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Elevate Your Off-Road Adventure: How ARP Fasteners Enhance Overlanding

Provided by ARP September 11, 2024 Feature Stories PROVIDED BY ARP

ARP products produce off-road excellence

Overlanding often involves going off the beaten path to places less traveled. As such, reliability is a primary concern. And while most overlanders don’t employ a fully race-prepped 4×4 that’s ready for the Baja 1000, there are several key areas where off-roading expertise comes into play.

Most everyone interested in any form of racing has heard of ARP, the company that has developed superior quality fasteners for virtually any applications, and manufactures them totally in-house at their California facilities to assure total quality control. While many race cars and trucks are assembled almost totally with ARP chrome moly steel fasteners, there are a number of areas where they make sense for normal off-road use.

Ideal for chassis and suspension dependability, ARP’s polished stainless steel bolts are fully 20% stronger than Grade 8 hardware.
Auxiliary oil and transmission coolers can be securely mounted with ARP’s polished stainless steel bolts that are impervious to the elements.
Tucking filters away is another task for ARP “bulk” accessory bolts.

Let’s start with wheel studs, which are subject to constant abuse. In addition to ARP’s wheel studs being rated at 190,000 psi tensile strength (some 63% stronger than common Grade 5 hardware), they come in a variety of lengths that are ideally suited for use with aftermarket wheels. It’s important that the stud length is such that it protrudes out of the lug nut by several threads (some racing associations deem it necessary for the stud to protrude a distance equal to its diameter, others call for protrusion of at least half the stud’s diameter). ARP wheel studs are also cadmium plated for extra durability.

Needless to say, it’s important that the lug nuts be properly torqued to apply the necessary clamping load. In addition to the threads being clean, applying ARP Ultra-Torque fastener lubricant ensures getting between 95-100% of the desired preload on the first “pass” of the torque wrench. Other lubricants have been found to be inconsistent, and require several tighten/loosen/tighten cycles to mitigate friction.

ARP manufactures special fasteners for Edelbrock and Holley carburetors and intake manifolds.
Bottom end security for most engines is assured through use of high strength ARP main cap and connecting rods bolts.
Here’s an intake manifold installed on a NASCAR engine from ECR utilizing ARP’s polished stainless steel bolts.
ARP has prepared dedicated product guides for three popular engines; Chevy LS/LT, Ford Coyote and Chrysler Gen III Hemi.

Additional driveline-bolstering fasteners include specially designed flywheel and flexplate bolts that feature a large 12-point head and an enlarged shank that provides improved register. They are made of chrome moly steel and substantially stronger than Grade 8 hardware. Similarly improved bolts are available for securing clutch plates and torque converters.

Critical engine fasteners are, of course, the mainstay of ARP’s business. It’s important to point out that most vehicles for the past 30-plus years have been manufactured using TTY (torque to yield) fasteners. While they are certainly adequate for normal use, they are yielded by design and should never be reused. The addition of power-adders to an engine can also compromise OEM fasteners. It should be noted that all ARP head and main studs (or bolts), rod bolts, etc. are engineered to provide additional clamping force and have an extra margin of safety.

Key fastener upgrades include ARP’s 190,000 psi rated balancer bolt and stainless steel timing cover bolts.
Here’s a GM LS-series block with a bottom-end that’s enhanced with ARP main cap and connecting rod bolts.
The top end of this GM LS-series engine is enhanced with high strength ARP head studs.

ARP’s polished stainless steel fasteners can be employed in a number of ways on an overlanding vehicle or trailer, such as attaching racks and other accessories. They are manufactured from a proprietary alloy that’s rated at 180,000 psi tensile strength —fully 20% stronger than premium Grade 8 hardware. More importantly, they are virtually impervious to the elements and will provide years and years of trouble-free service without rusting or corroding. They are available by size in handy 5-packs and range from small #10-32 x ½-inch long hex-headed or 12-point bolts to big ½-inch o.d. by 6-inch long bolts offered in SAE fine and coarse thread, as well as Metric sizes. Black oxide finished 8740 chrome moly bolts, also rated at 180,000 psi, also available in all sizes.

Larger sized bolts, 3/8-inch, 7/16-inch and 1/2-inch in diameter merit consideration for mounting critical suspension components, such as shock absorbers, sway bars, control arms and the like. Factory hardware is subject to fatigue, and in some parts of the country corrosion is the culprit for fastener failure. There are SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) case histories of suspension problems related to failed fasteners.

ARP main studs and bolts combine to secure the main caps on this Chevy, while stainless steel oil pan studs are also employed.
In addition to manufacturing bolts to secure oil pans, ARP also offers a variety of stud kits. Both bolts and studs are available in polished stainless steel or black oxide finished 8740 chrome moly.
ARP manufactures special “Reduced Wrenching” bolts that are ideal for installing things in tight quarters.
There are many elements to consider when determining the correct fastener to use.

When procuring heavy-duty replacement bolts for suspension use it’s important to  make sure all the dimensions are the same. This includes the shank diameter, underhead length, thread length and grip length. Other variables are the collar diameter, thread pitch, head type and height.

To augment its lineup of bolts and studs ARP also manufactures a full assortment of hex and 12-point nuts for all sized fasteners, including Nylon type self-locking designs. Don’t let your next adventure be thwarted by a failed fastener. Get reliability “insurance” with premium grade, Made In USA, nuts, bolts and studs.”

Source: ARP 1863 Eastman Ave. Ventura, CA 93003 ARP-bolts.com 800-826-3045

Polished  stainless steel fasteners can enhance the appearance of an engine, too. Here’s a LT throttle body bolt kit.
The popular Gen III Hemi engine found in Ram pickups can be fortified with ARP main studs and rod bolts.
Driveline security is enhanced with ARP’s polished stainless steel hardware, shown here on a bell housing and Muncie trans.
To assure proper valve train geometry ARP manufactures special rocker arm studs for the LS. They are centerless ground to assure concentricity.
The use of ARP’s polished stainless steel header studs with their special “nut starter” nose facilitates holding the gasket in position while gliding the header flange into place.
ARP fasteners were employed extensively in this GM LS engine build, including head studs.
ARP’s polished stainless steel and black oxide finished 8740 chrome moly bolts (12-point or hex head) are offered in complete Engine & Accessory Fastener Kits, by individual application, or by size.
Here are ARP rocker arm studs awaiting the installation of the rocker arms. Their spot-on concentricity assures proper valve train alignment.
ARP offers both polished stainless steel and black oxide finished 8740 chrome moly bolts in a huge variety of sizes. They are sold in 5-packs.
Special high strength flywheel (or flex-late) bolts assure improved driveline reliability. They’re also available to install clutch assemblies and torque converters.
Use of high strength ARP head studs is beneficial in high performance applications. Shown here is a Ford Coyote engine.
ARP’s polished stainless steel fasteners can be employed to secure a rear end 3rd member and pinion support.
To assure precise fastener preloading ARP has developed a lubricant that will provide 95-100% of the desired clamping force on the first (and any subsequent) “pull” of the torque wrench.
Going off-road puts extra strain on the driveline. ARP has developed extra heavy-duty wheel studs for most popular applications.
Polished stainless steel bolts are available by size ranging from a tiny #10-32 x 1/2” length to big 1/2” diameter bolts up to 6” long.
Leading NASCAR racers employ ARP exhaust header bolts and other stainless steel fasteners to assure total reliability.

Editor’s Note: A version of this article appeared in TREAD Jan/Feb 2024.

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