'95-'98 Ranger connecting rods
Application is a mini-stock,
rules: 2.3 Ford, no porting/polishing, mild solid cam .45 max, oem bottom end, stock type pistons (no forged) 10:1, 350cfm carb.
Has anyone ventured into using '95-98' Ranger rods F57E-AA as opposed to the '74-'94 D42E-AA rods?
I see a couple of possible advantages. First the rod itself is .25 longer so due to that the compression height of the piston is .25 shorter and should from past experiences wind up with a total weight (rod & piston) less than the older setup.
Second the ring thickness's are 1.5,1.5,3mm which is less than most of the earlier ring packages which should help the drag.
My concern is the actual strength of the rod. The D4 rods are pretty bullet proof, I'm just wondering if anyone has looked at the F5's for a racing application. The motor will see 7100-7200rpms tops.