2002-09 Dodge Jeep 226 3.7l Sohc V6 Rod Bearings Std 010 020 030 on 2040-parts.com

 

Tri-Metal vs. Bi-Metal Bearings

Traditional rod and main bearing construction is based upon a three layer configuration composed of a steel backing, a copper-lead layer and a very thin overlay of babbitt material only .0005" - .0008" thick.

These bearing uses just two layers, a high strength steel backing plus a bonded layer of "Alecular" bearing material .012" - .015" thick.

Alecular material is an alloy of aluminum, tin, copper and several other elements. Because it is an alloy, it maintains its properties throughout its entire depth, delivering consistent and reliable performance.

Particle Embedability

More than half of engine bearing failures are caused by metallic particles which scratch crank journals and tear or weaken thin babbitt overlays such as in the tri-metal bearing.

Since Alecular bearing layer is much thicker than the babbitt overlay (.015" vs. .0008"), it provides eighteen (18) times more embedability than a tri-metal bearing to catch and hold particles so they don’t scratch the crank journals. This is especially true for particles over .0004" in diameter which cause most of the damage.

Conformability

The much thicker layer of Alecular bearing material (.015" vs. .0008") allows the bearing to conform to problems such as metal to metal contact when there is mis-alignment present or the connecting rods stretch. Greater conformability means fewer bearing failures.

Temperature Resistance

The Alecular material’s melting/fatigue point is over 1100⁰ F, almost three times that of the thin babbitt overlay in a tri-metal bearing (400^OF). This means added protection against localized overheating due to mis-alignment, detonation, overloading, loss of coolant, etc.