kramttocs Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 Has anyone come across any of these? The 6mm or 1/4 works in a lot of places on our trucks. For those locations with 8mm bolts I just enlarged the hole but that's a bit of a pain to do without either taking forever, losing skin, or twisting the clamp into modern art. I've found some zinc-plated but would like stainless. Would also settle for any tricks to enlarging the 6mm hole. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1986F150Six Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Like this, Scott? https://www.ebay.com/itm/223507234755?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=223507234755&targetid=4580840328167961&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=403204656&mkgroupid=1235851284511226&rlsatarget=pla-4580840328167961&abcId=9300377&merchantid=51291&msclkid=150fe43b02811d22ba6d8428f5e75110 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Like this, Scott? https://www.ebay.com/itm/223507234755?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=223507234755&targetid=4580840328167961&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=403204656&mkgroupid=1235851284511226&rlsatarget=pla-4580840328167961&abcId=9300377&merchantid=51291&msclkid=150fe43b02811d22ba6d8428f5e75110 David - I haven't been able to find the size of the hole in that listing. Am I missing it? Scott - I feel your pain on enlarging the hole. I've pretty much given up on that since I made pretzels out of several of them. But, what has worked, albeit very slowly, is to use a tapered round file to enlarge the hole. But, as said, it is slow and especially so in stainless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1986F150Six Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 David - I haven't been able to find the size of the hole in that listing. Am I missing it? I don't think it is stated. Looking at the different sizes of rubber covered "P", the mounting hole appears to be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 I call these things cushion clamps, and I have them all over my truck as well. I used the 1/4" ones for my brake lines, and larger ones for my electrical and fuel lines inside the frame. I pretty much threw away all of those old plastic frame clips that were in the frame. They are difficult to enlarge the holes. Been there, done that, bought the Bandaids. Only thing I can think of for drilling them out would be to make a little jig/guide for it. I have some random pieces of aluminum plate here that use for various things, but I'd take two pieces...1/4" or 3/8" thick, and squeeze the clamp between the two and then clamp in the Vice, with the cushion clamp just outside of the visa jaws of course. Or you could use steel...but have a guide hole in each piece and have the cushion clamp pressed between the two. Am I making any sense?...lol. It's making sense to me...lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 I call these things cushion clamps, and I have them all over my truck as well. I used the 1/4" ones for my brake lines, and larger ones for my electrical and fuel lines inside the frame. I pretty much threw away all of those old plastic frame clips that were in the frame. They are difficult to enlarge the holes. Been there, done that, bought the Bandaids. Only thing I can think of for drilling them out would be to make a little jig/guide for it. I have some random pieces of aluminum plate here that use for various things, but I'd take two pieces...1/4" or 3/8" thick, and squeeze the clamp between the two and then clamp in the Vice, with the cushion clamp just outside of the visa jaws of course. Or you could use steel...but have a guide hole in each piece and have the cushion clamp pressed between the two. Am I making any sense?...lol. It's making sense to me...lol. That makes perfect sense, Cory. Just sandwich the ears of the clamp between two pieces of metal and drill through. But I'm wondering how to center the holes in the ears to ensure you get the larger hole where it needs to be. It would be easy if the plates had the smaller sized holes in them as you could line it up with a bolt or even a phillips screwdriver. But then you have to drill the plates out each time. What if you had an alignment tool that was the size of the hole in the plate on top and then went down to the size of the original holes in the ears? Use it to align the ears, clamp in the vise, remove the alignment tool, and drill through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kramttocs Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 I call these things cushion clamps, and I have them all over my truck as well. I used the 1/4" ones for my brake lines, and larger ones for my electrical and fuel lines inside the frame. I pretty much threw away all of those old plastic frame clips that were in the frame. They are difficult to enlarge the holes. Been there, done that, bought the Bandaids. Only thing I can think of for drilling them out would be to make a little jig/guide for it. I have some random pieces of aluminum plate here that use for various things, but I'd take two pieces...1/4" or 3/8" thick, and squeeze the clamp between the two and then clamp in the Vice, with the cushion clamp just outside of the visa jaws of course. Or you could use steel...but have a guide hole in each piece and have the cushion clamp pressed between the two. Am I making any sense?...lol. It's making sense to me...lol. Thanks all. Cory, I follow what you are saying. It wouldn't take much to eyeball-center the clamp hole in the guide holes and that would be close enough. Or embellishing a bit: Outline the clamp's ends in one piece of plate Route out a shallow trough matching the outline so the clamp sits in there Drill a hole through the existing clamp hole (~6mm) into both plates (grooved and not) Remove clamp, enlarge hole in both plates to desired side Reinsert clamp, enlarge hole in clamp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kramttocs Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 That makes perfect sense, Cory. Just sandwich the ears of the clamp between two pieces of metal and drill through. But I'm wondering how to center the holes in the ears to ensure you get the larger hole where it needs to be. It would be easy if the plates had the smaller sized holes in them as you could line it up with a bolt or even a phillips screwdriver. But then you have to drill the plates out each time. What if you had an alignment tool that was the size of the hole in the plate on top and then went down to the size of the original holes in the ears? Use it to align the ears, clamp in the vise, remove the alignment tool, and drill through. Posting at the same time with similar thoughts. Yours would be easier. So if enlarging to 8mm you could have a reducer that is 8mm OD and 6mm ID. Using a 6mm bolt to line it all up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Posting at the same time with similar thoughts. Yours would be easier. So if enlarging to 8mm you could have a reducer that is 8mm OD and 6mm ID. Using a 6mm bolt to line it all up. I was thinking of an 8mm bolt turned down to 6mm on the end. But that leaves the bottom plate to align. Your idea of a reducer is better as you could have two, one top and bottom, to align the clamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kramttocs Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 Posting at the same time with similar thoughts. Yours would be easier. So if enlarging to 8mm you could have a reducer that is 8mm OD and 6mm ID. Using a 6mm bolt to line it all up. With one to spare :) https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Bearing-Bearings-Wrapped-Bushings/dp/B07JLPJL9D/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=6mm+to+8mm+sleeve+bushing&qid=1611932026&sr=8-5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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