Steering Rack Boot Clamp Tool

[TJCallahan@domain.elided]

I just received some steering rack boots and 4 clamps from IAP for my '77 
Alfetta GT. I plan to put them on ASAP (current ones are torn) but can't 
understand how to get the clamps to work.

IAP told me I needed one of their clamp tools, except they didn't have any in 
stock.

The clamps are steel flat stock, about 0.25 inches, coiled twice around 
itself and the free end sticking through a small band that keeps the whole 
mess together (please note - this is a very technical description). It seems 
that the clamp is placed over the installed boot and then the free end is 
pulled until the clamp tightens down hard. That much is pretty straight 
forward, I can probably figure out a way to do this part without the tool.

What I don't understand is how the tightness is retained. What should I do 
with the free end once the clamp is sufficiently tight?

Any ideas from the digest what other methods there are for installing these 
clamps? Anyone have an IAP tool they would like to loan?

TIA

Tom
'77 Alfetta GT
'63 Spider
Seattle

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