Wicked69

Dang, do I have the absolute worst luck? I scored a set of ARP head studs for pre 2004 5.3 but after two weeks it seems they were lost in the mail. I trust the guy who sent them. I was only going to give $50 and he offered to mail them even before getting the money.

With that said, do I need head studs or head bolts and do they need to be ARP? I am trying to do this on a budget. Thanks in advance. This site has helped a ton in my build so far.

5.3 out of a 2003 suburban Stock bottom end
Arp rod bolts
LS9 gaskets
Patriot Gold Dual valve springs
XER273 224/230 .581/.588 114
Twin Pt62/62's .58 AR on E85
LS2 HD timing Chain

The plan is to not exceed 19lbs of boost. That is the plan anyways. I am hoping to achieve my goal of sub 6 sec over the 1/8th mile. I also want this to last a while and therefore not get greedy. Wasn't sure if I could get away with bolts and a different brand if quite a bit cheaper.

dschmittie1

iTrader: (64)

Studs for sure. Much better clamping force than bolts. Also ARP is the way to go

HydroStream6

iTrader: (16)

ARP studs are the way to go. It's an extra $150 which is a drop in the bucket in a FI build.

With that said, I ran 14psi for years on ARP BOLTS and MLS gaskets with no issues.

Wicked69

That's true. Just didn't know if my build really justified using headstuds. I found some head studs that are pre 2004 for a good deal so I am going to go with them. Thanks.