In 1999, Bruce Crower denounced MID-LIFT™ in a letter while simultaneously copying the Patented MID-LIFT™ principles to revise several of their over-arcing rocker arms they'd been selling for decades. They kept the same part number, hoping to hide this.

 

Later, Crower began promoting "half-lift" in their Master Catalog as "Engineering the Science of Geometry." After 30 years the industry finally came around to admit MID-LIFT™ was the best geometry; even though some big names still continue selling their old junk.

When the MID-LIFT™ Patent was issued in 1982, many companies didn't even know about it or didn't recognize its significance until years later. (See: The LUNATI Factor) If Crower admitted to the inaccuracy of their designs then their credibility as a leader of whatever they promoted would suffer. By 1998, they had quietly copied MID-LIFT™.

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Crower produced a stainless steel rocker arm for decades. Even though it was typical of the industry's inaccurate over-arcing geometry, it opened the valve and many were sold. In 1992 Car Craft published an article by Chevrolet's Race Shop stating MID-LIFT was their preferred geometry. Crower's brother-in-law and appointed rocker arm designer, Loren Harris began rethinking their designs; and by 1998 Crower began redesigning their rocker arms from this "new" information. The only problem was they were infringing on the long standing MILLER Patent; and second: their "new" designs didn't even receive a new part number. Crower didn't seem to consider or care that an engine builder might replace partial sets during a refresh and the original pushrods would be .150" too long. Plus, in spite of their efforts, Crower was still off several degrees.

 

In 1999 as well as 2016, companies under pressure to explain their various rocker arm designs fail to define what rocker geometry really is. Instead, they have resorted to misinformation and renaming products, apparently in the hope that no one will notice. Crower now publishes excerpts of MID-LIFT™ technology in their catalog, called "half-lift" to imply this is "their" science, as if trying to erase decades of wrong rockers.

 

But Crower is not the only company that has pilfered MID-LIFT™ technology before the Patent expired in December of 2000. Chevrolet racing copied MID-LIFT™ in 1992 and Chrysler's team racing group copied it in 1999. After the Patent expired in 2000, T&D changed their designs, their instructions and their installation tool to mimic MID-LIFT™ principles from designs they originally copied from JESEL years earlier. Whatever. All these companies make good products; and most are run by good people with the same competitive nature that drives the racing industry. But it's always sad when a successful company needs to appropriate the innovation of others, to then call their own.

 

MID-LIFT Advanced Rocker Arm Tech (available in paperback on Amazon for $87.50) will ARM you with what you need to know. Period. This full color paperback can be bought HERE, on sale at a 25% discount for $65.62 (plus $7.50 shipping in U.S.). A hi-resolution PDF digital download is available for $65.53. Buy either one, and within 30 days you can buy the other for only $20.00. Simply E-Mail us after your first purchase.