The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Another tail of that old AD door weatherstrip

Well we have talked a bout door seals many times before but I don’t recall seeing anything about the problem I’m having. We are addressing a 1950, 3604 that was 95% original here.
I got my new door rubber from Chevy Duty and the cross section is almost a perfect match to the original weather strip. They were a very tiny bit larger but I expected that due to the age of the original ones being 57 years and figured they have shrunk up a bit in that time. After a good clean up with the 3m adhesive solvent, I glued up both legs of the corner that they fit into and the rubber itself and stuck ‘em in place. The 3m contact cement grabs really tight so ya only get one shot at it and ya better have them in the right position on the first try or you can forget it. I did have the doors off and laying on horses so it was an easy task, don’t see how you could do it with the doors mounted up. After I got the doors re-installed, averaged out the gap and adjusted everything so it was flush I felt quite lucky that it went so well. After all I’ve been hearing all the horror stories from other people when it came to re-mounting their doors with the new seals. The door closes nice, just a little tension from the new weather strip and they fit flush with the rest of the cab, and the belt is lined up nice and even, sounds perfect doesn’t it!
I’ve been showing off how nice the doors close to all interested parties for the past week, opening and closing again and again. Last night I was showing a nephew, who is a body man by the way, how nice and even the gap is and I noticed that the rubber was sticking out through the front of the door and the cab. Upon closer inspection I noticed that when you open the door the gap closes up in the middle because of the curvature of the body at this point. This causes the seal to drag and is beginning to pull it away from the door at this point. Because of the physics of the opening, that is the curvature, I don’t see any way around this. If I move the door back to open up the gap at the front its to much and it closes up the gap at the back to much.
The original molding was completely pulled away in the front on both doors when I picked up the truck so this area appears to have been a problem for many years.
Has any one else encountered this on their trucks??
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I'm Seeing Double
I'M Seeing Double

Hey there Denny and the rest of you bolters! Grant here. I don't have the exact same problem, but very similar. I replaced my 59 w/strips (from Lone Star W/stripping) and they were a beautiful replacement part. However... when I installed them and made needed adjustments for closure/latching, I am unable to get the front of the door, along the windshield, to seal water/wind tite. The gaps fore and aft on the door opening are close to equal, being a little more aft. The alignment of the door skin and fender/cab are nearly perfect. I haven't adjusted further forward because I suspected your problem would develope. If anyone has constructive suggestions I welcome input. Grant.

ill be watchin this one , Ill be installin my new weather stripping soon

I just got out my new weather strip adhesive and it has nothing to say abought cure time on the packaging ......HMMM wonder how long it should set for a complete cure ?

mayby in the front it needs to glue to the body not the door i havent put mine on yet

Grant, just went out and looked a mine in the area you mentioned and the seal fits real good up there. At that point the door closes almost with a straight shot in to the pillar without any wiping motion like there is between the hinges. One thing comes to mine and that is the door should be flush with the cab all around the window. The upper frame of the door can be easily bent because of the leverage at this point and because the frame is not very ridged around the window opening. If your door edge is under the rain gutter at any point in stead of flush with the body, I would say that it’s been bent at some time. My wife’s new Sebring touring was leaking air around the front drivers door at the rear upper corner when you were at hi way speed. I put a shoe in the bottom and gave the rear upper corner a little push and that solved the leak. These doors are really pretty flexable and it doesn’t take much to tweak them.
Is Mazomanie, WI any where near Menomonee, WI?? I used to drive up there to snowmobile at a my bosses cabin, he had a couple hundred acres of forest refuge for the deer.

Typically WS adhesive is a contact cement Tim. Coat both sides of the joint and when it is dry to the touch it's ready for assembly. I say again, ya got one chance get it right the first time. If you have to pull it up and reposition it (that is if you can with out tearing the rubber), you might as well clean it and start over. Be careful cleaning the rubber, some solvents will damage the smooth outer layer of the rubber and expose the foam core.
So I guess nobody else must have ever had a problem with their WS being pulled loose from the door by being pinched between the cab pillar. Must be one of those freak occurrences that I’m always running into.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have an original set of doors in my garage with the original weatherstrip still in place. The weatherstrip starts at the top hinge, goes around the door,across the bottom and stops just below the bottom hinge. nothing in the center between the hinges.
That's the way I installed it on my 50 and don't have any air or water problems along the front edge. I guess that's what the windlace is for.

I'm wondering if someone cut the WS away from the front between the hinges because it had been torn away by the cowl Bill. Both my WS started and ended at the bottom about 10" from the front of the door and ran one continuous piece all the way round. In talking to the guy that maintained it the last few decades I believe it was the original WS. Also in the Assembly Manual it shows it one continuous piece with the ends butted up to each other.
Hey Bill, now how would you know if you had a water leak up there, that truck is so preeetty it's probably never been out in the rain!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

when i bought my truck it's door seal was what you have.
i thought it was the PO. I'm restoring that same 51 now and am at this point. i read w/ interest.
is it a better idea to move the rubber strip more inward at that spot on the door??
you are talking about the door's leading edge just below the window about 6'' ??
or
better to shave a bit off the back (so it is not so thick ~ about 2-3'') of the rubber @ that point and glue ??

Glad to hear you, or the PO, had the same problem, now I know I'm not the only one Jim. I'm not sure what you can do Jim, that's why I started the thread, however I do have a few thoughts in mind. I would not trim the WS because if everything is straight there is supposed to be an even gap all round. You may end up with an air or water leak. Wilber says he's not seeing that sort of a problem even though he has NO WS in that area.
I was thinking more along the lines of a SS strip with a couple of small SS screws to hold it in at this point. Similar to what GM has done at the bottom edge of the door.
I have a sneaking suspicion that there are more of these tales out there lurking in the shadows, maybe we'll hear of a really cool fix before the thread fizzles out.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

You may be able to apply a heat gun to the rubber in that area and place wax paper between the rubber and its mating surface and close the door til it cools. It may conform/flatten to match the body. I can't see the problem so don't know if that is a good idea or not. Just brain storming, someone will add or subtract to this idea.