K1 Technologies

About K1 Technologies

When serious engine builders need rotating assembly components they can trust at wide-open throttle, they turn to K1 Technologies. Based in Mentor, Ohio, K1 has built a reputation as one of the performance aftermarket's most respected manufacturers of engine crankshafts and engine connecting rods — earning the confidence of professional racers, custom engine builders, and enthusiasts who build for Chevy, Ford, AMC, and Chrysler platforms alike.

Engineering From the Ground Up

What separates K1 Technologies from generic offshore suppliers is a genuine in-house engineering process rooted in real-world performance experience. Every crankshaft and connecting rod design is developed at K1's Mentor, OH headquarters, drawing on years of accumulated racing knowledge and direct feedback from track-tested applications. Before a product ever reaches a customer, it goes through rigorous finite element analysis (FEA) to ensure maximum structural integrity under load.

All K1 Technologies connecting rods and crankshafts are manufactured from premium 4340 nickel-chrome-moly steel, chosen for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to fatigue. Component tolerances are held to some of the tightest specifications in the industry — rod bearing bore tolerances are held to +/- .0001" at the big end — ensuring consistent, repeatable geometry that professional engine builders demand.

Crankshafts Built for Power

K1's performance crankshafts are core-hardened to improve tensile strength and extend fatigue life, then 100% magnetic particle inspected for material consistency. Rod bearing journal surfaces are polished and nitrided to reduce friction and extend bearing life. Rifle-drilled mains and precision-ground journals round out a package engineered to handle serious horsepower.

Connecting Rods That Go the Distance

K1's connecting rods — available in H-beam configurations — are paired with industry-leading ARP fasteners as standard, with ARP 2000 bolts installed and torqued to precise specifications before honing to ensure accurate bearing bore geometry. Every set is weight-matched and dimensionally inspected in-house before packaging, so builders can balance their rotating assembly with confidence. Connecting rod sets make it easy to outfit an entire engine with matched, ready-to-install components.

Wide Application Coverage

K1 Technologies covers an impressive range of engine families — from Small Block and Big Block Chevy and LS platforms to Ford, Mopar, sport compact, and European applications. Whether the project is a bracket racer, a muscle car restoration, or a turbocharged street build, K1 components are engineered to deliver where it counts.