Hose clamps - wondering what styles were used over the years

[Mike "Hubbie" Stearns]

This is one for you history buffs. 
I use hose clamps at work quite a bit. I’ve seen several different styles over the years. I was just wondering what styles were used over the years. The only ones I see that are available today are the basic worm drive type. Thanks mike

[JV Puleo]

Cars from the 20s and earlier seem to have used "Sherman" clamps. They were originally developed in the mid-1890s so are appropriate for the earliest American case. the problem is that it's rare to find a pre-1930 car that still has it's original hose clamps but I was looking at an amazingly well preserved 1920 Cadillac yesterday that still has all the hoses with Sherman clamps.

 

 

[Terry Bond]

There was indeed a great variety of different brands and types of clamps used over the years.  If you are restoring an antique car tough, it's possible through research to determine which clamps were used on some vehicles.  Not saying that makes the search any easier for some really unusual and rare items, but if authenticity is important to you (or the judges), it might take a little digging and some restoration work to get things right.

Terry

[Mike "Hubbie" Stearns]

Yes I’m restoring but I’m not worried about judges. I’m just not going to spend that much time and money to make my truck 100% original. I would have ten times what it will be worth to do that. I’m a history buff and was just wondering what they used back then. The only ones I’ve seen are the tower clamp, the new ones and the ones that have a pair of wires with a screw and nut. Thanks mike

[HarryLime]

Post war Rolls Royce and Jaguar used "Jubilee" clamps . Impossible to find back in the '90s . Many English cars used the cotter pin and metal band . You can get those today but you need lots of money . 

[Pfeil]

11 hours ago, Mike "Hubbie" Stearns said:

This is one for you history buffs. 
I use hose clamps at work quite a bit. I’ve seen several different styles over the years. I was just wondering what styles were used over the years. The only ones I see that are available today are the basic worm drive type. Thanks mike

For G.M. cars you can still buy the old hose clamps that go back to the 30's-50's below

the 50's to early 60's wire type below;

 and the Tower type below;

[padgett]

GM used these through the 70s. Didn't work very well.

[a griffin]

I got lucky a few weeks back and found someone selling several boxes of NOS Sherman clamps for a little bit less than some Supply houses are selling them for. 

I've never been so happy to receive a box of clamps, had to share the experience with my wife. 

[Frank DuVal]

On 5/20/2021 at 5:04 PM, padgett said:

GM used these through the 70s. Didn't work very well.

???

 

I've never seen them not work. And, I just removed and reusued them on our 2015 Buick Encore. I had to replace the turbo cooling line seals, a very common repair I hear.

 

Maybe your picture is a different, earlier design. 

 

[mike6024]

 

These type are good fuel line clamps for a couple reasons. They don't have a sharp edge to cut into the line, and they don't pinch under the screw like the worm drive.

 

 

[mike6024]

On 5/20/2021 at 1:30 PM, HarryLime said:

Many English cars used the cotter pin and metal band . You can get those today but you need lots of money . 

Yes I've seen that on fuel lines. Also can be used for much larger hoses. Here you can but it for $35.

 

https://classicalfa.com/wa070-original-style-hose-clip-set/

 

[mike6024]

  Romablok

 

[AutoMechanic]

In school I was always trained replace any hose clamp with the worm gear style because they are far superior. I agree with that completely and do it on everything. All the clamps on my beetle have been switched to modern worm gear style. Those pinch ones get on my nerves I can never pinch them without hurting myself. I know they make special tools for them but it’s just a hassle instead of using a nut driver to take off or tighten the worm gear style. Everyone at my shop discards those pinch style unless something in the repair manual says to use those. 

