Cast Steel Vs Forged Steel Crankshaft

The term forged crank has become all but generic but the differences can be as significant as those between a casting and forging itself.

Cast steel vs forged steel crankshaft. A finite element analysis of the crankshafts was conducted using boundary conditions similar to the component test. The cast 440 cranks are not cast iron they re cast from steel. Cast vs forged crankshaft cast crankshafe is one time shaping process while forged crankshaft need to be forged many times. For the uninitiated the two major differences between cast and forged cranks include the material and forming process.

The best and most sure method for recognizing a forged crank is to look for the parting lines on the. A forging should have a thicker ground parting line. From the side of internal organization the performance of forged crankshaft is more stable than that of cast ctankshaft. A forged steel factory crankshaft is usually a good compromise of cost and strength especially when purchased used.

These crankshafts will hold up in more demanding applications than cast crankshafts but still need some prep work before being used in racing applications. I would imagine like a crankshaft you should see a sharp casting line on the part if it s cast. For a given bending moment amplitude the forged steel crankshaft had a factor of six 6 longer life than the ductile cast iron crankshaft. To make a cast crankshaft they heat up iron or steel until it is melted then pour it into a mold the same as with cast pistons.

Like cast pistons there is less finish machining to do so they cost less. And further heat treatment processes are also not the same.