Parts Bin: Aftermarket Cummins Crankshafts

In the second installment of our parts bin series we’re talking about aftermarket crankshafts for your diesel truck.

In the diesel world, there are not a lot of options for aftermarket cranks. A Cummins crank from the factory is quite strong, but also really expensive. That’s why were looking at a few of the aftermarket offerings from Hamilton Cams. We’ve got two to look at, and we’ll cover each.

Hamilton Cams Stock Replacement Crank

The Hamilton Cams stock replacement crank is almost identical to a stock Cummins crankshaft. It is a full weight, normal crank and is a great replacement options at a better price to a genuine Cummins OEM crankshaft.

The stock replacement crank weighs in at about 135lbs and retains all the stock counterweights. This is especially important for manual transmissions. If you dump the clutch, the engine won’t die. The extra rotational weight provides torque to keep the engine running.

Hamilton Cams Lightened Crank

The Hamilton Cams lightened crankshaft is the offering for hot rod applications. The lightweight crank tips the scales at approximately 100lbs. This crankshaft has some really cool features that are not found on the stock cranks.

To save weight on this crankshaft, Hamilton has removed all the counterweights from the shaft. This is great because it requires less power to get the crank spinning up to speed. The engine may die if you dump the clutch, but that should be a small worry if you’re looking at a hot rod truck.

The lightweight crank has a second dowel hole align your gear. To understand this, you need to know that many p-pump guys will weld their gear to the crank to keep it from slipping or spinning on the shaft. The stock single dowel hole just gets sheared off. The second hole Hamilton has added will give enough hold and strength that welding the gear is no longer required.

Final Thoughts on Crankshafts

If you’re looking to build a 6.7L Cummins, these give you a couple of options to build the engine you want. Just remember that regardless of which way you go, you need to have the crankshaft tested to verify that the dimensions are correct and that it is in balance. Both of these had minor work needed before they were ready to go into an engine. This should not alarm you as every crank we get even from Cummins needs a little work to make it perfect. Make sure you do this with yours. Don’t just throw it in.

We have both of these crank options available in the shop. If you have questions about one of these Hamilton crankshafts for your truck, give us a call at 435-962-9555 or text us at 435-962-9506 or leave us a comment below. Don’t forget to follow us on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram for more product tests. Leave us a comment below about what you’d like us to cover next.