The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Doors door weather strip

I'm getting ready to install the rubber weather strip on my doors, (1953 chevy one ton) and am having a problem. I can't figure out how to get the adhesive onto the front edge of the door. There just isn't enough clearance between the door and the frame to get in there.
And it doesn't help that the hinges are also in the way. Everything I've read says to put the weather strip on after the doors are hung, so that's the way I went, but there must be a trick to it. Any suggestions or advice?

Tim

Tim,

Check these videos out. One vendor applies the weather stripping with the door on and the other uses the door off method.

Door On Method

Door Off Method

Let us know what method you end up using and how it worked for you.

Good luck,

I did door off.

Door off for me too. Less cussing, fussing, and messing.

If you decide to take the door off, and you like the way the door fits currently, do yourself a huge favor and pin the hinges prior to removing the doors.
Use a new sharp high quality 3/16' or 1/4" drill bit to drill on hole for each hinge strap in the door. Drill through the inner door panel, hinge strap, and the sheet metal behind the hinge strap.
This will make it possible to put your doors in the exact same position.
Carl

Yes for door off and while it's off, consider restoring the hinges

But, but, but, if he is happy with the current fit, and he pins the hinges, if he rebuilds them at that point, the fit will change!

If the hinges need rebuilding, remove door, install weatherstrip, rebuild hinges, re-fit door.

I'm leaving the doors on, I got so lucky when I first hung them, next to no adjustment needed, that I don't want to risk messing things up. I did do the weather strip on one side, I managed by applying the adhesive to the rubber seal (the part that runs at the front edge of the door), then carefully maneuvering the rubber down between the body and hinges, stick it on at the top then ran down the door with a screwdriver to get it into final position. A real mess, ended up with adhesive all over me, some on door, some on body. Then I had to pull it off because I had it on the wrong direction!! I was just hoping someone had a better method.

I finally figured out how it should be facing by cutting a short strip and sticking it on the other door to check for fit.

So now I have to get the rubber on both doors.

Tim

I did it door on. One tip I can offer: let the adhesive partially dry before installation; that way you won't get such a mess everywhere. If you read the directions you will see that it is recommended to let it skin up before application. I have tested it myself: weatherstrip adhesive actually bonds harder if allowed to dry a bit first.

According to the experts at Steele Rubber the adhesive should be applied in a thin coat to both surfaces and let dry to the touch. Then install slowly keeping everything in line. I can see where 6-8 hands would be nice when doing it that way. Once it makes contact with the other surface it’s not coming back off.

A link to an excellent YouTube video was posted a few years ago. It was produced by a vendor. The technique was superb. Formerly, I used the 6-8 hands-needed technique.

I feel your pain about not wanting to take the doors off. I hate everything about doors. Everything.

Here is the video showing how to get the weatherstrip behind the hinges:

Is it just me or is the orientation of the rubber on the door between the Door On/Door Off videos different? Is one way correct or both correct? I'm going to be doing this soon.

It might be Rusty. There are other videos out there on this subject too and it's real obvious the door weather strip gets installed incorrectly. IMHO, there are two important things to keep in mind when installing the door weather strip: purchase the correct rubber thickness and install it with the 90 degree corner in the edge of the door. Otherwise, the door will need to be slammed real hard to latch or may not latch at all.

I've included a shot from the FAM showing the door weather strip orientation in a cross section view.

Thanks, Andy, that's a great diagram. It appears to correspond to Dr. J's RestorationRX (door off video). That's the way I'll do it.

Well? It is the way the factory did it.

Rusty, my then 65 yr old wife and I took the doors off the '51 a couple winters ago and replaced the door seals. Not that bad a job and I really can't imagine being able to do it any other way and getting the gaskets properly in place. Not a fun project but again, not too bad.

Good Luck,

RonR

Much easier to prepare the surfaces where the WS will reside, if the doors are off.

Hey Craig,
What did you use for paint on the door?
Carl

Morning Carl,
I believe it is rust-oleum's dark bronze metallic #7272830. Confirmed

Craig

Looks "correct" to me in your pic! That's what I used on my '49. It has a weird characteristic of changing color depending on light source, and angle of the view. I have an original speaker grill with some great condition original paint on it and it does the same thing.

Well, I got my weather strip installed today. The way I finally ended up doing it was to start in the middle of the hinge side. I applied the weather strip cement to the weather strip, then carefully threaded in down into position. Once it was where I wanted it I pressed it into place against the door edge, then pulled it out and let the glue set up for a bit. That was the only way I could get cement onto the surface of the door. Just too tight to get the tube nozzle in there.

Once it was set, I fed the weather strip back into position, then used a small dowel rod to press it in place. It stuck real good!

Then I went around the door installing the rest, until I got to the front lower corner. I measured how much I needed to use to butt to the piece I already installed, cut the weather strip, and repeated the steps I'd used at the beginning to get adhesive onto the door surface.

When I was finished, I let the doors set open for awhile, then closed them to check fit. The only problem I had was that the weather strip seems to want to bind about half way between the hinges. But I think the problem is that I need to adjust the door clearance.
Also, I ended up with the sealant all over my fingers, but they cleaned up (eventually) using lighter fluid.

And, by the way, that adhesive really does mess up the paint on the door. I'm going to have to do some touch up painting!

Tim