which v-bands are the best?

David R.

Registered User
I'm trying to track down everything I need for my exhaust before I bring it to the exhaust shop. I hear v-bands are the go-to style of connections for most anything pipe related from you guys (lots of recommendation for them on inter-cooler piping as well). Where do you prefer to get them? Should I go for the cheap ones on ebay, or are they total junk?


I've got a set of midlength kooks I plan on eliminating the collector and simply putting a v-band there, as well as a connection behind the resonator for ease of removal/installation. Is the collector delete still the consensus for those headers? I read a thread a while back on it and haven't found much opposition to the matter.
 
I need to order some for my kooks mid lengths! The exhaust i bought from randy already has a v band clamp in the mid pipe so you can drop the front section to pull a transmission
 
Raceparts is about the best imo that are self aligning. For ebay I've had good luck with mirage. DO NOT buy ebay clamps the come with a groove in the center. The clamps are nice but the bands do not seal.
 
Those all look real nice, but $50 a pop is a ton considering the cheapo alternatives (even the ball/flange style on the headers now) and my application of very much not a race car :rolleyes:. Not trying to be a cheapskate here, but are there any more budget friendly alternatives that anyone's had success with?

Jacob, thats pretty cool. If I were gonna be dropping the trans very often I'd do that too, but hopefully I wont have to lol. I'm gonna do just the normal connection at the headers, and after the resonator. I was gonna do more, but I really should need it.
 
If you get elcheapo v-bands they will most likely not be self aligning but you can work around that by leaving a small amount of tubing sticking out from one of them and on the other side set the pipe back the same amount as the stickout. That way the tubing will align the flanges for you.:D
 
The godspeeds were self aligning. The only issue I noticed is the actual clamp got rusty from winter driving in the F150.
 
That's more what I was looking for. When there's salt on the road my car usually stays in the garage. So I'm not too worried about that, plus I'm not running stainless exhaust, if this lasts me 10 years I'll be happy (probably longer than that, the car spends a lot of time sitting and Colorado is nice and dry).

SCrazy, that's a great idea I'll definitely do that. I'd imagine it'd be hard to do on a curved section, but I'm sure I can make all my connections be on the strait parts.

One more question (sorry): Do you guys RTV you intercooler vbands? Or can you get them to seal well enough without?
 
Based upon my experience with the v-bands on my exhaust, I would never use them on intercooler tubing.
 
I've never tried but I think it would be really difficult to use them in a curved section of the system since the bent tubes are no longer round. Fitting and welding would be a real pain.
 
If you get elcheapo v-bands they will most likely not be self aligning but you can work around that by leaving a small amount of tubing sticking out from one of them and on the other side set the pipe back the same amount as the stickout. That way the tubing will align the flanges for you.:D

That is a neat trick. I've done this long time ago and it works pretty good.
 
Vibrant, they're the best, worth every penny, Quick release clamps come standard. I have 5 of them on my car, hot and cold plumbing.
 
Based upon my experience with the v-bands on my exhaust, I would never use them on intercooler tubing.

Oh I thought everybody used them there too. What do you use, just the rubber boots?

neverfastenough,
I'll take your word on the fact that vibrants are the best out there, but my exhaust might come off once or twice in the next 5 years, so I can't justify the best of the best. A few years down the road when I have a good job I'll be looking at those but right now this is a low-budget hobby (I realize I picked the wrong one for that :D).
 
I'm trying to track down everything I need for my exhaust before I bring it to the exhaust shop. I hear v-bands are the go-to style of connections for most anything pipe related from you guys v band exhaust clamp(lots of recommendation for them on inter-cooler piping as well). Where do you prefer to get them? Should I go for the cheap ones on ebay, or are they total junk?


I've got a set of midlength kooks I plan on eliminating the collector and simply putting a v-band there, as well as a connection behind the resonator for ease of removal/installation. Is the collector delete still the consensus for those headers? I read a thread a while back on it and haven't found much opposition to the matter.
Hello. I tried to get the outside of my turbo kit mounted up tonight but none of the v band clamps fit. I got the on3 FF kit and I spent the extra coin and got clamps from racepartsolutions.com. the groove on the clamp is too narrow so the flanges on the pipes both don't fit in. I went ahead and tried the on3 clamps for the shits of it and had the same issue.
 
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