ACL bearings: Performance without compromise
October 26, 2023
Sliding bearings: These play a prominent role in the engine block. The main task in a bearing's life is to generate and support load-transmitting oil films under even the most extreme conditions. An engine will only keep running smoothly if the lubrication is right. If not, you risk damage to connecting rod bearings or crankshaft bearings. Or worse: damage to the crankshaft. You can confidently choose ACL, one of our quality-bearing brands. ACL is an Australian company (Tasmania) that has been researching 'precision engine bearings' and 'performance engine bearings' for 70 years.
ACL Race Bearings and ACL Bearings
| ACL is, first and foremost, a well-known parts supplier to the automotive industry. That certainly counts: ACL's years of experience in all fast sports, such as the Australian V8 SupercarTM Championship, drag racing, speedway, drifting, and rallying. All that experience in motorsport goes back to the 1960s, when the Brabham Formula 1 cars were the star of every track. Remarkable detail: the only and, for now, last Australian team to become Formula One world champion. Even more remarkable: the first time a driver-builder won in his own car was Jack Brabham himself in 1966. There are none other than legend Bernie Ecclestone on the team. Even Max Verstappen's father (Jos) had yet to be born back then . . . ACL likes to say: "Motorsport is in our DNA". And "When developing new bearings, we always listen to the pros who are going to drive them". No wonder they have already earned many great reviews from professional racers and drifters. Gradually, the rest of the world discovered that there are engineers and product developers at ACL who know their stuff. For over 20 years, for instance, ACL has seen Wilmink as an important partner for Europe (with a clear understanding of the business), with brands such as ACL Duraglide and ACL Race Series in its range. In the ACL Race Series alone, you can choose from 250 different engine types, including American muscle cars and race cars, as well as Japanese, Korean, and European applications. | |
Unique Calico coating
At ACL, they are constantly working to improve bearings' operation and service life. A bearing consists of ultra-thin layers of different thicknesses with different tasks. Together, these act to maximize bearing toughness. Among others are crafted copper, nickel, aluminum, lead, and tin alloys. How exactly, that is the secret of ACL. They said, "If you place demands on your engine, demand the best."
Among other things, ACL uses its partner company Calico's unique coating. This is a unique 'dry film' coating thanks to a minimal thickness finishing layer (less than a tenth of a millimeter). It moderates the interaction between shaft and bearing, improving system durability under extreme conditions.
View the Calico Catalogue here
The smart Flexigauge
| At ACL, they think of everything. Including the sometimes repetitive tasks that a race team's maintenance team faces. Where everything has to be right because every second counts. For those places that are difficult to reach with standard measuring instruments, there is the Flexigauge, a thin plastic strip made with extreme precision, with which you can properly check the clearance control. Available in four sizes, it allows you to check all variants of clearance in engine blocks. | |
Chevrolet applications
| Thanks to proven performance, it has become a popular engine in the performance world: the Chevrolet LS V8 engine. Firstly, because it is a block that is easy to tune. Moreover, the Chevrolet LS is compact, exceptionally powerful, reliable, and relatively affordable, and parts are always quickly available. | |
For all ACL products, please visit our webshop or contact our specialists at performance@wilminkgroup.com.