Door seals won't stick. What gives?
 

I am putting my 2nd set of new door rubber from LMC truck on my 60 f100. On the first set I used 3M weatherstripe glue. I cleaned the door and rubber, followed the instructions on the tube, ( apply to both sides, let it dry, and attach it together) Only a portion of the seal stayed and after several days the rubber was falling off, especially from the inside corners. I bought a new set from LMC and tried lock tight adhesive glue for weatherstriping. The rubber stayed a little better, but the more you open and close the door it starts to pull away. The doors and strikers were properly aligned prior to putting new rubber on. When I close the doors they are snug. I have heard that new door rubber needs time to break in, but in my case it won't stay on. Any ideas or has anybody used LMC door rubber? Thanks for the help,

Sam

You don't really "let it dry" ...What did you use to clean the door and rubber?

Not sure, but it sounds like you might have used something to clean the area that does not evapoorate well. I have always used something like acetone or rubbing alhohol to clean any surface prepping for weatherstripping . They also sell an adhesion promoter for weatherstrip adhesive. They come in little envelopes that you tear open and use one time. They are made by 3M. They are very handy. Just one thing. Once you get your stripping in place, you better have it in the right spot. Once its on it's on. Hope this helps

Rule of thumb...from Ford shop manuals

Once new weatherstriping is applied, use (generous amounts of) masking tape to hold it on...close the door to the point where it just touches the striker plate.

This, depending on the climate, usually takes 12 hours for the weatherstriping to set up properly.

Is the adhesive sticking to the door, or the rubber, when it falls off? If not sticking to the rubber, I'd bet you haven't cleaned off the cornstarch and mold release that's on the rubber.

The 3M stuff is very forgiving, it holds almost anything to anything else.

I could be way off here but it sounds like someone has Armoralled your gaskets to keep them nice and some has transfered to door jambs
Jim

Or someone sprayed silicone on the seals or near the paint.

It sounds to me like you are trying to use the 3M like contact cement. :mad: I say put a coat on the door and a coat on the weatherstrip. Let both dry. Then put another coat on the door and apply the weatherstripping. So, in effect, you actually have three coats. Works every time. :) By the way, if you aren't already using it, black is better for results than yellow. Good luck, Jag

Additional door seal info and thanks for the help
 

I'm still not sure where I went wrong. Thanks for the ideas and the prompt replies. I did use rubbing alcohol to clean the seals and the door beforehand. The glue stuck to the door just fine but not very well to the seal. When I put a coat of glue on the seal and the door, I did let it set up for about 10-15 minutes. Before attaching the seals I applied a light coat of adhesive to the door. The seals seem to stick well initially, but have started to peal off in several areas. I have used weatherstripe glue in the past without a problem. I am concerned that it is the material that the door seals are made of. Has anyone else used the lmc seals for a 57-60?

Could be a run of bad seals,as you stated.On reputation alone,I only buy Dennis Carpenter rubber products.Steve

I wonder if those seals have some silicone in them?

Please let us know how this turns out. I need to do mine soon and was thinking about trying LMC.

Hi, I just put new seals on my truck.
Dry fit to be sure you have a good fit before glue
First coat on both and let tack well, then second coat is good idea,
work with 12 to 24" at at time so you can control the seal better,
try not to stretch the seal anywhere...if it's not cured but has pull on it it may be pulling it's self off the door?
I let mine cure with the tape in place and the doors open so there would be no stress on the seals from door jam contact.
"Frosty Beverage".....deep breath....exhale..."Frosty Beverage"...go at it again!
good luck, Ed

Here's my 2 cents worth:
The new weatherstrip mating surface needs to be cleaned with laquer thinner prior to use. This is to remove the residue from the manufacturing process. Then let the weatherstrip dry.
If you have already applied 3M glue, will need to clean weatherstrip and doors with 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner (Part #051135-08984?) or similar product to remove all the old glue.
I have had mixed results with the black 3M weatherstrip adhesive myself and now use regular contact cement. This has worked well on the last two vehicles (including 60 truck) I have built.
I usually test fit the rubber then proceed with the contact cement. You can apply it with a small paint brush or acid brush to the whole weatherstrip, set it aside to dry and apply cement to vehicle or you can attach it a little at a time. After the contact cement is dry to the touch, apply weatherstrip to the vehicle. Do not let any dirt contact the glue surfaces and dont stretch the weatherstrip as you are applying it. You might need a helper to feed the weatherstrip to you as you are sticking it. Hope this helps.

Please keep us posted as i'm going to install myself before long on the 51, thanks