Do all door seal weatherstrips need to be replaced?
A door seal is one of those things that you don't realize how much you will miss it until it is gone. The door seal makes closing the door easier and the tightening the old between the old and the body. The seal is also very important in muting the wind noise and the keeping and out the rain. Beyond that a missing door seal is a terrible annoyance making it difficult to close the door properly, hanging down to block your ingress or egress, or just looking bad. They are almost always made of rubber and often become hard over time or they breakdown and disintegrate. They are usually held in place by pins or by glue both of which can cause them to sag down or come off the door. They are sometimes referred to as door rubbers or door weatherstripping. An additional problem is trouble keeping the interior cool with the AC or warm with the heater if these go bad.
Why is weatherstripping so important?
Door seals should remain soft and supple. If you squeeze the seal, it should puff back up. Hard seals or those that collapse like mush are not able to form a proper seal and may leak in water. It may also cause air leaks which may range from an uncomfortable draft to an irritating eye-piercing whistle. The door weatherstrip has been around as long as there were enclosed cars. Any time metal is meeting another piece of metal, a piece of rubber needs to be there to cushion the impact and create a firm seal.
Door seal replacement D.I.Y. & video.
Changing the door seals in your car can be an easy do-it-yourself experience, but like most auto repairs it may be best to allow a qualified mechanic to change them out. Please see the guide instructions below.
Check the new weatherstripping and carefully compare it to the old.
Carefully remove the old seals and keep them intact as best you can for comparison purposes in case you need measurements.
If the seals were screwed or clipped in be sure to keep those in case you need them for reuse.
Remove the seal completely and any adhesive.
Gently clean the weatherstrip channels. Add a thin layer of adhesive to the new seal if needed.
Lightly press the seal in and make sure that everything lines up. If it does them firmly press the seal to the door.
Good rubber is the best protection.
We have a full lineup of the best brands of door seals like Metro, Precision and other aftermarket brands for a perfect fit and original look! There are other parts with the like the door seal that you may need like the window seal, vent window seal, the run channels, the window felts or sweeps. Check out all the parts on our site or give us a call if there is one that you don't see. Don't put up with leaks, noise of the unsightly appearance of black rubber hanging off your car. Restore your car back to original quality with new door seals for a quieter, draft free ride.
Door seals should remain soft and supple. If you squeeze the seal, it should puff back up. Hard seals or those that collapse like mush are not able to form a proper seal and may leak in water. It may also cause air leaks which may range from an uncomfortable draft to an irritating eye-piercing whistle. The door weatherstrip has been around as long as there were enclosed cars. Any time metal is meeting another piece of metal, a piece of rubber needs to be there to cushion the impact and create a firm seal.
