If I can help it, I would prefer not to spend $280 to get new seals for the doors. Has anyone been sucessful at making a generic door seal work, or a home made idea? Sure would appreciate any input.
Door Seals
- Thread starter spydrjon
- Start date
I ended up getting used seals from a truck that was being parted out. I have not heard of any aftermarket replacements but you might be able to get a similar profile seal that will work from one of the restoration places. Steele have a good reputation but none of the "street rod" profiles on their site look close but they may have something they can match up if you cut a section off one of your seals and send it to them. Also check ATS - there are a couple of profiles pictured that look close.
The tricky part is that there are 90 degree corners on some of the seals where the rubber/plastic is welded to make the corner. Very hard to reproduce at home. You might get by with cuting a seal and using RTV or 3M weatherstrip adhesive to seal the corners, I dunno.
And if your seals are not too far gone you might consider patching them. I've had luck inserting a length of cylindrical weatherstripping foam (see Home Depot, et. al.) into the stock seals and carefully covering the patch with black RTV. With black RTV the patch is not too obvious and in my experience it does seal OK. If you go this route clean everything real well so the RTV will stick and plan on not closing the doors overnight while it cures.
The tricky part is that there are 90 degree corners on some of the seals where the rubber/plastic is welded to make the corner. Very hard to reproduce at home. You might get by with cuting a seal and using RTV or 3M weatherstrip adhesive to seal the corners, I dunno.
And if your seals are not too far gone you might consider patching them. I've had luck inserting a length of cylindrical weatherstripping foam (see Home Depot, et. al.) into the stock seals and carefully covering the patch with black RTV. With black RTV the patch is not too obvious and in my experience it does seal OK. If you go this route clean everything real well so the RTV will stick and plan on not closing the doors overnight while it cures.
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sammygon
Guest
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kennisondan
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seals
I got a split in the rear window seal - only experience so far - and used the black RTV to fill it then build it up let it cure then cut excess off smoother with an exacto knife. Not perfect, but water tight and cheaper than new window seal. I intend to use the same treatment on split seals therever they may be, and I am going to try the 3m wweather stripping on a few spots that do not seem t oseal as well as the others do. like the rear door. will just put it next to the original stripping making a double line of stripping. Let us know what you do and I will let you know what I do. hope this helps.
Dan K
I got a split in the rear window seal - only experience so far - and used the black RTV to fill it then build it up let it cure then cut excess off smoother with an exacto knife. Not perfect, but water tight and cheaper than new window seal. I intend to use the same treatment on split seals therever they may be, and I am going to try the 3m wweather stripping on a few spots that do not seem t oseal as well as the others do. like the rear door. will just put it next to the original stripping making a double line of stripping. Let us know what you do and I will let you know what I do. hope this helps.
Dan K
I got some generic weather stripping and sealed the doors, about midway down, with a single strip. You have to be careful that what you replace is not to high profile or your doors will not shut properly. I used the 3M sealer.
sammygon said:
They are torn here and there along the bottom of the door jamb and they are no longer glued to the door jamb in these same places.
Thanks for all the help, and the links. Will try this weekend.
Lutzgaterr said:
Bruce probably has the only air tight Discovery in the world. Oh wait..Bruce do you have sunroofs?