Best bang for the buck 440 rocker arms for high performance street/strip build?

[1Bad70Charger]

All right, I am completely rebuilding my 440 engine into a 10:4 to 1, 500+ HP, pump gas high performance street bruiser that will only see the drag strip about once a year, and will be driven on the streets and highways about 1200 miles a year.

For my new Engle K58/60 hyd. flat tappet cam and Eddy Heads I thought I was going to use my stock rocker arms, but now thinking of upgrading to 1.6 rockers, to get the extra stability and lift out of my new cam (1.6 rockers put my lift to about .573 lift).

What vendor offers the best bang for the buck 1.6 rocker arm for this type of build-up?

Thanks in advance!  

[BBKNARF]

Wow good question so many differant brands  we seem to have similar combos, the rockers I'm using are from Hughes Engines great rockers for the price. They have been on my motor for 5 seasons and had no problems. 

http://www.hughesengines.com/Index/products.php?browse=category&level0=QmlnIEJsb2NrIDM4My0zNjEtNDAwIChMb3cgRGVjayk=&level1=Um9ja2VyIEFybXMgJiBBY2Nlc3Nvcmllcw==&partid=22775


Frank

[elacruze]

 

I just finished the setup on my Hughes 1.6 rockers yesterday, and on my Edelbrock Performer RPM heads, the geometry was spot-on. I didn't have to shim or shave my rockershafts and the adjusters were perfectly aligned with the pushrods at ~.300" lift.

I also bought their billet shaft hold-downs, was impressed with the materials but I had to take them to the machinist to have the long ones shortened. They come with about 2" of shims, but were too long even with no shims.

[firefighter3931]

From what i've read the hughes rockers fit and work well. On some installations a 1.6 rocker will require clearancing the pushrod tunnels if using a 3/8in pushrod so that needs to be checked.

Personally, i'm not a fan of 1.6 rockers with agressive fast rate hydraulic cams. The lifters are prone to collapse with the increased valve action and you also need to increase the spring pressure to accomodate the higher lift which creates the potential collapse issue. 

If it were mine ; I'd be using the 1.5 ratio rockers with the stock e-head springs and that Engle fast rate hydraulic and call it good. 


Ron

[1Bad70Charger]

From what i've read the hughes rockers fit and work well. On some installations a 1.6 rocker will require clearancing the pushrod tunnels if using a 3/8in pushrod so that needs to be checked.

Personally, i'm not a fan of 1.6 rockers with agressive fast rate hydraulic cams. The lifters are prone to collapse with the increased valve action and you also need to increase the spring pressure to accomodate the higher lift which creates the potential collapse issue.  

If it were mine ; I'd be using the 1.5 ratio rockers with the stock e-head springs and that Engle fast rate hydraulic and call it good.  


Ron

Well then, looks like I will be sticking with 1.5 ratio rockers for better reliability thanks Ron!  

What is the best bang for the buck 1.5 ratio rocker arm set-up out there that works well (that is more affordable than Hughes and still is good quality)?  

[Rolling_Thunder]

why not just run your stock rockers if you're going to keep the 1.5 ratio ?   

[BSB67]

I would not recommend anything less expensive than the Crane ductile iron rockers.

[1Bad70Charger]

why not just run your stock rockers if you're going to keep the 1.5 ratio ?    

Sounds good to me, your the mechanic bro not me!  

So then obviously using my stock rockers as long as they are in good shape is the way to go (yes I am on a budget but want it built right once) in builidng the exact type of engine you built Rolling Thunder that made 525+HP and torque, that you reference in the Car Craft Magazine Article about building a powerful 440?

I mean it was your build up that you reference in the following thread about the Car Craft 440 article that actually first led me towards the direction of my Engle K58/60 cam going in my car (and then Ron also recommended it about the same time and the rest is history).  

While we are on the topic did you used both stock 440 rockers and rods in that build up  you reference in the following thread?  

BSB67, are the crane rockers you reference the same ones used in the Car Craft 440 build found in post #1 in the following thread?

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,37136.0.html

[BSB67]

"BSB67, are the crane rockers you reference the same ones used in the Car Craft 440 build found in post #1 in the following thread?"


I think those are the "Crane Gold" in the CC article.  Those are a little more pricey than the ductile iron. 

[1Bad70Charger]

"BSB67, are the crane rockers you reference the same ones used in the Car Craft 440 build found in post #1 in the following thread?"


I think those are the "Crane Gold" in the CC article.  Those are a little more pricey than the ductile iron. 

Best place to get the Crane Ductile Iron Rockers (Summit, Crane, Mancini?).

Thank you. 

[b5blue]

Don't forget they require ball-cup pushrods, a whole new can of worms, made by who....and what diameter....exact length per your build spec. all determined best with a "checking pushrod" after the heads are final mounted but before valley pan and intake are. Your cams grind, with lift, gives you a variable along with the heads and gaskets used and your installed valve height. Many forget that the cams "valve closed" diameter is reduced to allow for greater lift (as bigger lobes could not "fit" through cam bearing holes, easy to check for fit, but a PIA to try and calculate.    

[1Bad70Charger]

Don't forget they require ball-cup pushrods, a whole new can of worms, made by who....and what diameter....exact length per your build spec. all determined best with a "checking pushrod" after the heads are final mounted but before valley pan and intake are. Your cams grind, with lift, gives you a variable along with the heads and gaskets used and your installed valve height. Many forget that the cams "valve closed" diameter is reduced to allow for greater lift (as bigger lobes could not "fit" through cam bearing holes, easy to check for fit, but a PIA to try and calculate.    

 

Stock rocker arm assembly is looking better by the minute! 

[b5blue]

Well then you end up with "cut to fit" after checking!