How to "crimp" weird straps for steering rack boots?
 

This is on my W210. I loosened one of the straps by wedging a screwdriver into the trapezoid-shaped crimp and wiggling it left and right; that gave enough slack to lift the perforated part off the tang. Now that I'm reinstalling, it looks like you need some sort of special crimper to tighten it?

I have it pretty tight, and the tang is angled in a way that you would have to tighten the whole strap before it'll clear the tang. But I'm still nervous that it'll make its way loose on its own. Any special tips or tricks for tightening this? Why don't they just use something that resembles a radiator clamp?

There is a special tool that tightens and crimps those clamps. I don't know what to say about how to do it without, other than possibly have a second person whack it with a hammer and punch, or possibly stake it with a pair of diagonal cutting pliers?

As to why they use them, I'm still leaning toward them being cheaper to install, as well as being lighter on the crimp, so less likely to be a balance problem on a rotating assembly.

Buy a pair of pliers from the 99 cent store, grind and file the jaws into the right shape and you'll have your own special crimper forever.:D

Harry