The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post - 47-55.1 Hose clamp vs spring clamp

**1project2many** · 03-14-2019, 01:21 PM

The spring clamps in use today are called "constant tension" clamps. They will self-tighten over time as the hose changes shape and size. We have vehicles that will go 200k miles without requiring clamp or hose replacement, in part due to the type of clamp. For many years one of our "old school" technicians insisted on throwing out the spring clamps for worm clamps. It took several months of my interrupting his work, dragging him out on road calls for coolant leaks due to reduced tension by the worm clamp, for him to decide that constant tension clamps have their place.

There are special pliers available for expanding constant tension clamps and I recommend investing in a set if you decide to use the new clamps. This set is very handy and has worked for me for most situations. This pair is a little more complex but it is very helpful if the clamp is hidden.

Also, there are some very effective heat shrink clamps. If you are not expecting to remove the hoses any time soon these clamps shrink onto a hose so tightly that the hose has to be cut to remove them.

03-14-2019, 01:21 PM	#2
1project2many Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Lakes Region NH Posts: 3,217	Re: Hose clamp vs spring clamp The spring clamps in use today are called "constant tension" clamps. They will self-tighten over time as the hose changes shape and size. We have vehicles that will go 200k miles without requiring clamp or hose replacement, in part due to the type of clamp. For many years one of our "old school" technicians insisted on throwing out the spring clamps for worm clamps. It took several months of my interrupting his work, dragging him out on road calls for coolant leaks due to reduced tension by the worm clamp, for him to decide that constant tension clamps have their place. There are special pliers available for expanding constant tension clamps and I recommend investing in a set if you decide to use the new clamps. This set is very handy and has worked for me for most situations. This pair is a little more complex but it is very helpful if the clamp is hidden. Also, there are some very effective heat shrink clamps. If you are not expecting to remove the hoses any time soon these clamps shrink onto a hose so tightly that the hose has to be cut to remove them.