Door weather stripping

[Tamnative3]

I have read just about every post on this and after getting my weather stripping and trying to install it this is what I discovered.
Before you get it roll down your windows and close the door and check the clearance around the door and pay attention to the bottom hinge side where it curves up from the rocker panel, if you don’t have at the very least a 1/2” gap there no matter where you get your weather stripping your door won’t close. I got mine from WH and it was very good and worked great on the driver’s side but there is no way it would work on the passenger side as I didn’t have the clearance on the bottom. As this was the side I started on I was not looking forward to installing the drivers side which turned out well as I had the clearance at the bottom. Now I will go back to the passenger side and figure out what to do.
As I had to cut the bottom section and left the front and back on I will see if I can find something for the bottom. Just thought I would give a heads up to those that haven’t done this yet. Check the clearance with the doors closed first that will give you an idea of what you have.

 

[Torkman66]

Agree. A lot of the “ hard close” after new rubber is door aligned too tight. It’s tricky but there is a sweet spot where door still fits right with good gaps but still allows door to close right. It may be tight at first, so bring doors out a bit. Then after it’s been on a month, doors closed and opened, in the sun, go back and adjust gap a bit tighter. One of the issues is folks have front edge of door aligned to fender but fender is too tight (in). The door has to be in further to align. That squeezes the rubber too tight. So loosen up the gaps at the fender, including the fender. Took me a few days fiddling with the gaps but door closes like a new door and gaps are near perfect.

 

[Tamnative3]

Agree. A lot of the “ hard close” after new rubber is door aligned too tight. It’s tricky but there is a sweet spot where door still fits right with good gaps but still allows door to close right. It may be tight at first, so bring doors out a bit. Then after it’s been on a month, doors closed and opened, in the sun, go back and adjust gap a bit tighter. One of the issues is folks have front edge of door aligned to fender but fender is too tight (in). The door has to be in further to align. That squeezes the rubber too tight. So loosen up the gaps at the fender, including the fender. Took me a few days fiddling with the gaps but door closes like a new door and gaps are near perfect.

But it’s not just the door gaps that this would affect you also have the hood.

 

[Torkman66]

That’s true. It all connected. You pull fender out slightly actually gives door a 1/8” and that makes seal fit better. Very small change in hood gap.