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I have been pulling out my hair (what is left of it) trying to convince Steele Rubber that they sent me the WRONG GASKET for my new windshield..... They think that the 1967 to 1972 truck windshield gasket is the same as our 1973 to 1979 trucks JUST BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD GLASS is the same. YES.... I do know that the glass IS THE SAME!!.
They keep telling me that my 1978 cab has been "MODIFIED" and that is why their gasket doesn't fit.
Then they send me this picture......
SO.... it is REALLY OBVIOUS that this is a 1967 to 1972 cab because they have a drip rail in the front. CORRECT????
Now..... here is how the Steele Rubber gasket fits MY 1978 TRUCK.....
It sure looks to me like this gasket will leak on my truck. It appears the top edge of the gasket SHOULD be longer to cover the upper part of the windshield opening.
I tell them that they sent me the WRONG GASKET!
I keep saying that BECAUSE the 1973 to 1979 truck cabs have no drip rail in the front, then the gasket has to be different.
Here is a picture of a few pics from the net of a 1973 to 1979 gasket on a truck.....
The drip rail stops and the gasket goes HIGHER to cover the area where the drip rail was removed in 1973 to 1979.
SO..... For all you guys that have had a new windshield installed in your truck..... WHERE did you get your gasket and how did it fit?
I seem to remember that the windshield gasket on a 73-79 comes up and over the area where the cab front lip rolls with a thin lip. The seal should lay up and over the front break over point. I too think your gasket is going to leak. What about calling some other vendors and get a measurement of their seal in that respective area?
Before my latest redo in 2021/22, but after the earlier redo in 1989, my '77 had a similar sunken spot in the upper corners of the windshield opening where gasket didn't completely fill the gap ... and there might have been some rust involved. I know that I filled in the corner gaps in the '90s with sealant, though mine was not as obvious as OPs orange/white looks. In 2021/22 my buddy did do some work in those upper two corners, and the rubber fits much better since (but the rubber with chrome mylar lock strip tore in the last corner, so opted for solid black rubber, it did OK.).
I don't believe the presence or absence of drip rail well above the opening has any bearing, it is the same opening.
One can see here that a drip rail above wouldn't change the opening. I was pleasantly surprised when Roy said it wasn't near as bad as I had thought, though I never actually had a leak.
I could take a razor and trim that itsy piece of rubber flashing (is not sealant) off the gasket, but "why risk a slip" I ask myself.
Last edited by tbear853; Oct 2, 2025 at 12:15 PM.
Reason: pic added
Yes, you have the wrong gasket. The 78 gasket should have either a narrow black or chrome locking strip in it.
Pictured is my 1979 F150 equipped with the original 46 year old gasket Ford installed on the assembly line. Gaskets usually don't go bad here in the rust belt.
Without consulting a parts book, I would guess that there are at least 3 different windshield gaskets for the 73-79 F series.
I seem to remember that the windshield gasket on a 73-79 comes up and over the area where the cab front lip rolls with a thin lip. The seal should lay up and over the front break over point. I too think your gasket is going to leak.
Exactly!!
There should be a part of the gasket that comes up over the top area of the windshield indention.
Yes, you have the wrong gasket. The 78 gasket should have either a narrow black or chrome locking strip in it.
Pictured is my 1979 F150 equipped with the original 46 year old gasket Ford installed on the assembly line. Gaskets usually don't go bad here in the rust belt.
Without consulting a parts book, I would guess that there are at least 3 different windshield gaskets for the 73-79 F series.
73-79 has 3 gaskets, with wide trim, with lock strip, and plain. I don't know about earlier years.
The correct gasket may hide some of the hole but probably not all of it. you may want to consider just leaving the glass in and finishing the mud work, then feather the pant over it as a repair.
I have found Precision brand gaskets fit the best. and that's not perfect.
I just checked the part number for the Steele Rubber windshield gasket and the number shown for the 1967 - 1972 gasket..... (20-0803-50)
And the part number for the 1973 - 1979 gasket is....... (20-0803-50)... the same number.
BUT if you check with Dennis Carpenter the 1967 - 1972 gasket has part number.... C7TZ-8103110-A
And the part number for the 1973 - 1979 gasket has part number...... D3TZ-1003110-F
SO.... Number Dummy was right.... the 1973 to 1979 trucks DO HAVE a different gasket in order to cover the top of the windshield opening as Rich stated above.
Also..... my original gasket covered the corners just fine. So I just need a gasket that fits LIKE AN ORIGINAL .
Yeah, that's not normal. There may not be bondo on it but someone crunched that roof at some point. You can see the wrinkles surrounding it. Maybe someone tried to hammer it out from the inside at some point?
Either way, I would suggest getting a gasket from Dennis Carpenter. According to the guy who installed my windshield, DC has the softest and easiest to manipulate parts especially when you have the wide trim that is a nightmare to install.
Either way, I would suggest getting a gasket from Dennis Carpenter. According to the guy who installed my windshield, DC has the softest and easiest to manipulate parts especially when you have the wide trim that is a nightmare to install.
Yep.... that is the conclusion I have come to.
DC knows there is a difference in gaskets. They have the one that actually fits the 1973 - 1979 trucks. I might need some "fill" at the corners but I do want to at least start with the CORRECT gasket.
