IE forged drop-in rods upgrade the weak stock units without changing the factory pistons. Strengthening your VW/Audi 1.8T 20V 06A engine for a larger turbo or more boost and keep your engine running reliably.
When increasing the power output of your VW & Audi 20V 1.8T engine, internal parts begin to fail as they are pushed far beyond their original factory spec limits. Integrated Engineering Forged Connecting Rods are designed to replace the factory units and take the beating from today’s high-output power modifications. Drive fast and reliably with IE performance rods, guaranteed to support 700HP!
Product Features
Includes IE Spec ARP 2000 rod bolts with "IE" stamp to ensure a genuine product
Individual computer-optimized design to match unique VW/Audi engine applications
- Drop-in rod 19 mm tapered wrist pin for use with stock 19mm pistons only
- Forged from vacuum drawn 2 pieces 4340 chrome moly steel
- Upgraded H beam design greatly increases strength and durability
- Combination tested to 700HP on 4 cylinder engines
- Honed to exacting tolerances within 250 millionths of an inch
- Optional forced pin oiling (rifle drilling) for long wrist pin life
- Each connecting rod set is balanced to weights within +/- 1 gram
- Dimensionally and magnaflux inspected to ensure extreme reliability
- Multi-stage heat treated for dimensional stability and fatigue life
Technical Dimensions
- Center to Center: 144mm
- Wrist Pin Diameter: 19mm
- Big End Journal Width: 24.90mm
- Wrist Pin Style: Tapered
- Big End Journal Diameter: 50.60mm
- Average Rod Weight (with Bolts): 546 grams
- Rod Bolt Dimensions: 3/8" x 1.5" UHL
H Beam Design
The H-beam design is the workhorse of IE’s connecting rod product line. This design features strength, durability, stiffness, and rigidity. IE H-beam Connecting Rods are a great upgrade over weaker factory units.
Computer Optimized
All IE rods are designed specifically for the application using relevant cylinder pressure and other application-specific factors. IE puts IE’s vast European engine knowledge to use when designing each application.
Rifle Drilling
Also referred to as Forced Pin Oiling (FPO), rifle drilling increases wrist pin longevity by providing additional lubrication. This upgrade is highly recommended for street-driven cars that see mileage put on them. Rifle drilling is sold separately on this application.
Honed In-House
Honing the connecting rod big end in-house on state of the art equipment ensures the tolerances are set correctly to ensure proper bearing operation. Lesser quality rods are often not honed with the same attention to detail.
Material Forged 4340
Made from strong and durable 2 piece 4340 forgings these rods will withstand almost everything you can throw at them.
IE/ARP Rod Bolts
All IE rods come standard with ARP 2000 rod bolts. The rod bolts included in every set of IE rods are stamped with the letters "IE" as a way to ensure you have a genuine set of IE rods.
Torque Wrench
When using a high-quality torque wrench, first verify the torque wrench has not been dropped and is properly calibrated. A un-calibrated torque wrench can lead to under/over torque and rod bolt failure. Torque each rod bolt to a final torque of 50 ft/lbs. IE recommends torquing the bolt, breaking it loose, and re-torquing the bolt 3 times per bolt. This ensures proper rod bolt stretch and that the rod cap is fully seated. Do not exceed 50 ft/lbs. This torque spec is based off the included ARP assembly lubricant.
Technical Details
Connecting rods are some of the highest stressed components in an engine and thus require extreme attention to detail to ensure proper operation and reliability. Integrated Engineering ensures the success of your next engine build by putting each set of connecting rods through a rigorous quality control process. For years Integrated Engineering H-beam Rods have been an integral part of delivering the power that the highest powered turbo setups and race engines demand.
Extra attention has been paid to even the smallest details such as the bearing tangs, wrist pin fit, and big end side clearance, providing a level of fit and finish not found anywhere else. Each and every set is finish machined and honed in-house for perfectly round and on size big-end bores, resulting in the industry’s lowest failure rates. All rods in this series feature generous wrist pin oiling and optional rifle drilling. One of the hallmarks of a high quality connecting rod is its strength to weight ratio. In order to create this balance of strength and lightweight, IE’s optimized H beam design is utilized and validated using modern CAD drafting and FEA analysis techniques. These techniques ensure the rod is as light and strong as possible, perfected for today’s powerful and high rpm European applications.
