ARP Connecting Rod Bolt Kit For Gen 1 R53/R52/R50 BMW MINI’S All Gen 2 Petrol Models Only! Last 7 digits of chassis number will be requested prior to dispatch. Unquestionably the most important fasteners in any engine are the connecting rod bolts, as they hold the key to the entire rotating assembly. A broken bolt will lead to catastrophic engine failure. As you can imagine, the most critical joint is where the connecting rod halves mate. The rod bolts must support the primary tension loads caused by each rotation (or cycle) of the crankshaft. When the crank rotates, the big end of the connecting rod essentially becomes oval-shaped and the rod bolts bend. As the crankshaft continues to rotate, the rod becomes round again. With alternating tension loads and cyclic bending of the bolts, it is very important to install fasteners that are able to exert a clamping force greater than the load imposed upon the joint (tension). In addition to utilising a rod bolt with sufficient strength to withstand the tremendous cyclical strains placed upon it, it is absolutely imperative that the bolts be properly tightened. The preferred method of monitoring the correct amount of tension is through use of a stretch gauge. This is far more accurate than using a torque wrench. Moreover, through subsequently checking the rod bolts length at teardowns, it is possible to determine if it has been stressed beyond safe limits and must be replaced. A large number of connecting rod manufacturers have chosen ARP bolts as standard equipment. They’re proud to advertise their products as being equipped with ARP rod bolts and for good reason. The “weak link” in a connecting rod has always been the bolt, and racers know that nobody builds a better bolt than ARP. However, it is critically important to monitor the stretch of each bolt and replace it when it has permanently elongated by 0.001? You should also know that ARP rod bolts are superior to those from other manufacturers. Especially in the area of fatigue strength. Testing has shown ARP rod bolts to have ten times the fatigue strength of other bolts. It’s easy to see why ARP bolts are superior. As such, it makes good sense to rely on ARP for optimum connecting rod service and reliability. Make the most of your BMW Mini Cooper’s engine and rely on ARP rod bolts. You’ll find the ARP name proudly stamped on each bolt as your assurance of quality. Vecchio Engineering highly recommends the use of these ARP BMW Mini Cooper Rod Bolts whenever replacing the original items. Forged in-house at ARP using only the finest quality materials. Heat-treated using special vertical racks to assure complete 360° penetration. Threads rolled after heat-treat to provide up to 10-times longer fatigue strength. Precision CNC-machined to exacting specifications. Specially designed for optimum reliability in each application. BMW MINI R56/R57/R58/R60/R61/R55 – (Gen 2) (PETROL MODELS ONLY)!! Mon – Fri 9.00am – 5.30pm. Sat – 9.00am – 4.00pm.