I can tell you that single e-clips will bend, at least that is what happened when I tried the experiment. The hard part is getting the originals in the correct size. I believe there was a source posted a while ago that stocked all different sizes.

1951 GMC 1 Ton Flatbed -- It is finally on the road and what a great time I have driving it!
1951 1 Ton Completed

My Chevy Master 4 Door is on the Road!