I bought two new wing window seals for my '75 F250 from Steele Rubber for $100, and I am very disappointed with them. They are significantly longer than the originals and do not fit at all. They can't even be pressed into the track to then cut part of it (which defeats the point of a one piece seal) I'm not sure what to do here. I do not have a garage so I can't leave my door open for too long. Even if I could get the seal pressed into the track I don't see any good place to cut it that wouldnt let wind or water in. The seal I bought according to their website is the correct seal for my truck and their site has a garentuee on the fitment of their parts so I'm pretty disappointed here.

 

I put a new set in a few years ago and they fit great, don't remember the brand but I assume they're all made by the same outfit.

Are you sure you're trying to install them correctly, you have to work them into the track with a screwdriver it's a PITA.

 

I forget exactly what the issue was, but I had to work them a bit, both in 1989 and more recently in 2022. Somehow, suddenly I had a fit. Was at first seemed too big, but as I "worked" them, maybe compressed them, "Poof", and they were there. Pretty sure I did use a light smearing of a rubber lube called "Ru-Glyde", but any bit of lube meant for rubber would help, NOT WD-40.

Even then, in the bottom where they sit on the door, not great, but then the worst happens is water can leak into the door, but in rain or car washes, that's gonna happen. Keep drains open.

On wind noise, I wrestled more, then I put my front wheel splash guard "tubs" back in, and that ended wind noise .... as they killed wind going back through the cavity between cab body and fender in a path to the door front.

 

Could they be the wrong part?

 

They are Steele Rubber #20-0809-55
I was able to use the handle side of a screwdriver and press very hard and roll it and it kindove pushed the part into the track, but it still is an incorrect fitment. Nothing lines up properly. For the bottom hole where the windows pole goes through, you line that part up and everything else is incorrect. The part with the rivet on the window that uses 2 screws to hold onto the frame, that part does not line up. The rubber is designed for that to be higher up than it is. Also the corners are both a huge PITA and I had a hell of a time getting the bottom corner to even be mostly in but it just doesn't seem to fit right. The top corner is as far in as it can go and yet the middle straight section can still move, presumably because it is too long. It's just a poorly designed product. Very disappointed, I expected only the best from Steele Rubber.
the top corner, I had to remove the other 2 screws to get the frame open to even place the seal in, and it physically cannot reach back to have the screws back in. Just as in the seal curls at the top because there is too much.

 

Did you call Steele?

 

Apologies to all whoms time I wasted. The suggestion for using lube was extremely helpful. I had silicone spray laying around and used that and it was still a bitch & ½ to get it into the corners seriously dreading doing the other side but it's on now. It still has some little wrinkles as though it's longer than it should be but it's on there. Unfortunately I can't seal the window all the way because the white part of the wing window handle is missing, I I bought new ones from Dennis Carpenter and they forgot to add a pin to install it so until that's resolved this won't close all the way. Rest of my door seals from Steele are fitting well. Wing window took all day but silicone spray in the corners helped a ton thanks guys. I am not excited to do this on my Bronco

Edit: I would like to add, my whole door is done now and I am extremely unimpressed with the seals at the bottom of the window. The two that touch the faces of the glass, the one on the outside has massive gaps between it and the metal and I can see the felt under it. I can press it down and it bounces back up, and it is obviously not perfectly straight. I did not tamper with this part, simply removed it from the package, installed it and it's got a huge gap. I'm hoping it'll lay down with time but I'm not sure it will. Gaps are massive. Will definitely let more water in than the old seals did

 

If the rubber was exact or short, it wouldn't fit snuggly. Having it slightly compressed is better. As to poor fit at the bottom, you might mean where the rubber fits over the door metal? Mine fits better that it first did, but is still not gap free right there at the divider post above the mirror. It fits fine otherwise, I thought about sticking a piece of something, maybe a strip of other rubber in there, but I'm fine as is. Nobody has noticed it, no strangers have turned around on a highway and followed me to laugh at it. Once you get them in, let them get accustomed to the new home, let them see some sun, they'll start fitting better. The door was never designed to stay dry inside.



It rained.

 

I was referring to the piece that touches the main window not the wing window, it has a huge gap and I can press it down with my finger and it pops back up.

This is the ORIGINAL seal on the driver side, for reference on it being flat with the door line. (will be replaced in the coming days)

Passenger side, new seal. Zoom in if you need to but this side the seal is so high up i can see the felt under it. The other side it sits much lower

Visible gaps

That sparklyness is the felt which should not be visible.

I hope it does lay down but I doubt it will with the way it pops back up, as if the material isn't the issue but rather the poorly designed clips. I don't know. Hoping the other side doesn't turn out the same.

 

Oh, "belt line anti rattle strips" I had a couple places the clips were really stubborn, not wanting to pop into the holes. Took work, time, use of plastic trim pry bar under my thumb, glass down for room, and looking to be sure clip was started into hole. Thumbs grew sore too.

 

[img alt="The anti rattle strips for the driver side, brand new out of the package. (coffee used for making them stand up)
Observe how bent they are. The same is with the passenger ones I installed yesterday."]https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ford-trucks.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/20250416_125112_69ab6e9ad50aac0acad46255ef0f0f2018 bd331c.jpg[/img]
The anti rattle strips for the driver side, brand new out of the package. (coffee used for making them stand up) Observe how bent they are. The same is with the passenger ones I installed yesterday.

Another photo of how not straight they are

The original driver side strips before I removed them. Observe how the outer strip with the rubber is flat with the top of the door. In my previous photos I showed how the same NEW strip on the passenger side is much higher. Its been a day and it's already buggin the sht out of me.

Edit: not sure why the first photo turned into a link sorry it's a picture of the anti rattle strips and how bent up they are. Like a squiggly line or something

 

Very displeased about the massive gap on this side as well.


The gap does not close even with the window up and it is not flush with the top of the door. Lame

 

In my case, in '89, those fit OEM doors well. This latest set were put in still new (purchased in the 1990s) aftermarket doors after painted, so not really a good comparison at all I guess. Yours may be s***y, but I did have some issues with clips. Sorry.

 

Yeah this really sucks I might complain to Steele and demand ownership of their company or something along those lines. Those gaps are massive and they were not at all straight. I did notice the original clips almost looked like a cats paw print made of metal, whereas the new ones are just a sharp pointy little blade with a lot less coverage and width. Pretty wimpy compared to the originals.

 

I forget where I bought mine, but they laid in a box here a few years.





Don't know that it helps, but took a couple pics for you.
Ones in '89 likely came from J C Whittney, pretty sure they did fit a little better.