Available Rod Bearings
- Mahle Motorsport performance rod bearings: IE Part Number: MAH-VC1027
- Calico/ACL performance coated rod bearings: IE Part Number: CAL-4B1606H
- OE replacement rod bearings: IE Part Number: OEM-18T-RBSET
Available Rod Install Kits
- 06A 1.8T Basic Rod Install Kit: IE Part Number: OEM-18T-RIK1
- Engine Codes: AMB, ARX, ARY, ATW, AUM, AWM, AWP, AWW, BJX
- 06A 1.8T Ultimate Rod Install Kit: IE Part Number: OEM-18T-RIK2
Are these are a direct replacement for my factory rods?
These rods fit several VW/Audi engines that use a 144x20mm rod.
Do these rods require any additional machine work for installation?
IE connecting rods are delivered to you in "ready to install" condition. Other engine machine work may be required though when rebuilding an engine, such as decking the block or boring and honing cylinder walls.
How much do these rods weigh?
The average weight of a single rod with bolts is 574 grams. Rod weights can vary slightly per set.
What is the maximum RPM limit of these rods?
The maximum RPM limit can be affected by many factors. In this application, IE suggests not exceeding 8500 RPM with ARP 2000 bolts. If you plan on exceeding this RPM level, consider upgrading to ARP 625+ bolts.
When should I upgrade to ARP 625+ rod bolts?
Generally speaking, high RPM conditions put the most stress on rod bolts as the rod and cap are literally being pulled in opposite directions.
Do I need rifle drilling?
Rifle drilling is not required. However, IE does strongly recommend it for daily driver and high mileage applications. Rifle drilling has been proven to extend wrist pin and bushing life and has also been utilized over the years in several VW/Audi factory connecting rods.
Vehicle Compatibility
What’s Included
- STRETCH GAUGE
Availability & Shipping
In stock and ships from a US warehouse. Standard Shipping applies to every order — rates are calculated at checkout. Some items may require additional processing time depending on the specific product and current demand. Track your order any time at eurospeed.co/pages/track for a live delivery estimate.
International orders ship via Economy International, with delivery typically 6–18 business days depending on destination and customs.
Delivery time depends on the product. Most in-stock parts ship within days, while carbon fiber and made-to-order items may require production time before they ship. For the specific timeline on any item, check the Availability & Shipping section on that product’s own page — the guide below covers our general shipping types.
Shipping Overview
Depending on the item, free air freight may be available for select carbon fiber components, with estimated shipping around 1–2 weeks after dispatch. Larger hoods, oversized body components, and certain made-to-order items may require sea freight and longer delivery windows. If timing is important, please contact us at support@eurospeed.co before placing your order.
Shipping Coverage
EuroSpeed ships to customers across the United States and internationally. Shipping is included in the price of eligible products for your convenience and covers the initial cost of delivery to your destination.
Import duties, taxes, clearance fees, or customs charges required by your destination country are not included and remain the recipient’s responsibility.
Order Processing & Fulfillment
Every order is reviewed, processed, and prepared before shipment. Most in-stock products are processed within 1–3 business days, though some orders may take up to 5 business days depending on fulfillment location, product type, order volume, or courier pickup timing.
EuroSpeed stocks select high-demand products at our U.S. facility and international fulfillment centers. Because our catalog includes many vehicle-specific and specialty parts, not every product is held in-house at all times.
Some orders may ship through our trusted fulfillment network, which may include verified manufacturing partners, authorized distributors, regional warehouses, and international fulfillment centers.
- Orders may ship from a U.S. warehouse, international warehouse, manufacturer, or authorized fulfillment partner.
- Some products may require additional handling, processing, production, or quality-check time before shipment.
- Orders enter fulfillment shortly after being placed and may no longer be eligible for cancellation once processing, production, or shipment preparation begins.
Custom, Made-To-Order & Oversized Items
Custom, made-to-order, and oversized product categories may include carbon fiber steering wheels, hoods, trunk lids, fenders, front lips, splitters, side skirts, diffusers, bumpers, body kits, widebody components, select spoilers, rear wings, and other large carbon fiber components.
Many carbon fiber items are made to order. Some products may already be stocked and ready to dispatch when available, but if inventory is unavailable, your purchase reserves the next available production slot instead of waiting for a separate restock listing.