[Bloo]

I have to disagree, Worm type clamps, as I learned in tech school, do not have a round clamping surface. This leads to uneven pressure and leaks. you can see it if you just tighten it to about how tight it will be and then hold it up in the air and look at it. Or, you could just look at a used one that was recently removed from a car. There are 2 corners at the end of the worm housing. They also extrude rubber through the worm slots and damage the hose. OK for a radiator hose I guess, if you feel lucky, but pretty scary on fuel. In the 1990s, the quality of them got so bad that they would release the worm with a snap, unwind, and fall off, sometimes days after being tightened. Admittedly they are a little better now. I don't use them at all if I can avoid it. Every clamp pictured so far is better than a worm clamp, although all of them are harder to use, I'll give you that. As for the spring clamps, they are about the roundest of the bunch. About 4 or 5 years ago, as preventative maintenance I replaced all the original coolant hoses on my 1990 300,000+ mile Mazda Miata. Three or four of the spring clamps were weak or damaged. I just got replacements for the marginal ones when I ordered the new hoses. No leaks ever. If GM cant make those clamps work, maybe they need lessons.

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

16 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:

???

 

I've never seen them not work. And, I just removed and reusued them on our 2015 Buick Encore. I had to replace the turbo cooling line seals, a very common repair I hear.

 

Maybe your picture is a different, earlier design. 

 

Frank, you are correct and are now the design of choice with almost all manufacturers going back to the 80's in some cases. 

[Pfeil]

11 hours ago, Bloo said:

I have to disagree, Worm type clamps, as I learned in tech school, do not have a round clamping surface. This leads to uneven pressure and leaks. you can see it if you just tighten it to about how tight it will be and then hold it up in the air and look at it. Or, you could just look at a used one that was recently removed from a car. There are 2 corners at the end of the worm housing. They also extrude rubber through the worm slots and damage the hose. 

 

 

 

 

So true Bloo ! and the smaller the worm clamp the worse it gets in distorting the hose. I remember when I worked for VW as a line mechanic and later in unit repair 50 years ago every car that came into the shop got worm clamps tossed in the trash. 

[Frank DuVal]

Then there are worm drive hose clamps that are too expemnsive for OEMs to use on cars, like the constant torque versions.:

 

https://www.breezehoseclamps.com/breeze/constant-torque/

 

I have used them a lot on industrial cooling hoses. No issues.

[clampguy1]

On 5/20/2021 at 2:55 PM, Mike "Hubbie" Stearns said:

This is one for you history buffs. 
I use hose clamps at work quite a bit. I’ve seen several different styles over the years. I was just wondering what styles were used over the years. The only ones I see that are available today are the basic worm drive type. Thanks mike

For all you history buffs out there, the evolution of hose clamps is quite fascinating. Over the years, various styles have been developed, each with its own unique design and application. Here’s a brief overview of some of the different types used historically and what you might encounter today:

1. Worm Drive Clamps: These are the most common type seen today. Invented in the early 20th century, they consist of a band and a screw housing that tightens around the hose as the screw is turned.

2. Spring Clamps: Also known as constant-tension clamps, these have been widely used in automotive applications. They are made of spring steel and maintain a constant tension, adjusting with temperature changes to prevent leaks.

3. Wire Clamps: These were among the earliest hose clamps, typically made from a single piece of wire twisted into a loop. They were often used in simpler, low-pressure applications.

4. Ear Clamps: These have one or more “ears” that are pinched to tighten the clamp. They provide a more uniform compression and are often used in pneumatic and fuel line applications.

5. T-Bolt Clamps: These provide a more robust and reliable clamping force, often used in high-pressure applications such as turbocharged engines and industrial machinery.

6. Oetiker Clamps: Named after their manufacturer, these clamps are similar to ear clamps but are designed for permanent, single-use applications. They are commonly used in medical and beverage industries.

Today, while the worm drive clamp is ubiquitous and readily available, it's interesting to see how different styles have evolved to meet various needs over time.

On a side note, while researching various components for my projects, I recently came across a good deal on a Cummins/Paccar DPF Gasket 5417859, which might be useful if you're working with engines and exhaust systems.

Hope this satisfies your curiosity about the history of hose clamps!

Edited August 2 by clampguy1 (see edit history)