I've searched and see others have had issues - and many haven't - so here's the issue:

I knew I was going to be replacing all the door weatherstrip and glass run on my '66, so I ordered everything from LMC as soon as I got the truck and it's been sitting here a couple months. Today I began installing everything and when I got to the glass runs I could not get them to form around the glass. The stainless bead would simply not slide around as I bent the run. Destroyed two of them, which in all my years doing this sort of thing baffled me to no end... and rightly p'd me off. This is not the first "quality concern" I've seen from repop items in the past few years. And these were not cheap... er... I mean inexpensive.

So before I fork out another $100 is there someplace you-all have purchased these and have had good results? All the rest of the LMC parts seemed very decent (and these did too when they were straight), but I'm not getting them from them again. I'm not sure who made them as they're not branded as best I can tell, but was thinking perhaps Dennis Carpenter?

Thanks-

 

I'm a little worried now. The Division bars were Carpenter parts (from LMC) and I'm guessing the Runs were too - though not marked as such. I guess, at least, if I get theirs (DC) directly, they might we apt to warranty them if they don't bend as they should. I'm not new at this - so this is pretty frustrating.

If anyone has purchased this part in the past couple years and installed them without issue - let me know where you got yours.

Thanks

 

Does not the trim need to be in place before the glass is installed?

 

Carpenter's catalog has a step by step how-to on replacing the window and door components, with pictures.
Page 128 on their downloadable catalog.

Perhaps it may help?

John - Banjo -

 

I'll check out DC's catalog. I've done this sort of thing many times, and the stainless bead (usually) slides as needed to get the radii you need. Neither of the two Runs I had did. They bound and kinked or the bead pulled off.

Also, the glass is still out. I was using it as the form.

Thanks

 

I used DC parts from DC and got them to form by using the old glass as a form and going very slowly - constantly checking to be sure they were forming. I see you tried that too. This is the 7th or 8th car /truck I've done. I wish I had a magic answer for you but I don't. They weren't easy but they did go...slowly
good luck...

 

I used the same parts (from LMC) for my passenger door in late summer/early fall. It was the first time I'd done that kind of repair, so it wasn't perfect. (Much better than before, however). I didn't experience the issues you ran across.

In November, I ordered another run for the driver's side--the parts were on back order and it didn't arrive until last week. Perhaps they've changed suppliers? Still got that one sitting on the workbench.

~Steve

 

Some of you guys have had better luck with LMC parts fitment than I had. I had about a 50% NFG fitment rate from LMC. DC has a much better reputation for quality, but sadly, many of the parts they sell are also from "off-shore" sources and not of the same quality as the parts they make themselves. You just have to be careful.

 

Just did this on a '65. Ruined the first one by kinking it. Second one I started from the center(back edge of glass) and carefully worked out toward the end. Came out ok, but the quality of these parts is not great. Got them from DC.
Luckily I had an extra piece of generic beaded channel to replace the one I bent....glued it in place.
You can buy the beaded channel by the stick, but it does not have the clips on it.

Window Channel - Restoration Specialties and Supply, Inc.

 

I wish they would sell it already preformed , If you buy it by a part number specifically for our trucks then it should be already formed to fit our trucks

 

I bought the complete window kits for our two trucks from Early Ford V8 Sales; formerly of New York, but now located in upstate South Carolina. The window runs in these kits were preformed - not perfectly but certainly close enough to easily mold to the window. Early Ford does carry quite a bit of the DC parts but this kit had a different manufacturer's name, unfortunately I can not recall the name. I talked to the folks at Early Ford before purchasing and they said the kits were US made. Overall it was a serviceable kit; the only problem I had was the attachment of the glass run and the anti-rattler strips. The plastic posts on the glass run that snap into the door were a little too big and took a little shaving and sanding to get them to snap in properly. The spring clips on the anti-rattlers were extremely rigid and very difficult to snap into the slots in the door and the clips at the rear did not line up very well. Took a lot of cursing and some soothing alcohol, but with step back and calm down protocol employed satisfactory results were obtained.

 

Ordered another pair of glass runs this morning direct from DC. Mentioned the issue I had to them and they said I needed to talk to LMC and would not confirm or deny the LMC parts were theirs. There may be a tell once I have the replacements.

I may grab a syringe and inject soapy water along the stainless bead and see if that lubes it up some. Can't hurt. The stainless can only move outward from the top as you bend it around the glass. The lower part of the bead is flattened where the belt-line weatherstrip pieces have to layer over them.

I did look at the instructions mentioned on page 128 in DC's catalog and that's pretty much exactly how it's supposed to be done. Could use a little updating from the 1970's lo-res photos, but it's clear enough. Learned something about the wing window rubber though, so that was worth the look-see. I wasn't aware the rubber pulled outward to form a sealed lip.

I think vendors must know bending this part is a PITA or they'd make templates and do the bending pre-sell. Seems to me many people have similar experiences. I suspect they'll argue long pieces are easier to ship, which is probably true, but at what cost? It's a $70 bill plus shipping for a pair of them. It's costing me $40 more to ship them so I can get them over to me while I'm off next week. So I'll be out $200 for glass run (assuming I am successful on my second attempt).

My guess is they can claim user error on every failure. I've not called LMC yet, but may. Has anyone called about this and been helped?

If these new ones fail I'll check the Early V8 Ford sales "Becky/66" mentioned or figure out something else. I have a lot of the Falcon kind.

 

I haven't talked to LMC about these specifically, but I've talked to them about backordered parts and returns. In my experience, their customer service is above-average: it's easy to get a live person on the phone, and the folks I've talked to have been helpful and knowledgeable.

~Steve

 

Thanks Steve. That's heartening. I may call after the holiday and see if they offer any joy to my world.

One I totally destroyed (not out of fury, but as an attempt to see if I could make use of these without the stainless bead - which, by the way, you can't) and so they'd laugh at me if I tried to warranty that one. The other just shows signs of bending attempts.

I'll keep y'all posted.

 

I purchased these items from DC for my 64, Everything fit up very well. One thing I learned doing the passenger side first, (in case i screwed something up), was that the very ends of the metal flutes need to be opened a bit. IF they are crimped onto the fabric part, and if you do not do that, when you try to bend the metal around the window (I used the window out of the door to form the piece first) the fabric part will not allow or float within the metal part to bend around properly, if you will, to allow for the bend. The passenger side piece I bent a little trying to figured it out.
Good luck on the install!
Hammy.