So what are the advantages to the different steel cranks out there? For example a $900 callies or $600 SCAT or even some of the more expensive cranks they are steel but they all are suposed to be good to 600 700 hp? Is there some real benifit to a expensive one even thought they look very similar and have similar weights, profiles and rod sizes?

the biggest advantage is in the accuracy of the machining. that's really the bottom line for that application. strength should never be an issue for any 4340 steel crank.

if you go to buy a stroker kit, dont go and waste your money for a balanced kit- at least if you buy one from Scat. I bought one and paid for balancing only to find out they do a half fast balance using manufacturers stated weights for pistons and rod. they didnt actually weigh them or match them like a real race balance job would have done. total waste of money.

I was on Hughes engines web site and noticed they at least tell you what they give you.

they posted:

Quote:

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Street Balancing:
This type of balance can also be called "Box" or "Crate Engine" balancing. The weights used are those printed on the box by the manufacturer of each part. With todays C.N.C. parts, they are closer than some race parts were 10 years ago and closer than most of todays stock parts. The crankshaft is spun up and corrected to within 1/4" oz. (the same tolerance as a Race balance). For engines that spend the majority of their time below 6,000RPM this type of balance will satisfy the need of a cost conscious customer. Most of your mass market stroker kits are balanced this way.

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scat didnt have the integrity to tell you that and just let you think they actually weighed and matched weights of the pistons and rods before balancing the crank. man, i was pissed when my kit showed up

Figures, every time I get enough money to buy my stroker stuff something else comes along and sucks up all my money, my refridgerator just craped I am hopeing it is not too big of a

I am hopeing to get a 4.125 or 4.25 stroke crank kit but may settle for a 4 incher, I can't find a kit I like yet with the bigger stroke and I don't know of any good shops here to balance it if I piece one together.

As for this post I am just wondering why one crank can cost twice what another does yet they both claim about the same HP rateing. Are the more expensive cranks good enough machining to run OOTB or do they still need work too? So there is not much differance in 4340 steel it self then?

When I do finally get around to buying a kit it will be from a shop that can check it all out for me like Dram

thanks Dave, i would say there is certainly some differences in 4340 steel. some is considered ultra pure and is of better quality. there are also differences in forgings in several different ways and different designs of forgings for the same application.
with all that being said, one needs to look at the application a crank will be used in also IMO. if someone is building a stock block stroker combo, a 4" crank can easily make more power than the block will handle. it often times will also want better flowing heads than are often used. this is where value for your money comes into play. there's no point in putting a 4.125 or 4.250 stroke crank in a combo to make the same power as a 4" crank will make at just a couple hundred rpm higher, especially if the heads won't support the horsepower. this is where i think people should choose a crank that fits there needs and is of sufficient quality as to not need additional work of any kind. i'd rather pay 200.00 dollars more for a crank like that, than 200.00 dollars less and have to regrind one to make it right. depending on stroke and brand, a crankshaft can run anywhere from the high 5 hundred dollar range and up to over a couple thousand dollars. just buy what works for your application and your money ahead. we handle all the major brands so we know what the differences are.

"if someone is building a stock block stroker combo, a 4" crank can easily make more power than the block will handle".

I admit I want the big inch small block for bragin rights against my friends who have to buy aftermarket SBC raised cam siamese blocks to get close to the same cubes I can in a stock block.

Second I have a 2.76 gear in my car because I HATE turning a lot of rpms and my car has to be driven on 75mph highways frequantly and for long distances (long way to the closest strip) So all the low rpm tq I can get is more important than reving it up.

My heads are going to be full ported mopar aluminum mags with 2.05 valves air gap intake and TTI headers already in the car

An MP cast crank will last along time in your situation,but the Eagle cast cranks that I've seen look like crap. I'm sure that things change and maybe the new MP and eagle could be 1 and the same and I don't usually recommend a cast crank. The K-1 forged stuff looks pretty nice for the price.

that makes you a perfect candidate for sa 4" combo with a relatively small cam. gobs of torque won't be a problem. expect to buy tires frequently though if you start putting your foot into it.

Like said above, go with a 4" crank set up. It will easily max out your heads even if they are fully ported by a pro. You will have all the torque you ever dreamed of with a 4" stroke set up.

I had to have my new Scat cast crank ground 10/10 because it was sloppy and Scat was being a jerk to my machine shop (long story). So I just paid more and moved on. I also bought the Scat stroker kit balanced which was extremely sloppy and had to be redone at extra cost. Don't just look at the cost of the "ready to drop in kit" and make your decision just off that. I did not buy from DRAM but if I did I might have spent a little more up front, saved on the back end, and had a lot less grief. Not to mention expert advice that gets thrown in for free.