Clevite Engine Connecting Rod Bearing

Clevite Connecting Rod Bearings: Precision Built for Every Engine Application

When it comes to protecting the critical interface between your connecting rods and crankshaft journals, few names carry as much weight as Clevite. The brand's engine connecting rod bearings are trusted by amateur builders and professional racing teams alike — and with good reason. Since the development of the first precision insert-type bearing in 1929, Clevite bearings have set the pace for engineering quality, exceeding industry standards for strength and durability. Clevite engine bearings have been winning NASCAR sanctioned races since the very first NASCAR championship in 1948, powering every NASCAR champion since then to Victory Lane.

The TriMetal™ Advantage

At the heart of most Clevite rod bearings is the legendary TriMetal™ construction. Most Clevite performance bearings use a special TriMetal™ design, first developed 50 years ago and perfected over time — a copper-lead alloy added to a steel back, then electroplated with a white metal surface layer that produces an ideal degree of conformability, embedability, slipperiness, and fatigue resistance. H-Series rod bearings, for example, feature a Babbitt outer layer, a copper-lead alloy second layer, and a precision steel back capable of carrying loads up to 12,000 PSI.

Clevite 77 Rod Bearing Series Guide

One of the most compelling aspects of Clevite's connecting rod bearing lineup is the breadth of purpose-built series, each tuned for specific engine conditions and performance demands:

• H-Series: H-Series TriMetal™ bearings are engineered with a medium level of eccentricity, high crush, and enlarged chamfers for greater crankshaft fillet clearance — the best choice of performance bearings to start with if unsure which series to use.
• HC-Series (TriArmor™): These bearings offer the strength and durability of the legendary Clevite TriMetal bearing construction coupled with the latest in coating technology. HC coated bearings feature a moly/graphite, high pressure, high load, dry film treatment that provides intermittent dry lubrication unaffected by dust or dirt.
• F-Series: F-Series TriMetal™ bearings were developed for high performance and competition engine applications, utilizing a hardened steel back and lead-tin-indium-alumina electroplated overlay over Clevite's cast bronze lead substrate — improving seizure resistance 126% over conventional H-Series TriMetal bearings.
• P-Series: P-Series parts are among the oldest of the Clevite high performance bearings, with rod bearings in this series typically having the greatest amount of eccentricity. Both rods and mains feature high crush for maximum retention and a reduced overlay thickness to prevent overlay fatigue, with rod bearings using a hardened steel back for added strength and resistance to fretting.
• V-Series: The V-Series race bearings are distinguished by their use of a lead-indium overlay, which offers somewhat better conformability than lead-tin-copper overlay, with slightly reduced wear resistance.
• M-Series: Clevite "Micro" M-Series bearings are special-purpose bearings with a nominal .006" thick babbitt lining on a hardened steel back, with rod bearings slightly narrowed at one end to provide extra fillet clearance without the need of a large chamfer.

Coverage for Street and Competition Engines

Clevite rod bearings come in a wide assortment of styles for a huge range of vehicles — from mild to wild — made to meet or exceed OEM standards for strength and durability. Whether you are rebuilding a daily driver, refreshing a classic muscle car, or assembling an all-out competition engine, there is a Clevite connecting rod bearing spec engineered for the task. Most Clevite rod and main bearings utilize the well-known TriMetal CL-112 construction. With 89 products in this category spanning standard and undersize fitments across a wide range of domestic and import applications, finding the right bearing for your build is straightforward.