Custom OD Stainless Steel Tube Clamps
CNC-machined 304 & 316 stainless steel OD tube clamps for chassis, structural, and mounting applications. Split, bolt-on, and weld-on styles. Custom tube OD and mounting pattern machined to your drawing.
What Is an OD Tube Clamp?
An OD tube clamp grips the outside diameter of a tube to mount, retain, or brace it, sized to the tube's actual measured OD rather than a nominal pipe size. It is used to build removable or permanent tubular assemblies: chassis structures, roll cages, spare-tire mounts, harness bars, and equipment racks.
An OD tube clamp is not a shaft coupling. A shaft coupling joins two rotating shafts and transmits torque, with two precision bores, a rated torque, and a runout specification. If your application needs to transmit rotational power between two shafts, you need a coupling, not a tube clamp, and it is worth confirming which one you actually need before ordering.
How to Select the Right Tube Clamp
Tube clamp selection goes wrong most often by measuring the wrong dimension: tubing is sized by actual outer diameter, while pipe is sized by nominal pipe size, which does not match any real dimension on the pipe itself. Measure your tube's actual OD with calipers, or use the OD dimension on your drawing, not a nominal size.
| Tube OD | Typical Wall Thickness | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 25.4 mm (1.0″) | 1.0–2.0 mm | Light structural, accessory mounts |
| 31.8 mm (1.25″) | 1.0–2.0 mm | Light to medium structural |
| 38.1 mm (1.5″) | 1.5–3.0 mm | Common roll-cage and chassis size |
| 44.5 mm (1.75″) | 1.5–3.0 mm | Common roll-cage and chassis size |
| 50.8 mm (2.0″) | 1.5–3.0 mm | Heavier structural tube |
| 60.3 mm (2.375″) | Confirm at enquiry | Custom on request |
Thin-wall tube (under 1.0 mm) can deform under excessive bolt torque before the joint holds. Specify a clamp with a liner that distributes load across a wider arc rather than a rigid liner concentrating force at its edges. Confirm your tube OD, wall thickness, and load duty (structural or accessory) at enquiry.
Choosing the Right Grade
304 Stainless
Standard grade for indoor machinery, automation, and dry or mildly humid environments. Good resistance to cleaning chemicals. Cost-effective for high-volume orders. Not suitable for continuous salt spray or chloride-heavy environments.
Indoor Automation Cost-Effective316 / 316L
Marine and outdoor standard. The 2–3% molybdenum addition raises chloride pitting resistance significantly above 304. Required for outdoor, marine, offshore, and chemical-exposure environments.
Marine Outdoor Chemical ResistantCNC Machining Shapes Every Tube Clamp to Your Tube OD and Mounting Pattern
Every clamp body is CNC-machined from solid stainless bar or billet to your specified tube OD. CNC turning and milling shape the clamp halves and bore, and drilling and tapping create the bolt pattern, mounting tab, or center thread your application needs. Welding and passivated or electropolished finishes are available through our qualified process network.
Where OD Tube Clamps Are Used
OD tube clamps are used wherever a tubular structure needs a removable, weldable, or bolt-on mounting point.
Tube Connection
Removable or permanent connection points between two sections of a tubular frame, without welding the whole assembly together.
Spare Tire Mount
Clamps tube-mounted spare tire carriers to a vehicle's roll cage or bumper structure, sized to the mounting tube's actual OD.
Nerf Bar
Mounts nerf bars and rock sliders to a vehicle's chassis tubing, where corrosion resistance matters as much as fit.
Harness Bar
Clamps a removable harness bar to roll-cage tubing for a racing harness mounting point, where fit and clamp integrity are safety-relevant.
Precision Machined to Your Exact Specification
Machined to Your Actual Tube OD, Not a Nominal Size
Every clamp is machined to the tube OD and wall thickness you specify, rather than a catalogue nominal size that may not match your actual tube.
Any Mounting Style Machined to Your Drawing
Split, bolt-on, mounting-tab, or weld-on styles, with custom bolt patterns and mounting features machined to your drawing rather than limited to catalogue configurations.
Consistent Grade, Batch to Batch
Every clamp is machined from the stainless grade you specify, 304 or 316, so batch-to-batch composition stays consistent for repeat orders.
Common Questions
Not seeing your question? Email us at [email protected] and we typically reply same day.
Is an OD tube clamp the same as a shaft coupling?
No. An OD tube clamp grips or mounts a hollow structural tube and is selected by tube OD, wall thickness, and mounting pattern. A shaft coupling joins two rotating shafts and transmits torque, and is selected by two shaft bore sizes, rated torque, speed, and runout. If your part needs to rotate continuously and transmit power between two shafts, you need a coupling, not a tube clamp. Tell us your application and we'll confirm which one you need.
How do I measure my tube for the right clamp size?
Measure the tube's actual outer diameter with calipers, or use the OD dimension on your drawing. Do not order by nominal pipe size: a 1-inch nominal pipe has an OD of 33.4mm, not 25.4mm, and ordering to nominal size is one of the most common reasons a clamp arrives and doesn't fit.
Is this clamp rated for structural, load-bearing use?
It depends on the style and your application. Tell us whether your mounting is structural (bearing real load, such as a harness bar or nerf bar) or accessory-only (such as mounting a light or antenna), and we'll confirm the right clamp style and specification for your duty.
Can I get a replacement clamp to match my existing tube fitting?
Yes, send the original clamp as a physical sample, or provide its dimensions, tube OD, and bolt pattern, and we can machine a matching replacement. Confirm your tube OD and mounting pattern before ordering.
Often Ordered Together
From Inquiry to Delivery
Send Specs
Provide your required parameters, including tube OD, wall thickness, clamp style, mounting pattern, material, and quantity.
Respond Within 24 Hours
We will work on the best solution based on your request and send you a specific quote within 24 hours.
Production
30 days standard. Samples before full production run on new custom parts. QC report before shipment.
Delivery
Sea, air, or express courier.
No hard minimum order quantity, small-batch and prototype runs supported, typically around 100 pieces for a first prototype run.
Ready to Source Stainless Steel Tube Clamps?
If you already have the drawings, please send email to [email protected] directly for an instant quote.
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