and 850 lbs open pressure.

Great rocker, reasonable price, and are rebuildable. Might be a very good lower cost choice, especially for a driver.

I think since mine is a driver i'm going to go with the aluminum ones. I just don't know if i should go with the crane golds or the crower aluminum.

What kind of cam & spring pressures?

Harland Sharp makes an excellent product for aluminum rockers.

I have been running the Crane Gold with no problems (knock on wood:clonk: ). I would just stay with aluminum unless you are racing hard or running a crazy cam.

I'm running a lunati solid cam, one of udharolds old designs. I don't know the spring pressure off hand.

If it's street driven, DON'T go with aluminum.

Aluminum is fine for the track, where the total number of repetitions is in the hundreds of thousands or just a few millions. Unlike the street, where the lifetime is measured in BILLIONS of reps.

Aluminum fatigues. It works fine seemingly forever, and then just one day, out of the clear blue, it breaks in half without warning. That's how Al rockers usually fail; just break in half. Which really sucks when you're trying to get to work or something.... or worse yet, home from work on a rainy Friday. I'd guess it could be characterized as a Poisson distribution with a mean of about 20,000 miles. I.e., you have about a 50% chance that one will break before then, and about 50% that one will break after then. It's not a question of "if", but rather "when".

Get the stainless. It's worth it.

But, I ran Comp Pro Magnums (chromoly) for several years... Great rocker, reasonable price, and are rebuildable. Might be a very good lower cost choice, especially for a driver.
I've got three sets (BBC, SBC, and a Ford set living under Olds valve covers.) None of them are with wild cams, and none of them get many miles--but I'm satisfied with them.

Aluminum, for a performance cam it is the best choice. Aluminum absorbs harmonics.

The "Blue Oval" used crane aluminum rockers in all of its limited edition late model Cobras OEM production cars.

What kind of cam & spring pressures?

Harland Sharp makes an excellent product for aluminum rockers.


ill 2nd that. i have a set on my stroker

I think i'm going to go with the crane gold aluminum. It ended up being between those and the crower aluminum but i didn't here anything about those rockers, only there stainless ones.
thanks,

I'm running the Crower "Enduro" Stainless Steel roller rockers on my BBC. 1.

Same here. I wanted something that would last on the street. Mine have about 20 years street time on them and still look and feel like new.
I do run 550 pound open springs.

The aluminum rockers have the (not sure what to call it) roller tip just pushed in through the rocker. it is a press fit. eventually that press fit losens up and the shaft comes out and the roller tip is no longer attached to the rocker.

Stainless Aluminum,,,wait :) I like the stainless steal myself.

I replaced an old set of Harland Sharp's a few years ago with a set of Comp Cam's Hi Tech Stainless Steel rockers,they didnt even last 2 summers,the roller wheel was wearing into the tip of the rocker,a couple were wore over halfway through.I then put a set of Crane's gold rockers on,no more problems.After this experience I will never again use S/S rocker arms.
Guy

I ordered a set of the crower stainless steel ones. There supposed to be some of the best and are fully rebuildable. I figured i have bought plenty of stuff twice because i didn't go with the best first. SO for $70 more then the crane golds i went with the crowers. IF anyones interested let me know and i'll tell them how i got them for $379 most places wanted $430 for them. Thanks for all the opinions it helped me decide with ones to get.

how come ppl say that Aluminum stink for a street car? Now a day they come from the factory with them and i have ben toled that LS1's come with crane gold rockers? and has any buddy ran crane energizer rockers they used to be Hi-Intensity Rocker i dont have a lot of $$ but wont to have less vavle train wear

Why are rockers made from stainless steel? They're not exposed to high tempratures or a corrosive environment. I'm quite sure there are other non-stainless high strenght alloys better suited for the aplication.

Can someone please enlighten med?

ppl love to hear that there stuff is made form stainless steel it sounds so cool!

Thats what I thought too,but theres nothing wrong with aluminum ones.When I discovered my Comp SS ones were wearing the tips off,I borrowed an old set of Harland Sharps that Steve Gillis had run for many years in his 460 Ford rally truck,let me tell you some of those were beat up real bad,there were even chunks missing out of some of them,they were a bit on the noisy side,but they worked OK for me,and Steve still keeps them as spares.
Guy