Product Information
IE 155X22mm Tuscan Connecting Rods For Audi B9 3.0T
Engineered for high-powered EA839 builds, IE's premium Tuscan rod technology ensures unmatched bottom-end strength, supporting up to 1000ft-lbs of torque when paired with the iE Spec JE Piston option.
Designed in-house using state-of-the-art software, the IE Tuscan rods address factory weak points, offering superior resistance to bending, optimized bearing stability, and extended fatigue life. The maximized strength-to-weight ratio ensures a robust upgrade without adding excess weight to the rotating assembly.
The Tuscan Advantage
The iE Tuscan I-Beam design is our premium connecting rod technology, delivering unparalleled bottom-end strength for your high-boost build. Utilizing advanced software and design practices, these rods have been in-house engineered to target the weak points of the factory-installed rods specific to the Audi 3.0L EA839 engine. The outcome is an advanced connecting rod design that offers exceptional resistance to bending, optimized bearing stability, and extended fatigue life, ensuring dependable performance under demanding conditions.
Optimized Weight
Creating a strong rod is one thing. The real challenge is crafting a robust beam while maintaining a lightweight design. Our unique I-Beam shape is the result of an extensive process to identify the high-stress areas placed on the rod in a high-performance 3.0T engine. The resulting design evenly distributes these high-compressive loads across the strongest parts of the beam. This painstakingly iterative practice puts the material strength where it's needed, and trims the fat where it's not. Enjoy the confidence in an incredibly strong rod that won't slow down your rotating assembly with unnecessary weight.
Precision Manufacturing
Strength lies in the details. Our iE Tuscan connecting rods are forged from vacuum-drawn 4340 chrome moly steel, then surface-peened for enhanced fatigue strength. Each casting undergoes rigorous dimensional and magnaflux inspections to ensure top-quality forgings. Precision machining and diamond honing achieve critical tolerances of approximately 250 millionths of an inch. Finally, the rod sets are meticulously balanced to match weights within +/- 1 gram of each other, delivering a high-quality connecting rod set straight out of the box.
IE Spec JE Forged Pistons
To complement the strength of our connecting rod design, we've collaborated with the experts at JE Pistons to produce an equally robust iE Spec forged piston set. Extensive testing revealed that the factory piston compression ratio in the EA839 engine is susceptible to excessive knock in very large turbo/high-boost builds. In response, JE has developed a performance 3.0T piston forging with our optimized 10:1 compression ratio. These pistons boast additional features for high-performance builds, including Tuff Skirt coating, robust ring supports, sturdy 983M material forgings, and large 22mm wrist pins.
IMPORTANT NOTE: iE Tuscan Rods require aftermarket pistons with 22mm wrist pins.
Technical Specs
- Max torque: 1000ft-lbs (per set of 6)
- Big end diameter: 58.74mm
- Small end diameter: 22mm
- Center to center: 155mm
- Journal width: 20.04mm
- Small end style: Tapered
- Material: 4340 chrome moly
- Bolt: Genuine ARP 2000 3/8-1.5"
- Weight (w/bolts): 630 grams average
- Compatible bearings: Genuine Audi 3.0T
Features:
- Innovative I-Beam design to withstand up to 1000ft-lbs of torque
- Offers incredible torsional stiffness without excessive weight
- Massive 22mm wrist pin sizing for reliabilty under high boost pressures
- In-house engineered specificially for the Audi 3.0T engine demands
- Perfect match for iE Spec JE Forged Pistons for ultimate strength
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Includes a complete set of six connecting rods
Installation Support
Upgrading connection rods and pistons requires disassembly of your engine, specialty measuring tools, and precise assembly practices. The following information is supplied as tips for your connecting rod installation and not intended to be used as a complete install guide.
Engine assembly should always be performed by a trained technician with professional tools.
Tools & Supplies
Prepare a clean indoor work surface such as a stainless bench. Unpack your rods, remove the rod bolts, and split the bearing caps from the rods. Use brake cleaner with a lint-free rag to remove all rust inhibitor oils from the surface, threads, journals, and bushings.
- Socket wrench
- 11mm 12 point socket
- Torque wrench (quality & calibrated)
- Dial bore gauge
- Secured bench vise
- Bolt stretch gauge (optional)
- Thread tap/thread gauge (optional)
- ARP bolt lube (supplied with rods)
- Marker
- Carb cleaner
- Lint-free rags
Verify Clearances
All critical clearances should be measured and recorded. Label each rod, bearing set, crankshaft journal, and wrist pin 1-6 with a marker to keep track of your measurements. Using a vice, assemble the rod with the rod bearings, rod bolts, and ARP assembly lube. Torque the rod bolts using the torque procedure. Make sure the printed numbers on the rod and rod cap match and are installed on the same side.
Using a quality bore gauge and micrometer, record the following measurements:
- Wrist pin diameter
- Wrist pin bushing bore
- Wrist pin clearance (Bore minus diameter | Target: .0003"-.0005")
- Rod journal (w/bearings)
- Crankshaft journal diameter
- Journal clearance (Bore minus diameter | Target: .0015"-.0025")
- Measure clearances with a quality bore gauge and micrometer
Do not measure with a Plastigauge type product.
Torque Procedure
Accurate rod bolt pre-load is required to ensure proper bore clearances and roundness of the connecting rod big end for both measuring and final installation of your connecting rods. Before you begin, clean the rod mating surfaces and remove all packaging oil from the threads and rod bolts.
STEP 1 -PRE-TORQUE:
Before you final stretch your rod bolts, it's important the bolt and rod threads are fully seated.
- Install rod bearings
- Align matching printed numbers on rod and cap
- Assemble cap to rod
- Apply ARP assembly lube to bolt threads
- Hand tighten bolts
- Using a quality calibrated torque wrench, torque bolts to 50 ft/lbs
- Break bolts loose, and again torque to 50 ft/lbs
- Break bolts loose, then torque to 50 ft/lbs one final time
STEP 2 -FINAL TORQUE:
The final torque spec is .006" (stretch gauge) or 50 ft/lbs (torque wrench) with ARP assembly lube.
Stretch Gauge
- Loosen bolt and zero stretch gauge
- Tighten bolt to .006" stretch
- Loosen second bolt and zero stretch gauge
- Tighten second bolt to .006" stretch
Torque Wrench
- Loosen bolt
- Tighten bolt to 50 ft/lbs
- Loosen second bolt
- Tighten second bolt to 50 ft/lbs
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Do not exceed rod bolt stretch/torque. If bolt stretch is exceeded, replace rod bolts with new ones.
- Do not install bolts dry or with any other lubricant than the supplied ARP assembly lube.
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