Radiator Hose Confusion

Just realized that the radiator hoses on my 1974 Jeep CJ-5, 232 cu in (3.8 l) are 20 years old and that I should probably replace them. I know I should have done it years ago but if ain't broke why fix it. I found the hoses on line but my question is which brand of hose should I buy and from what vendor. Your in put would be greatly appreciated.

 

RockAuto or your local independent parts store. Napa is usually good quality but relabeled and pricey.

Dayco or Gates. No flex hoses.

 

Gates for the win.

 

Correct fix it before it is broken. Its a lot easier to get off the trail.

 

I'm chiming in only because hoses bit me...

I have a 232, freshly rebuilt. Make sure that the lower hose has the two different ID measurements. The Water Pump side is bigger in diameter than the radiator side.

In my DJ-5, because of the odd shape of the lower hose, I had zero choice and had to go flex hose. No matter how I tried to angle/cut a fixed hose, again, especially for the lower one, it never fit right. There was always a place where the hose kinked or collapsed. A long (very long) flex hose enabled me to smooth out the bends/transitions and it fits in well.

 

Out of curiosity why no flex hose?

 

In my experience, they are less durable than the molded hoses. RockAuto also presents them as the "economy" option for these applications, which also makes me wary. This is strange because they aren't always cheaper than the corresponding molded hose.

Back in the day, small garages liked them because they cover a large number of applications with relatively few numbers. At the parts stores, we would stock them for the same reason, though we also carried the popular numbers in molded hoses because often customers preferred those. They were also popular for engine swaps, because the alternative is to search through the molded hoses for an application (which may not exist) that fits the swap.

My impression is that the molded hoses move around less, and any movement makes the hose more likely to split in service. This may be why they seem to not last as long as molded hoses. If I had an application that needs/uses a flexible hose, I would try to make some kind of extra support so it's not flopping around as I drive.

 

Gotcha, thank you Tim. I just put one on the wife's falcon. The parts store just had a flex house for that application. But it's been a pain. We're swapping a 460 into her 1970. 5falcon so I've been ordering parts for a 1970 torino 429 car as it's a nearly identical application. You're right though, I could probably better research a form for hose.

 

I'd also add - from a design POV - the corrugated hose is a less efficient hose than a smooth hose. Probably does not matter for this application, sas long as the hose is a lot bigger around than it need to be, for the flow it delivers. Probably ok - they've been used for a long time, and I don't remember any stories about overheating from these hoses.