W Series Clamps

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W Series Clamps

Durable hose clamps built for heavy-duty applications.

What do W1 and W4 mean?
They are material grades for hose clamps. W1 is zinc-plated steel throughout. W4 is stainless steel throughout - band, housing and screw. The grading tells you the corrosion resistance, which is the main thing that determines how long a clip lasts and whether you can still undo it in five years.

Which should I buy?
W4 stainless for anything exposed to weather, coolant, road salt, damp or a marine environment - which covers most engine bay, outdoor and agricultural work. W1 zinc plated is cheaper and fine for dry indoor and general workshop use. Given the cost of a seized clip in an awkward spot, W4 is usually the sensible choice.

Is a partly stainless clip good enough?
Be careful here. Some clips sold as stainless use a stainless band with a plated screw - and the screw is the part that seizes first. Once the screw corrodes, the clip cannot be adjusted or removed without cutting it off. Full W4 means band, housing and screw are all stainless.

What clip types come in these grades?
T-bolt clamps in 23 size ranges from 17mm to 19mm up to 122mm to 130mm; mini fuel hose clips in 11 ranges from 7mm to 9mm up to 18mm to 20mm; and rubber-lined P-clips in 10 sizes from 5mm to 35mm. All available in singles, 10 and 100 packs, and in both W1 and W4.

How do I choose the size?
Size to the outside diameter of the hose once fitted over the pipe, not to the bore. Clips are listed by adjustment range and your fitted diameter should sit around the middle of it, not at either extreme - a clip at the end of its travel either will not close or has almost no thread engaged.

When should I use a T-bolt clamp?
On boost, intercooler and turbo pipework, and anywhere with real vibration. A T-bolt applies even pressure right round the joint with a smooth inner band and holds tension through heat cycling far better than a worm drive, whose perforated band can also bite into soft silicone.

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