Connecting Rod

What is Connecting Rod and How Does it Work?

 

If you go in depth with your vehicle’s engine, you will find a metallic linkage between piston and the crankshaft. You may wonder to think about such an arrangement with the piston. In a word, it is just a force transmitting element. Its main function is to transmit the force from the piston to the crankshaft, and this force is generated due to the combustion of air-fuel mixture. Most interesting matter is that it also aids to convert the reciprocating motion of piston into rotary motion in the combustion stroke.

According to the basic engine design, the upper end of the connecting rod is connected to the piston, and the lower end of the connecting rod is fitted to the crankshaft. Practically, you will find the bottom end bigger than the top end. According to manufacturer details, very special aluminum or steel alloys are used to manufacture the connecting rod. You need to take special care while designing connecting rod as it is directly subjected to bending, tensile, and compression stresses.