I dunno call me crazy but could we DIY our own head studs? I mean what's magical about the studs that ARP provide? Shorten the studs possibly, so what. These are just on the low end of what would constitute a 10.9 bolt strength, few $ on flange nuts and washers, a kit for way under 150$ compared to 270$ quoted on a major LR parts provider site

TE-CO Dbl End Thd Stud,7/16-14x4 OAL,PK2 - Double End Threaded Studs - 1DV15|40606 - Grainger Industrial Supply

 

I just went through the ARP head bolt/stud search.
Lucky8IIC has the best price around. $146 shipped (as of 3/18/14).

 

"Does ARP have bolts specially made for them?" seeing as all ARP does is make fasteners I would say no.
that is a great price.

 

Yeah that's too cheap to say no to.

 

ARP studs are rolled threads, with a lot of quality control, I cannot vouch for Grainger or where THEY source their supplies from, or how they are made????

All I can tell you is that there is a lot of Chinese made bolts in the US market; in fact a lot of Chinese merchandise generally in the US, perhaps too much some might say!

Now off topic on LR's but staying with ARP, its fairly well known that the 6,00 litre Ford Powerstroke diesel engine family is short of head bolts to stop the heads flapping up and down. And if you think LR's are gasket blowers the Ford 6,00 litre engine probably has the Nobel prize for it.

The often adopted fix is to use ARP studs instead of bolts as a prescribed fix.

I for one am not going to risk installing something from Grainger to save a paltry $100. Time is money and install something you can have confidence with.
Ten confianza
T/V

 

"I for one am not going to risk installing something from Grainger to save a paltry $100. Time is money and install something you can have confidence with"
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I fully agree. Some guys try to save a nickel here, a nickel there, not doing the job "right" the first time; only to find that they end up having to do the job twice; maybe even three times before they do it "right." Let us say that Jimmy, the Rover guy, installs new head gaskets, and uses the cheapest head gaskets he can find; uses standard Rover stretch head bolts. However, eventually, he finds that those standard head bolts either causes or at least contributed to stressing the heads in most critical areas, causing cracking behind one or more cylinder liners, when engine is overheated. Now, he is looking at removing one or more liners, TIG welding cracks, installing liners, or using another engine block, one with top hat liners or one with standard liners, buying new head gaskets, and new stretch bolts (they can be used only once). Now, you tell me how much he saved from his initial pinching pennies? If Jimmy is Irish, and really lucky, his head bolts happen to NOT cause cracking, but only his head gaskets fail. He is still in need of new head gaskets and new stretch head bolts. Hell, on something as critical as the aluminum heads, susceptible to warping from overheating, the block, susceptible to cracking behind cylinder liners during overheating, due to metal stresses exerted from liners and from the stresses within head bolt threaded holes, to head gaskets simply failing, why would one want to pinch pennies, with risk of having to do job again, maybe twice more, later? Personally, I want the best " top cab" multi layer stainless steel head gaskets, the finest stud/nut/washer head fasteners, all put together with the most care possible. That isn't to say it won't fail, but I think you have much higher chance of it not failing, IF you do as I suggest, and, at all cost, avoid overheating engine.