Ok so I'm about to do the cooling system on my '89 soon. Radiator and heater hoses, Tstat, and diverter valve. Haven't decided if I feel like takling the water pump yet (which of course if I don't means it will crap out on me this winter and I can look forward to changing it in 20 degree weather). Anyways, I'm buying the hoses on autozone.com, and it looks like the goodyear hoses are about twice as much as kelly-springfield for the heater hoses, and 3x as much for the radiator hoses. I normally follow the logic of you get what you pay for, but are goodyears really that superior? I can maybe understand using higher quality for the radiator hoses, but the heater hoses are under significantly less stress - I still have my factory ones that are 14 years old - so I don't really think there's a need to throw away money there if its not needed. Any experience?

Are the goodyear ones the "Hi-Miler" blues?

Like you said as long as you check them they should be fine... I don't even know the brand of the hoses on my car; they're generic pep boys brand, whatever that is.

I just replaced the 2 question-mark shaped heater hoses and the lower rad hose. I used Dayco hoses. They're well-priced. Like TomP said you should check them every now and then anyways. And even a cheap hose will last 3, 4, or 5 years. I only replaced the lower rad hose because it was sagging and getting scuffed by the steering and I was emptying the coolant anyways.

Haha, my lower hose gets scuffed up, too. I meant to make some kinda shield for it after redoing the suspension but I forgot... I better check that out soon before it bursts on me!

KellyDpring field is Goodyear. If you look at the bottom of a kelly springfield belt it will say "goodyear rubber corp" Even tho i worked at autozone i like to get the goodyear name brand just becasue the Kelly springfield line is a lowerline tou can feel the difference at least i can when i squeeze it. Same witht he belts i would pop the extra 10 dollars a belt and get the gator back belt much better quality belt.

Oh if you get a water pump from atutozone wait several months and return the old one in the box so that way you have a spare on hand that what i do jsut because i know when someonting goes they will be closed. I do that with all parts at least that i can pull off as being from a autozone IE brakepads waterpump etc.

I know the hi-miler Goodyear hoses are very durable, and will last a long time, I don't know anything about the others that you mentioned, however, so I have no real comparison background between them.

If you do replace the heater hoses, I would also suggest replacing the heater core, if it has been a long time (say 4+ years). I have done this a couple of times now, changed the hoses and the heater core starts leaking a week later. Reason being as you are removing the old hoses and installing the new ones, the inlet tubes are stressed, and can develope a crack, and then leak. This is especially true if you have the plastic inlet hoses on the heater core, they usually seem to go once a year on their own. LOL

TomP: Funny that you say your hose gets scuffed up. I put in a Global West "wonderbar" and it squeezes the hose there and I have no overheating problems or scuffs. My hoses I just check once a year when I flush the whole thing to make sure they are not deteriorating. If you're like my dad you could go forever without changing hoses, just risk being left on the side of the road though.

I would prefer good year too as they have been in the rubber making buisness for decades so they know a thing or too about making a rubberized product that can t ake a beating and last long.