Is the spring inside the lower radiator hose still necessary with today's hoses?

[Jeeps]

First time I've done a water pump job on the 2.5L (it all went gloriously smoothly, thankfully), and was curious to find the spring inside the lower radiator hose. 

 

The replacement hose I purchased from NAPA didn't have a spring. I called them, and the lady wasn't too sure about the necessity of it. She said in general, hoses today are made of better material and don't require the spring that older vehicles once did. 

 

According to this guy's video at around 8:25, the spring is supposedly important for ensuring the lower hose doesn't collapse under acceleration. Is this true with today's hoses?

 

 

[Minuit]

I would still put the spring in. I have little faith in an aftermarket replacement auto part to be more rigid than what it replaced, regardless of what the parts counter person says.

[Jeeps]

17 minutes ago, Minuit said:

I would still put the spring in. I have little faith in an aftermarket replacement auto part to be more rigid than what it replaced, regardless of what the parts counter person says.

 

Ya who am I kidding with the "today's hoses" comment, if anything the quality of parts have degraded with advancements in manufacturing. Better safe than sorry, I'll cut the spring out of the old hose and put it in the new one. 

[Eagle]

3 hours ago, Jeeps said:

According to this guy's video at around 8:25, the spring is supposedly important for ensuring the lower hose doesn't collapse under acceleration. Is this true with today's hoses?

 

 

Yes.

[MuddFoot]

Yes use the spring

Sent from my Z982 using Tapatalk

[cruiser54]

Actually, the spring was in there to allow the cooling system to be filled under a vacuum on the assembly line without the hose collapsing. Your call whether to use it again or not. 

[JustEmptyEveryPocket]

For reference I did not use the spring when I replaced all the hoses. I used Gates brand. No problems at all after ~4 years.  YMMV

[derf]

It all depends on the hose.

 

A simple rubber hose will collapse if the suction by the pump is too much.  You can put a spring inside the hose to reinforce it.  Or you can design your hose with the reinforcement built in, which is what a number of companies do.

 

Technically yes, all lower radiator hoses need reinforcement of some kind.  Whether they need a spring inside depends on the hose.

[Ωhm]

The question is "How many years/miles down the road do you want it to start collapsing?" Sooner (wo/spring) or later (w/spring).

[cruiser54]

Never.

[Ωhm]

These newer hoses, there're that tough?

[cruiser54]

I've used them. 

[Minuit]

The FSM claims that the spring is indeed to prevent hose collapse under suction at mid to high RPM and tells you make sure it's there.

 

I generally expect an aftermarket product to be, at the very best, as good as the old factory part it replaced and often worse in one way or another. Very rarely would my subjective experience tell me an aftermarket part has been better than factory. Based on that experience, I'm not sure I buy the "today's hoses are stiffer enough to not need a spring" argument.

 

I'm very much ready to be proven wrong here. If anyone here has experience in the engineering or R&D department of a manufacturer of radiator hoses, please chime in. Until then, I will always recommend people put the spring in the new hose out of caution.

 

I do not recall any of the aftermarket radiator hoses I put on my trucks being any thicker or stiffer (except for the old ones being hard from being old) than the factory parts.

[cruiser54]

I just went out and looked in both an 89 and a 92 FSM. 

 

The ONLY mention of a lower hose spring is for the 5.9 engine in a Grand Wagoneer or J body truck. 

[derf]

1 hour ago, Minuit said:

The FSM claims that the spring is indeed to prevent hose collapse under suction at mid to high RPM and tells you make sure it's there.

 

I generally expect an aftermarket product to be, at the very best, as good as the old factory part it replaced and often worse in one way or another. Very rarely would my subjective experience tell me an aftermarket part has been better than factory. Based on that experience, I'm not sure I buy the "today's hoses are stiffer enough to not need a spring" argument.

 

I'm very much ready to be proven wrong here. If anyone here has experience in the engineering or R&D department of a manufacturer of radiator hoses, please chime in. Until then, I will always recommend people put the spring in the new hose out of caution.

 

I do not recall any of the aftermarket radiator hoses I put on my trucks being any thicker or stiffer (except for the old ones being hard from being old) than the factory parts.

 

Yeah, I find that most stock replacement parts are never better.  Maybe just as good.

 

But, there's always "upgrade" parts.  Someone good at marketing can sell parts for quite a bit more than factory replacements if they have a good gimmick.  Sometimes they are actually better than stock.  Sometimes.

[Minuit]

8 minutes ago, cruiser54 said:

I just went out and looked in both an 89 and a 92 FSM. 

 

The ONLY mention of a lower hose spring is for the 5.9 engine in a Grand Wagoneer or J body truck. 

 

This is the '90 FSM. The part about the spring doesn't specify a certain platform.

[cruiser54]

well, I'll be dipped. 

[MuddFoot]

well, I'll be dipped. 

Lol cruiser54. I can honestly say on my mj with 37's and 488 gears I run down the road and my truck gets slightly warmer until I put the spring in. I found a replacement on Amazon and I'll post it as soon as I find it because I tried to buy one local and everybody said oh you don't have to have it. Screw that....

 

Edit.....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y2JFPNW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share