[MG-70]

Now that the temperatures are starting to warm up, I'm planning to do some maintenance and one of the things is replacing the power steering hose, or metal tube, that curves around the front and runs low, heading back towards the firewall. I think it's the called the intermediate power steering return hose. I'm also planning on buying a section of rubber hose and swapping it in for the smaller, front-most, hose going into the Power Steering fluid reservoir, which despite having it's OEM band clamp (not to be confused with band camp) And a worm type clamp that I added a few years ago, the darn thing insists on leaking, running down along the hose and making a mess of things. The leak isn't enough to drop below the Low line, but it's irritating and cleaning takes a while.

SO, in addition to replacing the smaller reservoir hose, which I have discovered here on the site is 10mm ID (or using a 3/8"/9.5mm from any parts store), which type of Clamps do you prefer use, what brands do you recommend, and where do you usually buy them?

The OEMs look cleaner, but I find the worm type a lot easier to put on and take off. I guess one plus of the OEM is that you can't overtighten, if you buy the proper diameter for the hose. Once you start using aftermarket hoses, who knows whether the OEM clamps will hold enough pressure.

Thanks in advance and a good and safe weekend for all!

 

[ToyotaFan95341]

I’ve only purchased hose clamps for my Camry directly from my local dealership. I can’t tell you what brand they are, since they have no markings on them, but seem to be of high quality.

 

[guyslp]

Use whichever style you prefer.

Constant tension spring clamps have become the de facto standard not because of inherent superiority, but because they're much quicker to put in place on assembly lines. They also work. So do classic worm gear styles, whether the British Jubilee clamp, where there is no cut-through on the metal band, or US style where there is.

These clamps are not (or should not be) being used to prevent leaking, which should be handled either by the interface between the barb at the end of a pipe, or just the pipe itself and an ever-so-slightly-tighter hose. The clamps are mostly to keep the hoses from coming off due to vibrational forces.

Leaks are the result of:
1. Hoses used with a larger inner diameter than is suited to sealing against what they slide on to.
2. Loss of elasticity in the hose over time, combined with service vibration creating teeny-tiny routes for fluid to seep between the pipe and hose then leak.
3. Out and out splits, whether all the way through or just the carrier tube, which will allow seeping.

A new hose of the appropriate dimension only needs a hose clamp to be minimally "grippy" to keep it in its proper place for years, regardless of the clamp type assisting it.

 

[Chuy]

Any hose you get, including an oen hose, is likely to have a different outside diameter. That’s why I always treat oem constant tension clamps as a one-time use clamp. I replace with worm style clamps. I like the Breeze brand, and avoid Ideal/Tridon clamps. For the hose, make sure it is an ATF hose, I think 5/16th ID.

 

[MG-70]

Understood! Yesterday I stopped by Advance Auto parts to pick up some hose by the foot I had bought online. When the guy at the counter asked me what I was picking up, I answered "two feet of 3/8 hose for last name 'Smith'." After a few minutes he came out with two one-foot length pieces of hose. I politely said, "I need two continuous feet of 3/8 hose, not two one foot sections of hose. Do you think that's possible?" I'm not the smartest guy in the world but jeez, what is this world coming to?!

Thank you for the feedback on the clamps!