New Weatherstripping preventing door closure?

[ratdude747]

In the middle of a door rehab project on my '84.

Installed new weatherstripping from LMC... not my door won't close without THROWING it. Hard. As in afraid I'll mess up the hinge hard.

Seems like the front edge of the weatherstripping (by the hinges) is wadding up too tight.

Is this normal for new weatherstripping? I did have to trim 1/4" off the length to make it fit...

[FuzzFace2]

I used Fairchild rubber kit and had to cut maybe 4" off.

I do have to close the right door pretty hard even after little over a year.

You can try baby powder on the rubber to make it "slip" when the door is closed.

After a bit the rubber should compress some and be ok after that.

Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

That is normal. Sometimes you have to move the striker bolt so the door doesn't close as far in. But over a period of a few weeks it'll give and the doors will close normally.

[FuzzFace2]

That is normal. Sometimes you have to move the striker bolt so the door doesn't close as far in. But over a period of a few weeks it'll give and the doors will close normally.

Gary, I thought he said it was the hinge side he had issues with so I don't know if your adjustment would work for him or not?

Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

That is normal. Sometimes you have to move the striker bolt so the door doesn't close as far in. But over a period of a few weeks it'll give and the doors will close normally.

Oh yes, note the difference between closing the door with the windows up vs down. I'll bet there's a big difference. With Big Blue and the new weather stripping the doors have to be closed firmly - unless the windows are down. Then you can close them much easier.

[Gary Lewis]

That is normal. Sometimes you have to move the striker bolt so the door doesn't close as far in. But over a period of a few weeks it'll give and the doors will close normally.

Gary, I thought he said it was the hinge side he had issues with so I don't know if your adjustment would work for him or not?

Dave ----

It won't make a difference on the hinge side, but in my experience it usually isn't just the hinge side. It is the whole door trying to compress the weather stripping as well as the air in the cab.

[ratdude747]

Oh yes, note the difference between closing the door with the windows up vs down. I'll bet there's a big difference. With Big Blue and the new weather stripping the doors have to be closed firmly - unless the windows are down. Then you can close them much easier.

Ah.

I'll check. I also did window run channels and the outside felt "hockey stick". Window run channels were a pain. The rear window tracks aren't in right but It's all I could to to get the new channels in (wouldn't slide down, too tight and floppy.

[ratdude747]

Ah.

I'll check. I also did window run channels and the outside felt "hockey stick". Window run channels were a pain. The rear window tracks aren't in right but It's all I could to to get the new channels in (wouldn't slide down, too tight and floppy.

Just got done with the passenger side. It already was a bear to close, now it's pretty much impossible.

Striker adjustment time?

[Gary Lewis]

Just got done with the passenger side. It already was a bear to close, now it's pretty much impossible.

Striker adjustment time?

Yep, loosen up on the strikers. But if you set the truck out in the sun with the doors closed the weather stripping will squish.

[ratdude747]

Yep, loosen up on the strikers. But if you set the truck out in the sun with the doors closed the weather stripping will squish.

Done. Both doors still close hard, but at least do close. Based on witness marks the strikers had been tightened up previously (probably to deal with the wasted old seals). But now they're a lot looser than the marks... and the doors don't line up with the body lines at all.

Hopefully with time they'll break in. Ugh.