Why Are Silicone Radiator Hoses Better?

Why Silicone Instead of Rubber When people consider upgrading their vehicle's standard rubber hoses, one of the biggest questions is will it really make a difference? Considering the pros and cons of both options can give you a better idea of whether or not you should upgrade.

Below we've answered some of the most common questions about the superiority of silicone, the impact on performance, and the fact that silicone may not be the most suitable application.

Why is silicone hose better than rubber?

Silicone hoses are often considered superior to rubber for several reasons. Below we have given just 5 examples of the benefits of silicone. 

Silicone Radiator Hose     

1. Flexibility and return

Compared to rubber, silicone hoses have superior flexibility. Unlike rubber hoses, they maintain this flexibility over their lifetime. This reduces the risk of hose cracking, hardening or dry rot. 

2. Service life

Silicone hoses last almost forever and may outlast your car. Because they last so long, they have a lower average cost per mile compared to rubber hoses, even though they cost more up front. At Viper Performance, we're so confident in the longevity of our silicone hoses that we offer a lifetime warranty on all brands of hose if used in the right application.

3. Operating Temperature Range

One of the main reasons people switch to silicone is the operating temperature, which is entirely related to thermodynamics. The idea with silicone hoses is to replace the standard hose so that it does not expand and get hot under pressure. Silicone hoses are capable of transporting fluids at much higher temperatures than rubber. If you are building a race car or adding a turbocharger to your engine, silicone is the way to go.

Radiator Hose

4. Noise and vibration control

Silicone has excellent sound and vibration dampening capabilities, maintaining a quiet and stable profile. Rubber is known to be a source of noise due to friction between the rubber and the mating surfaces.

5. Aesthetics

One of the most obvious advantages of upgrading hoses under the hood is their appearance. The colors available in the silicone hose range mean they are often a favorite of car enthusiasts who like to show off their engine compartment. Vibrant blue and red hoses can really light up an engine. But if you're not into colorful interiors, silicone hoses are also available in black.

If you want to get more information about advantages of silicone hoses, welcome to contact us today or request a quote.  

Do silicone hoses improve performance?

The reason people started manufacturing silicone hoses for the automotive industry in the first place was because silicone material offers such a valuable performance enhancement. So the simple answer is yes.

As we have mentioned above silicone has superior heat tolerance when compared to rubber, this is the major reason why silicone is the material of choice for performance-enhanced vehicles. If you add a nice turbocharger to your engine, you’ll get some great power, but if you neglect to upgrade your hoses at the same time, you will potentially drive all that extra heat into hoses that aren’t equipped to handle it.

Silicone is a very stable material that acts almost like new, even when it’s not. While rubber hoses are prone to cracking, getting stiff, or becoming dry rotted over time the resilience of silicone means that this is less likely. Anyone who has had a hose leak will know what a headache this is to diagnose and correct so upgrading to silicone will definitely impact your performance for the better.