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Seal for halfcab bed cover

navi

Full Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
155
Anyone know where to get good weather stripping seals for a steel bed cover?
It's a heavy locking cover and there are no manufacturer markings anywhere.
 
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navi

Full Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
155
this is the style of cover
0nXPWLT.jpg
 

Hazegray

Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Messages
795
That appears to be hand built (Bronco lift gate hardware), so finding a universal seal is just a matter of preference.
 
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navi

Full Member
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Jul 17, 2020
Messages
155
Is there an advantage to the kind that has a slit that gets pressed into the metal edge versus a solid piece held by adhesive only?
 
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navi

Full Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
155
I installed a push-on rubber seal from Steele Rubber, and it fit very well onto the inside edge of the bed cover/tonneau.
The seal is great from the front all the way to about 10 inches before the tailgate. At that point there's a bit of a gap since the cover is not pressing down hard enough at that point.
How can I get this more snug?
 

NewDog

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2018
Messages
187
Loc.
Surrey BC
What holds the cover down at the tailgate end?
Does it just sit there on its own weight? Or is there some kind of latch that you can adjust for more downward pressure?
 
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navi

Full Member
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Jul 17, 2020
Messages
155
What holds the cover down at the tailgate end?
Does it just sit there on its own weight? Or is there some kind of latch that you can adjust for more downward pressure?

It mostly sits on its own weight.
There is a latch that locks, but it doesn't add much pressure to the end.
There's a small slot in the tailgate that the latch turns into.

7YSzwRC.jpg
 
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navi

Full Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
155
hmm, I'm thinking I could shim the brackets near the cab so there isn't so much pressure on that end🤔
 

Hazegray

Sr. Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2004
Messages
795
Is it possible to add a washer to the top of the key lock and adjust bottom nut tension accordingly? Might be able to get a tighter seal.
 
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navi

Full Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
155
Is it possible to add a washer to the top of the key lock and adjust bottom nut tension accordingly? Might be able to get a tighter seal.

hm, would the height of the latch need to change to get a tighter seal?
I can't figure out how more tension on the nut would do it...but I do have quarantine brain at this point.

Edit: maybe that's what you're suggesting. This cam lock should be adjustable, I would need to raise the latch a little to require more force to reach the slot.
 
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navi

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Jul 17, 2020
Messages
155
More tension didn't do it. I think the diamond plate on the tailgate is part of the problem, it rises slightly higher than the sides and that's where the gap starts.

One option, there are double bulb side press seals at steele that would extend farther down. Might look a little odd tho.
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,345
Sorry I missed the fun! As soon as I saw your mention of a bed cover in another thread I had to go hunting to see this thing. Very cool!

I would think that since you have two levels of sheet metal (the bed rail and the tailgate with cap) or maybe three (adding whatever the front bulkhead level is) then having two different thicknesses of weather seal rubber would not look out of place at all. Especially if it allows the cover to sit flatter.

So a thinner seal around the front and sides, to let the cover sit flatter with less tension holding it up. And an even thinner seal (by about the thickness of the diamond plate aluminum cap) along the rear. That would seem to fit the bill.

And now with the rubber seal, adding some tension to the latch would be a good thing as well. Were you only needed it to hold it from opening before, now you need it to keep the rubber seals compressed a little bit to seal better.
But just adding the rubber would I thought have added tension to the latch. Is that not the case?

Good luck.

Paul
 
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navi

Full Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
155
Sorry I missed the fun! As soon as I saw your mention of a bed cover in another thread I had to go hunting to see this thing. Very cool!

I would think that since you have two levels of sheet metal (the bed rail and the tailgate with cap) or maybe three (adding whatever the front bulkhead level is) then having two different thicknesses of weather seal rubber would not look out of place at all. Especially if it allows the cover to sit flatter.

So a thinner seal around the front and sides, to let the cover sit flatter with less tension holding it up. And an even thinner seal (by about the thickness of the diamond plate aluminum cap) along the rear. That would seem to fit the bill.

And now with the rubber seal, adding some tension to the latch would be a good thing as well. Were you only needed it to hold it from opening before, now you need it to keep the rubber seals compressed a little bit to seal better.
But just adding the rubber would I thought have added tension to the latch. Is that not the case?

Good luck.

Paul

haha, yes it is fun. Only because it isn't raining yet ;D

You pretty much have it right. There is a thinner strip near on the bulkhead side (front). There probably should be a thinner strip as you suggested, along the rear to make up for the height of the diamond plate.
I didn't think of this, instead I was going to use thicker strips for just part of the side rails. I was thinking that the seal is so compressed along the rear that it is already "thinner" there. Might be wrong.

There is a lot of tension on the latch and the seal is very compressed on the front and rear, and along the sides near the front. It is the sides toward the rear that has the gap.
 
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