Automotive Racing Products (ARP), an established name in performance fasteners, recently displayed its new fastener kit aimed at DART LS Next engine blocks at the 2024 PRI event. This addresses the high demand for stronger, more reliable fastening solutions in high-performance engine builds.

As Justin Phillips, Specialty Products Coordinator at ARP, explains, this new kit uses “8740 chrome moly material. So it’s one step up from what a typical material would be for an OEM fastener…” This immediately sets the kit apart from standard kits on the market.

Engine builders often choose the DART LS Next engine block. Builders often seek components that can withstand increased stress. ARP recognized this demand and developed a dedicated fastener kit. Phillips confirms this, stating the kit “will cover a wide range. It’ll cover naturally aspirated builds. It’ll cover something with a decent amount of force induction.”

The new kit is characterized by the material used in its construction. ARP uses 8740 chromoly steel, a material known for its strength and toughness. The manufacturing process further extends these fasteners’ capabilities. ARP uses a rolling process to create the threads on both sides of each fastener. This offers a noteworthy advantage compared to traditional cut threads.

New and revised kits for 2025 by ARP include both 15- and 23-bolt kits for Dart’s LS Next iron block.

The rolled threads substantially increase the fastener’s fatigue strength. Phillips emphasizes this benefit: “…rolled threads on both sides help fatigue strength by upwards of 10- to 15-times over just cut threads.” He also adds that “All threads are rolled after heat treatment, which also adds strength increases.”

The technical specifications also impress. Phillips notes the Rockwell hardness is “somewhere in the 39 to 43 on the C scale,” placing it in a similar range to “typical grade 12.9,” a common OEM-fastener grade.

This new fastener kit offers engine builders practical benefits. It also provides a reliable solution for those wanting to build high-performance engines based on the DART LS Next block. The design addresses the needs of these popular engines, whether they use natural aspiration or forced induction. 

With this new kit by ARP, builders now enjoy increased strength, durability, and reliability. The application of premium material combined with precise manufacturing methods makes the product highly valuable to every serious engine builder and enthusiast.