Window weatherstrip = Rusting

[Dale Reed]

The only rust on my truck that I am concerned about is under what is left of the door window weatherstrip. The rubber is cracked with pieces falling off leaving rusted steel. Have any of you replaced the weatherstrip after sanding and painting the long thin rusty area? Where did you buy the rubber weatherstrip? Thanks for the help. Dale

 

[paccool]

Dale,



Are you talking about the channel stripping or the horizontal stripping at the bottom of the window? If the channel stripping, I think there is some metal in the weather stripping and is that what is rusting or is it the door itself?



I just had the paint shop replace both of these and they got them from the dealer.

 

[Dale Reed]

Horizontal strip at the bottom of the window.



The door is rusting. Very thin strip under the deteriorated outside rubber where you put your arm when the window is rolled down.



> I just had the paint shop replace both of these and they got them from the dealer.



Good news. I will check with the local Dodge dealer tomorrow.

 

[paccool]

Forgot to tell you, a few months ago I tried aftermarket seals and they wouldn't fit right. Thats why I had the shop replace them. I was having the truck repainted and seemed like a real good time to do since they had them out for the painting.



I didn't have any rust so I can't help you out there.

 

[M'staedt]

Originally posted by paccool

Forgot to tell you, a few months ago I tried aftermarket seals and they wouldn't fit right. ... .

Where did you get the aftermarket seals and why wouldn't they fit? I am getting ready to replace ALL of the weatherstripping around the windows of my crew-cab and I was contemplating aftermarket for a pretty substantial cost savings over Mopar. BUT, I'll pay the price if the other stuff won't work.



Thanks,

Mark

 

[ggorremans]

Mark,

I just tried the JC Whitney aftermarket weatherstripping around the entire door (mounts to the cab). Had the correct profile but the door would not close. Ended up buying the OEM stuff from the dealer (mucho$$$) but it works. Just a little bit smaller and softer rubber. Guess I would not mess with non-OEM stuff...

Gary

 

[M'staedt]

Gary,

I also bought door w'strip from JCW a long time ago for my Li'l Red Express. It appeared to be a universal product, I have to open a vent window to close the doors.



I bought the window channel runs and lower window seals from Mopar and I remember them being incredibly reasonable at the time (that was years ago). I also remember getting the entire channel run in one package (around the door frame AND down the vent window frame). I just ordered all that stuff again (x2 for a crew cab) and this time I didn't get the run for the vent frame. Went back to the dealer and after some searching he comes up with the part number for those - for a couple hundred more bucks! I also thought I was ordering the lower seals in pairs, but they showed up packaged each. Now I need to double my investment there too. I'll be into just the WINDOW seals for $500 by the time this is over, not counting the door w'stripping.



Paccool, did you buy aftermarket window seals? Still curious what the problem was. I have to do some modifying anyway to get the Mopar stuff to fit the rear windows. If the quality of the aftermarket is decent it probably wouldn't matter which one I buy for the rears.



Thanks,

Mark

 

[ggorremans]

Mark,

The problem with the current JCWhitney product is its thickness. Both the part that fits over the cab flange and the circular seal itself are quite a bit thicker that the OEM stuff. I flat could get the door shut no matter what!

The OEM stuff cost me $60 per door which seemed to me to be a bit much.

Anyway, good luck.

Gary

 

[paccool]

Mark,



I've been on a trip, sorry I didn't respond quicker. The door seals at the dealer were around $35 per door. I beat on them for a discount, told them I would give them my business then and if no discount I would shop them out. They have been pretty good with the prices. Like GaryG said, the doors were hard to close and there was a gap on the passenger door with the aftermarket seals. It was like the new seals were pushing the door outward.



The window channel and bottom horizontal seals just didn't fit right. I got them from JCW. the glass was loose in the channel and the bottom seals wouldn't stay in place.



I don't know what the body shop paid or what they charged me, the bill is home and I'm not! The only rubber they didn't change around the glass was the seals around the windows in the extended cab area. They did put a new rubber seal around the rear glass as well as the windshield(which is also new)

 

[Dale Reed]

The rust is not on the doors but is the metal parts of the rubber/steel lower window horizontal seals. I was mistaken before when I said it was the doors that were rusting. Hence it not such a big deal.



The reason I had even noticed the deteriorating seals is I was working on the passenger side window because it is very difficult to lower the last few inches. I took the inside panel off, squirted lots of WD-40 on the lowering mechanism but could not loosen things up. Fortunately I seldom have a passenger so do not often row down this window.