Clinch seal type weatherstripping was developed by auto manufacturers to speed up installation of the door seals on the assembly line. Clinch seals use no glue but are simply pressed on to the pinch-weld area of the door opening. They prevent water, wind and other harmful elements from damaging the carpet and interior of your vehicle.
Steele Rubber clinch seals are designed with thin pieces of metal inside the dense rubber lip to allow it to clamp on to the pinch-weld for easier installation and a better fit while the actual seals themselves are made of a softer rubber that won’t prevent the doors from closing tightly. Steele clinch seal door weatherstrips are accurate reproductions of the original manufacturers seals that will protect your ride better than the ones from the factory.
Materials needed for this project:
Drill driver
Cloth
Soapy water
Side cutters
Razor blade
Steele clinch seal door weatherstripping
First step- unscrew the panels to expose the pinch weld all the way around the door opening. The top panels can just be loosened up but you will need to remove the threshold plate completely.
Next, remove the old weatherstripping. Start at the bottom of the door opening. You may see a tube inserted inside of the weatherstrip where the two ends meet. This tube prevents sagging beneath the threshold plate by keeping the rubber firm thus eliminating wind noise and water leaks.
*If your new weatherstrip doesn’t come with this tube you can either pull it out of the old weatherstrip and reuse it or take the old one to your local auto parts store and ask for vacuum hose that size*
Starting at one end, gently pull the rubber away from the pinch-weld all the way around the door opening- the whole thing should come off in one piece.
Next give the pinchweld area a quick clean with a damp cloth removing any dirt and debris before installing the new weatherstrip.
Next place the U-Channel of the weatherstrip around the entire perimeter of the door opening. Start at the bottom center for a neater installation where your two ends and tube will meet. Once the whole weatherstrip is pushed into place, you’re gonna have a few inches of excess at the end, and this is by design. Pull the weatherstrip as tight as you can, leaving a little extra length (an 1/8th of an inch or so will do) and then cut it using the side cutter and razor.
Now replace your top panels with your drill driver.
To join the two ends together, spray some soapy water on the tube and it will fit inside the weatherstrip on the opposite side (or on both sides if that’s the case). Keep the gap between the two ends as tight as you can. A bigger gap means more space for water to get in.
Replace the threshold plate, pat yourself on the back and you’re done!
To check price and availability of Steele clinch door seals to fit your truck visit our website at https://www.steelerubber.com/ to search by year/make/model or call us at 800-447-0849 and speak to a product specialist who can help you.
Steele not only has all the products you need but all the knowledge you need to get the job done right, too. If you have questions about Rubber Parts or Weatherstripping on your Classic Car, Truck or Hot Rod feel free to reach out to us! You can call us at 800-447-0849, contact us through our website at https://www.steelerubber.com/contact or comment on this post and we’ll get you answers as quickly as possible.
Steele Rubber Products, located in Denver, NC, is a manufacturer and seller of high quality rubber parts and weatherstripping products for classic and vintage automobiles, hot rods, RVs and Boats. Steele offers more than 12,000 parts for American made cars and trucks as well as a large line of universal weatherstripping and rubber parts to be used on any project. Established in 1958, Steele is a trusted name in the automotive restoration industry.