Edwin said:
Anyone know of an inexpensive way to replace this? Mine is all falling
of the driver's side and the official part is $108!
The problem is that the holes in the rubber get ripped. For example,
opening your car door when it has frosted shut results in pulling the rubber
(still sticking to the door frame) away from the door. Those little
T-shaped studs don't provide enough grasp of the rubber to prevent ripping
the holes. You could try putting the stud tops (the T part) back in the
holes but they're ripped so they won't hold very well anymore.
One suggestion is to hit the salvage yard. Some special in particular types
of cars, like just foreign vehicles. You might find one that hasn't been
damaged (or is less damaged than yours). To remove, remember that it is a
round hole with a T-shaped head of a stud shoved through it. So you have to
pull the seal in one direction to get on tang out of the hole and the pull
in the opposite direction to get the other tang out. It is unlikely that
you'll be able to salvage any of the T-studs. Once pushed through the hole
in the door, their tangs expand and you can't pull them out without breaking
off the tangs. So hit the car dealer to buy a set of new studs. Alas,
you'll find they have around half a dozen different sizes used in different
spots around the door. See if they'll print out or copy the page showing
which part number goes to what hole in the door so later you know which one
to use in which hole. I had the same problem with ripped door seals. I
live in snow country and have had the seals pulled away from the door when
they were opened while iced up. No matter how slowly you pull the door
open, they still get ripped. No one has time to get a long outdoor
extension cord and hair dryer to heat up the seals before opening the doors.
Whether you get some salvaged seals or try to reuse your old ones, you might
head to the car store to pickup some weatherstrip glue. With the seal
removed from the car and with the studs pre-inserted into the holes (or
what's left of them), apply the adhesive to the seal and then press it onto
the door so the studs go back into the holes. Apply some to where you start
to reinstall the seal onto the door and then apply more as you work your way
around the door putting the seal back in place. The stuff I used was:
3M
Super Weatherstrip Adhesive
Black
Because the rubber seal is black, I got the black-colored adhesive. I think
the other color is grey (which might've been okay, too, since my car's color
is grey). You use a small brush to apply 1 coat to door (where the seal
contacts it) and a coat to the seal's face that contact's the door. Let it
get tacky and then press together. (It helps to have the seal on the door
to draw with a marker the edge of the seal so you know where it'll contact
the door.) After reinstalling the seal using the adhesive, don't close your
door for awhile to make sure the rubber is permanently affixed to the door
and that any excess doesn't gets squeezed out and glue the seal to the door
frame. I forget how long it takes to dry. It's akin to using contact
cement: clean both surfaces, apply the glue to both surfaces, wait until
tacky, and press together. As I recall, they actually recommend 2 coats:
one on each surface and let it dry, then again on both surfaces and then
press together.
Just remember that you are gluing the seal to the door instead of relying on
t-shaped studs several inches apart. It'll hold in place better but be more
difficult to replace if it gets severely damaged. However, even if it got
cut, it won't sag out of place since it is all glued to the door. So be
sure the seal is in reasonable shape to actually provide a seal. To make
sure it works well, make sure to clean both the door (where the seal
contacts it) and the seal (the part that contacts the door) so the adhesive
will stick and stay stuck.
It's inexpensive (well, as glues go, it isn't cheap but cheaper than buying
new door seals and all the T-studs). The T-studs might help to hold the
seal in place (even with its ripped holes) but you are instead relying on
the adhesive to now hold the seals in place. Plus they are held everywhere
along the seal instead of several inches apart.
