Rockers?? A must??
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Pa
Rockers?? A must?? I recently had a TR 224/224 cam, comp 918's, tit retainers, and chromeoly pushrods installed. I didnt buck out for rockers, but are they really worth it?? Would u recommend me saving some cash and getting them installed? do they add horsepower or just reliability?? thanks
Originally Posted by Nasty Hawk
I recently had a TR 224/224 cam, comp 918's, tit retainers, and chromeoly pushrods installed. I didnt buck out for rockers, but are they really worth it?? Would u recommend me saving some cash and getting them installed? do they add horsepower or just reliability?? thanks
If you're looking for another performance modification, roller rockers aren't for you. Most say an 8-10 HP gain, but most just get them strengthen and quiet down the valvetrain a bit.
As Venom said, mostly they are for piece of mind. The stock rockers have been known to fall apart. And higher lift cams & higher rpms only make it worse. I gained 15rwhp with 1.8 rockers, but I only have a Hot Cam. You wouldn't want to use those on your cam. You might gain 5-10hp from 1.7s. But mostly you would not end up with roller bearings in your oil pan! 
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Pa
thanks for the replies. probly save up this winter and get a nice set. i dont drive the car much in the winter so it should be cool. What brand would u recommend or they all about the same? I see yella terra's are cheaper than most others.
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Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Houston,TX
Originally Posted by Nasty Hawk
thanks for the replies. probly save up this winter and get a nice set. i dont drive the car much in the winter so it should be cool. What brand would u recommend or they all about the same? I see yella terra's are cheaper than most others.
Originally Posted by mnc2886
I hear a lot of great stuff about yella terras. I'm going to get a set when I can.
I think we can mostly agree that some type of rocker upgrade is a "good" idea since the stock ones are known to puke out their bearings. The next step is what to buy....either upgrade the stock rockers or go to an aftermarket set. Some say H.S., others Comps, Y.T. and the list goes on. All of these seem to be heavier than stock which is a bad "feature" but most guys will add the weight in the interest of reliability. Are there any reasons why one brand is better than the next?
Can somebody explain to me exactly what "needle bearings" are? I see them referred to all the time when talking about stock rockers, and people saying they've found the needle bearings in the oil pan. Also, it sounds like you can use higher ratio rockers (1.8's ?) on a lower lift cam to get the most hp? But on a higher lift cam, you can't or shouldn't go to the higher ratio, and should instead stick with the stock ratio (1.7 ?) even in an aftermarket rocker? Any explanations are appreciated, I'm new to trying to understand all this valvetrain stuff. 
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Originally Posted by 99Z28vert
Can somebody explain to me exactly what "needle bearings" are? I see them referred to all the time when talking about stock rockers, and people saying they've found the needle bearings in the oil pan. Also, it sounds like you can use higher ratio rockers (1.8's ?) on a lower lift cam to get the most hp? But on a higher lift cam, you can't or shouldn't go to the higher ratio, and should instead stick with the stock ratio (1.7 ?) even in an aftermarket rocker? Any explanations are appreciated, I'm new to trying to understand all this valvetrain stuff.
here is a link to a pic for you too see (these arent from a rocker but there the same thing) http://www.off-road.com/atv/qra/need...ng_409x480.jpg They are the litte rusted things laying everywhere.
1.8 ROckers arent recommended wiht higer lift cam. Just put hte size lift cam that you want and get 1.7 rockers.
As for brand, I have Harland Sharpe and I love them. Theri about 1/2 of the YT's and THey are awsome quality. You can get a set in teh mid $300 range.
Good luck.
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Yep and prettier too! 
Originally Posted by shaneSS
As for brand, I have Harland Sharpe and I love them. Theri about 1/2 of the YT's and THey are awsome quality. You can get a set in teh mid $300 range.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Personally, I would recommend the HS rockers. I bought mine from Nasty here, and he is a great source of info if you want more details than we provide. YTs are good too, but cost more. ($300 vs ~600) There is another brand that some people say are "the best"....can't recall the brand at the moment. (more $ yet) They are shaft mounted, meaning all 8 are connected together. Which is stronger (no side to side motion) but are a PITA to install. Getting the lash figured out & set right, no binding, etc.