Cut the the chase weatherstrip questions

[NikP]

I know I could spend years searching the official weather stripping guide but it's all too confusing.

So here's the question:

If I buy the Slocruisers kit, is there anything else I need to buy to completely re-do all windows, doors and misc body rubber?

Second question:

I noticed some people bought various pieces from different suppliers (Slocruisers, Cade, JCWhitney). Why? Is there some big price difference that it makes it worth your while or is there something missing that it requires multiple sources (back to my first question)?

Thanks.


Nik

 

[romegadave]

Cabe Toyo had bought out another company's supply....windshield rubber and cargo glass rubber etc---don't know about door window felt. Its all expensive (plus you have to consider replacing your roof liner (if necessary) when going to take on the above mentioned cost and the task involved --When I got on this forum I began to get worried if these gaskets would be around in the near future....so I bought from Cabe and Specter's (no window felt yet).

No doubt multiple sources are necessary

Sorry I can't answer the first question---others will be along shortly tho-----------Dave

 

[crackedup]

I'm nearing the finish line on my 55 (or as close as you can get with one of these things) and I think you can say I have lost a good bit of sleep over weatherstripping. It's a nightmare and I don't care what anybody says, there is no quick fix.

I bought everything I could from Cabe because in my opinion it's the best you are going to get. I think it's as good as OEM would be if you could still get it and I thought the price was right. Especially for the quality.

Now don't get me wrong when it comes to Slocruisers but I only bought what I had to. He is the only source for some things. Super nice guy and I truly believe he is putting out the best product he can but I personally don't think it compares to the quality I got from Cabe. Add in the prices he is charging and I was expecting a "picture perfect" product. The items I got are working exactly like they are supposed to and they fit like they should but for the price, I wanted OEM look and feel. We'll see how they hold up. Like I said, he was a nice fellow to deal with and for the items you can't get anywhere else, go for it.

Another problem I would have with buying a kit is the molding that goes around the door openings. If you go through the weatherstripping section it's one of the most talked about pieces. Believe me, I know why. After 30 some odd years nobody's 55 fits into the "cookie cutter" mold anymore. When they came off the line all the doors fit the same so the same stripping worked on all the vehicles. That is not the case now. Nothing fits the same anymore. I tried what was the most recommended and my doors would not close. Perhaps I could have forced them but forget that. Not after all the welding and patching I did. Some will say that it will eventually form under pressure. If you search around the board you will find more than one person has cracked their door trying. No thank you. Luckily I only bought one roll to start with and it all went in the trash can. That would seriously suck if you bought a "kit" and ended up with the same problem of doors not closing. I called Fairchild and they had a piece that I thought would work. Since none of their "common" distributors were carrying it, they sold me 50 feet and I could not be happier.

I have bought from Cabe, Slocruiser, Fairchild, Precision, and JC Whitney. It has been a really big pain in the butt but I really feel that I have put the best package together for my truck. Personally I don't think a package deal can do that or at least it would not have worked for me. It sure would have been a lot quicker though. Please keep in mind that everything above is simply my opinion or experience so take it for what it's worth.

 

[jdog35]

To continue crackedup's theme...it really depends on your personal pig. I am in the middle of installing virtually all rubber, felt, etc. on my freshly painted rig. I have had a good experience with the couple products I bought from JC Whitney (inner window felt, outer rubber 'blade', and pinch-weld door weatherstrip).

My rear cargo windows and tailgate window rubber came with the pig, but I'm 99% sure they were SOR or Cabe. Can't recall which was which off the faded receipts.

All in all...the jury is still out, but sitting in the driveway in pouring rain, I have no leaks...thus far We'll see how well this stuff holds up over an Oregon winter. So far, though, I haven't had any issues closing the doors, opening/closing the windows, etc. Of course the rig isn't driving yet, so this is all static testing.

Hope that helps.

 

[jdog35]

Oh, and for window track felt, I ordered the minimum from Fairchild because JC Whitney doesn't carry it anymore. Each front window used 8-feet, which was perfect, because that's how long each pre-cut piece is! Handy!

On the negative side...I had to make a minimum order of 25-rolls...which equates to roughly 224 feet of window felt...which is enough for something close to six pigs...so I have a little extra if needed

 

[snailwagon]

I bought a bunch of the JC whitney stuff. I was unhappy with all of it besides the rear outside window scraper/rubber. (the window channel was cool though) The door rubber is too thick and puts a lot of force on the window frame and on the latch. The molding also bent out too much where the retainer clips are.

However, it was a hell of a lot better than 40 year old dry rot.

 

[ranger]

Has anyone compared the window track felts, outer door sweeps, and inner door felts with early FJ40 weatherstripping?
This stuff is easy to find and not too expensive. I might have to drive over to where I have my 40 stored and measure to see if any of it matches.