The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Another Windshield question

I have a 54 3100 with a new windshield and Steele rubber seal that refuses to to seat on the pinch weld on both vertical pillars, right and left.
Is there something I am doing wrong, I would say it is a about 1/4" proud of where it should be.

Is it junk glass that was not formed properly?

Anyone else having the same issues, the glass has been in and out of th truck at least 5 times.

Also, are there any american manufactures that still make these?

Thanks for any help

How are you putting the glass in?

rubber seal and glass go into opening, use a rope cord to bring the lip of the rubber over the pinch weld until it gets hung up on the sides and wont go in any further.

Apply soapy water. and have second person flat palm slap the glass.To start glass in. More soapy water ect. It will go in

The pros hit the glass with the palm of their hand so hard that it is unbearable to watch. They do it in a very progressive way as the glass begins to go. They also hit the glass on an angle to force the glass to go in a lateral direction.
The guy that I use told me that if the glass breaks, its on me. He has not broken any of mine yet.

I have a 55.1 and went through this nightmare a few months ago. The problem is likely that your bottom pinch weld got bent out when the old windshield was removed. Stick your head in the windshield opening from inside the cab and look down at the bottom pinch weld. Look for high spots and gently tap them back down (towards the inside of the cab). Check the top too. Little movements make a big difference.

I did this on mine and eventually the sides just fell into place. You shouldn’t have to beat on it.

All those ideas sound good but when I pull back the outer lip of the
Gasket from the outside you can see the areas of the seal with the small linear ribs binding on frame of the window.

Hope this makes sense and thanks for your comments.

This is the exact problem I had. Bending the bottom pinch weld flange back towards the cab allowed the whole windshield and gasket to sit back into the cavity, pulling the sides in too.

It has been my experience that the Steele rubber is produced to exacting precision original OEM specifications.

Not so much with virtually every piece of new reproduction glass I have run across.

Most re-pop glass arrives with slightly larger dimensions than the original glass.
{ which is the result of trying to transfer original glass dimensions to a new pattern. }

I would not put the blame of an ill fitting gasket on Steele Rubber because their gasket does not fit an improperly sized piece of glass.

I believe that I agree on maybe glass size and how it’s formed on either end. Seems to lack the proper forming (not enough).

Measuring and cutting equipment has a certain built in margin of error. Most manufacturers try to allow for proper fitment but obviously some don't. Steele is expensive but they do care about how their product performs. Hang in there posey, you will get this.

If you had the original windshield you could lay the new one overtop to verify the curvature into the A pillars is correct. Without that you'll never know, but if you're 1/4" proud at the pillars your only solution is to work the upper and lower pinch welds so the entire glass moves 1/4" deeper into the cab. You can't re-shape the glass, so you have to re-shape the opening.

This is what fixed mine.

You can reshape the glass with a belt sander I have heard. A local glass company can do it if you are scared.

Emery cloth will cut glass, get an emery cloth belt.

Ed

When I worked at a glass shop we used a wet belt sander to bevel the edges of coffee tables, mirrors, etc. I would just recommend keeping it cool if you use a belt sander.