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Originally Posted by Brian Baker
Top Fuel uses billet cranks. Pro teams with heavily sponsored budgets may only use one for a half-dozen passes or so...and then they throw it away. They turn up on Ebay from time to time for around $150, and after machining to remove cracks, are perfect for lower HP applications.
The argument that if forged were stronger they would use them instead of billet is moot. The teams purchase these cranks in bulk quantities from the manufacturer's and for them (believe it or not) the turn around time on getting them is quicker than for us. Manufacturer's can turn out enmasse the same crank way ahead of time for them because they know they'll get the bulk orders. With us, we have to wait in line for them to "shut down the line" and reconfigure it for a Pontiac crank.
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FWIW: A
Quality forged made crank is stronger then a billet. But the initial cost to do forgings makes the billet cheaper to produce in smaller quantities.
Either way we have to take what we can get. ;(