It seems there are several different choices when it comes to moving or rotating parts, bushings, ball bearings, tapered bearings, needle bearings and caged needle bearings, pick your poison

Jesel makes their endurance rockers from steel with bushings.

What else can I say?

Do you have them on your race car and if so for what head. How was the geometry

Im not sure you can't machine a bushing to close enough tolerance, the question is, is it profitable.

There are things such as down time etc and also making parts to repair a machine that will is 50 years old.

Needle bearings have a place. Typical of the Internet world, some people have to fabricate [censored] and make up [censored] I didn't say. The man who taught me to never use needle bearings on a reciprocating shaft wan an engineer who designed machines for industry. Not one that I know of ever went out with needle bearings.

To compare a rocker arm with a ujoint is silly.

There is more to it that how far the rocker rotates. But I'll leave it here.

Do what you want. But 99.999% of the [censored] you buy is compromised because it's easier to do something then to do it right. It's about money.

What difference does it make if I have them?

If they stopped making aluminum bodied rockers and did them all in steel, the price would come down to where they would be more affordable. Simple isn't it? The other issue is, especially with cheap ass mopar guys who still think a stock block is a great deal won't buy any rocker over the cost of a set of HS, my least favorite rocker there is. Broke enough of them to know it's nearly impossible to get the geometry close for 8800 RPM without issues.

You can make it for a Chrysler but the cheap asses won't buy it. Guys still [censored] about W-2 rocker costs.


My current engine runs Norris stainless steel rockers. No needle bearings. Rocker geometry is pussy good.

FWIW my old B1MC deal had T&D rockers on it and still does. They have seen over 1000 passes at this point with right at 1100lbs of open pressure and never seen a failure. Oh yeah they have needle bearings too

The late winter peeing contest is in full force - must mean the racing season is just around the corner!

Just for what it is worth I am an Engineer and I run needle bearings!

Well them it must be right.

Again, why does Jesel make their endurance rockers out of steel? With bushings?

We all know that dirt bikes went to needle bearing because of cost. That was in print many times. Just like Honda using aluminum frames. They did it because aluminum was cheaper and more available than steel. They marketing guys had to sell it and they did.

It's the same thing with rockers. It's all marketing.

And, if your getting 1K plus passes from a set of rockers, are you give up performance? Would you expect aluminum rods to have that many life cycles? If the did, they'd be so big as to be worthless.

I'd bet there isn't a top ten PS car with needle bearings. Probably not many with aluminum rockers either.

On your last statement here you would be wrong

Originally Posted By DoubleD
The late winter peeing contest is in full force - must mean the racing season is just around the corner!

Just for what it is worth I am an Engineer and I run needle bearings!


Well them it must be right.

Again, why does Jesel make their endurance rockers out of steel? With bushings?



Maybe because they did not want to jump in the same market as everyone else and to make their product unique? Maybe it's not the best but it is different so they will get a different following. Does not PROVE that their design is better but different.

Move on - next subject please this one is getting boring.

That is clearly not a Snickers bar!!

So you know this for fact? That the top PS guys are using aluminum rockers?

I know what a nascar guy says on speed talk about what they run.

Would seeing them be good enough for you.. yes
I seen them when I was in the pits being in AJs
pit in Norwalk... and I actually picked one up
after asking if I could

My Hendrick sb2.2 stuff that I ran in a super dirt late model, had roller bearings on the valve tip wheel even.

According to the guy at Jesels 1-800 cam tech line that I talked to late last year they don't make the Jesel paired shaft 1.55 ratio rocker arms in any steel material at all that I already have on my 440-1 headed motor, aluminum only
T&D will make what I want in steel or aluminum, my choice The steel lead time and total costs are more but I will probably have them make my 1.75 ratio paired shaft rockers for my B1-MC heads in steel, with needle bearings on the shafts any ways

as was i, but the drive shaft has an angle built in, be it pinion angle [ ] or an offset to the left or right to promote the bearings to fully rotate around the shaft discouraging brinneling [sp ?] of the shaft. independent rears [think corvette] for a good last few years are back to a torque tube type of driveshaft because u joints are not needed for connection from engine to differential. good discussion, but you guys are confusing my old, confused mind more and more. keep this going, please.

I doubt he has them, feel free to post a pic if you do have them because the following taken directly from Jesel website for standard and optional features for their PRO STEEL SERIES SHAFT ROCKERS

Heat Treated Alloy Steel Body-STANDARD
Tool Steel Cup Adjuster-STANDARD
Tool Steel Ball Adjuster-OPTIONAL
Adjusterless Bronze Pushrod Seat-OPTIONAL
ARP 12pt Adjuster Nut-STANDARD
Needle Shaft Bearings-STANDARD
Centerless Ground .561” Shaft-STANDARD
.250” Wide Needle Nose Roller-STANDARD
MoHawk Beam-STANDARD
Profiled Rocker Tail-STANDARD
ARP Mounting Hardware-STANDARD
Custom Stand Configurations-STANDARD
Zero-Thrust Stand Assembly-STANDARD
Zero-Thrust Box Style Stand-OPTIONAL

My 99 Hemi, IE PRo Stock Hemi had needle bearing. We were just on the dyno Wednesday at a Pro Stock shop and they have needle bearing rockers as well, so I guess I know this for a fact. This is a team that has won including in 2016. As with mine they were WW Rockers and all had needles, they seem to be the rocker many teams run from what I've seen anyway. These were engines from Johnson(hemi) and Elite(drce). I have seen some steel rockers on Dodge stuff to but usually only on one side and they had needle bearings as well. So I guess the statement about pro stock not using them is not quite 100% correct.

Well then keep doing what you are doing.

I was going to call a few people but why bother? You guys are doing it so it must be right.

All I've said is I have never had an issue with a GOOD rocker with a bearing. And that MY 99 Hemi as well as a few other I know of are using them as well. I juts know what I have seen and done.