Looking for Radiator Hoses

[Jeff]

I've got 65K miles and I want to replace the radiator and heater hoses before this summer. This is kinda dumb but where can I but a complete set that is preformed for my 97 XLT.

When I look under the hood it seems like there are a dozen different hoses down there of various shapes and sizes. I don't relish the idea of buying a couple of the large hoses that are preformed and then buying straight hose and cutting and hacking for the rest.

Are some hoses better than others? Goodyear? Gates? Napa?

 

[SCOTTC]

JEFF,
goodyear, gates,and napa all make excellent hoses. here in arizona pepboys has almost everything a guy needs( including hoses) give them a shot- my bet is that they will have all the preformed hoses for your rig! good luck



------------------
SCOTTC
93XLT 4X4 4DR.
bosch plat.4s
jacobs electronics wires
k&n drop in- mod. airbox.
skid plate
maxflow exhaust
smittybilt front bumper
thule roof rack
more to come!

 

[S.Matsushige]

Jeff-I like the Goodyear products the best. I've found that there belts - Gatorbacks work well with my '91XLT. Carparts.com sells a bunch of radiator hoses. I just got my Goodyear preformed hoses from them the other day. Check them out. You also might want to order a new radiator cap and thermostat as well. Here's a coupon code you can use online to save an extra 33% off - 1357004. I think the best hoses are silicone ones made by Goodyear, but Carparts.com carries only the rubber ones. Hope this helps.

 

[DCider]

My mechanic uses Car Quest parts when available (OE from Dana, Gates, Wix... top quality name brand) at a cheaper cost than paying for the name brand. The serpentine belt and radiator hoses were all Gates, the U-joints were Dana and the filter is Wix but sold under the Car Quest name.

He thinks that these are of better quality than the Napa OE parts. But Napa does carry Royal Purple!

You may want to comparison shop to determine if this is in fact true.

D

------------------
David Cider
'92 Explorer XLT 4x4 4.0L 4Dr 4...

Current Mods:
Hi flo cat and muffler, KKM Air intake, SuperChip, Magnacor wires and AutoLite Double Platnum plugs

Pending Mods:
JBA headers, 4" Suspension Lift, Tires & Wheels

 

[clackkent]

I replaced the top and bottom hoses on my 1995 Exp Sport (2wd manual) this weekend with Gates hoses - the flexible kind which are sort of concertina-shaped rather than straight. Problem is the hoses look to be too long and so I had to mush them around to fit, leaving a few kinks here and there. Could this be a problem? Both hoses heat up fine and the system seems to work OK, temp gauge is normal. Hoses are 25487 (top) and 25484 (bottom)

Thanks
Tim C