Production time: Production can take 1–4 weeks depending on product type, selected options, finish, current queue, and quality-control timing.
Shipping time: Shipping can take 2–10 weeks depending on item size, freight method, destination, customs processing, carrier delays, warehouse transfers, and final delivery location. Carbon fiber steering wheels typically ship faster, with shipping usually taking 3–7 business days after dispatch.
By purchasing custom, made-to-order, or oversized items, you acknowledge and accept the extended production, fulfillment, and shipping timelines associated with these products.
Tracking Updates & Delays
All orders receive a tracking number once generated by the courier. Tracking may take 2–3 business days after dispatch to show movement in the courier’s system.
Certain international, oversized, or freight shipments may show limited updates during transfer between fulfillment locations, warehouses, customs, or final-mile carriers. In some cases, tracking is provided or begins updating once the item reaches a regional warehouse, local carrier, or final delivery network.
Shipping timelines are estimates and are not guaranteed. Delays caused by high order volume, weather conditions, customs inspections, carrier disruptions, production queues, warehouse transfers, holidays, or other external factors may occur and are outside of EuroSpeed’s direct control. These delays do not qualify for cancellations or refunds unless the carrier officially marks the package as lost.
Delivery Responsibility
Upon delivery, carefully inspect the item for visible defects or damage before signing for it. If the item is damaged or not as expected, do not accept the package. Once a damaged or defective product is accepted, EuroSpeed cannot cover return shipping costs.
EuroSpeed is not liable for packages marked as delivered by the carrier. If a package is lost, stolen, or missing after being marked as delivered, the customer must file a claim directly with the shipping carrier. Our team will assist with available documentation when needed.
Shipping addresses typically cannot be changed once an order has been marked as shipped. If an address change is possible through the carrier, any carrier redirect, correction, or address-change fee will be the customer’s responsibility.
Please ensure your shipping address is entered correctly at checkout. Orders shipped to incorrectly provided addresses are the customer’s responsibility. EuroSpeed is not responsible for failed deliveries, additional shipping costs, lost packages, or refunds caused by incorrect shipping information, failure to accept delivery, or failure to collect a package from the post office or carrier pickup location within the required time frame.
Customs, Duties & Import Fees
EuroSpeed’s free shipping policy does not include import fees, taxes, duties, clearance charges, or other fees required by your destination country. These charges are the responsibility of the recipient, and EuroSpeed is not responsible for any duties or taxes requested by local customs.
Most shipments clear customs automatically through the shipping provider. However, if additional information is needed to complete the process, our team will assist where possible to help ensure a smooth resolution.
If customs clearance fails and the item is returned or destroyed:
- EuroSpeed reserves the right to deny refund claims.
- Returned items may incur return shipping fees, which will be deducted from any eligible refund.
- Items deemed too costly to return may be destroyed, and no refund will be issued if this occurs.
Package Protection
For added peace of mind, EuroSpeed offers ShipInsure package protection as an optional service at checkout. When selected, this service provides coverage for lost or damaged packages. EuroSpeed is not responsible for shipping delays, lost packages, or damaged items if purchase protection is not selected during checkout.
- Protects against lost or damaged packages.
- Must be selected at checkout.
- Not all oversized body kit purchases are eligible. Please contact us before ordering if custom insurance arrangements are needed.
To file a claim, please visit our Claims Center.
- Claims must be filed within 14 days of delivery.
- Packages stuck in transit for 14 days are considered lost.
- Damage claims typically require photo evidence.
- A 2-day buffer after delivery may apply before lost or stolen claims can proceed.
- Police reports may be required for orders over $500 or where fraud is suspected.
- “Damaged” means the item is broken and unusable.
Questions?
For questions about your order, shipping timeline, customs clearance, or delivery status, please contact our team at support@eurospeed.co. We’re here to help.
Product Installation & Use Disclaimer
EuroSpeed is not liable for any damages, injuries, fitment issues, installation issues, or vehicle-related problems resulting from the installation, modification, misuse, or use of our products.
Products should be installed carefully and used only as intended. For complex installations, electrical components, performance parts, body components, or products requiring modification, professional installation is recommended to help ensure proper fitment, function, and safety.
Any damage caused by improper installation, misuse, modification, or failure to follow installation requirements is the sole responsibility of the customer. By purchasing, installing, or using this product, you acknowledge and accept all associated risks.