Wind Wing Gasket

[DollyDodge]

I installed both my wind wings with thier new gaskets just to see how they fit. I find one thing that really isn't a good fit. I want to know if others who have the steele gaskets have the same problem. If you look at the attached photos, at the front of the wind wing one the front lower section the rubber does not lay flat against the door, but instead it sticks strait out. In a couple of the photos you can see the paint line where the old gasket sat. This isn't a bid deal, but it isn't a correct fit, and looks like that rubber stickly out like that would direct wind and rain inside the door. One other issues is I also can see daylight along the straight part on the front of the wind wing (area shown in picture 79). I have the same issue on both sides. Otherwise the fit seems fairly good.......a bazillion times better than the old rubber, wheich was dry, hard, and cracked.

[Merle Coggins]

Mine doesn't stick out away from the door like that but it does leave a small gap where it doesn't seal against the window around the lower front curve. This is one area where I've been disapointed with the Steele window gaskets. I've contemplated getting vent window rubber from another source to see if it's any better. I'll be listening for more input too.

Merle

[DollyDodge]

thanks Merle, I am not real pleased about this fit, but as I said, way better than before. I think I will contact Steele and see what they say.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I"vented" about this to Steele long ago..some here may remember that I was displeased..they said that their engineers have the product right and is a perfect fit and look...I stated i thought it generic and less than appealing and functional...I offered to them a set of good used one as a sample and they said they were not interested and repeated that I am the first customer that ever complained and whatever was on my car was evidently not right from the beginning..that they will stick with what they sell as they have sold plenty without argument...I find that hard to believe...but I have only my experience to go on at that time...I still do not care for the product and have little regard for Steele..I use them only when I cannot ever find it elsewhere..further their comment to me at one time was if you were serious about an old car and the hobby you would not buy a Chrysler product..I sweat that is a true statement..

[Don Coatney]

Most everyone on this forum that has bought from Steel swears by them not at them. I have only bought one thing from them (tailight bezel rubbers) and they did not fit well. The rubber was rock hard and not pliable. A lot of time lapsed from when I bought them until I installed them but when I did make an attempt to install them they did not fit. When I contacted Steel about the problem they told me that too much time had lapsed and that I should have contacted them sooner. They did nothing telling me that I was the first to complain. I had to use an exacto knife to trim there product to work and I was never satisfied. Actually Tim Adams now has these gaskets I bought and if he digs them out he will verify what I am saying.

[Guest bewillie]

I complained about the vent gaskets for the D24 in 1996 and was told I was the only one that had ever complained. Don't sound like anyone at Steel ever talks to each other. I threw them away and bought a set from metro. Didn't fit right eather but much better.

[norrism1]

DollyDodge. Could the parts be specific right and left side? Have you tried to switch them to see if any better? Just a thought.

[HanksB3B]

I'm still not convinced that all our Pilothouse Rubber does not come from one source. This is what my Roberts Motor Parts wing window rubber install looks like. I never noticed that in the specific area of mention they do stick out about a 1/4". I was just so happy to be able to replace the rock-hard painted over cracking and disintegrating rubber that was there. It does not appear to me that mine will leak as it does seal well (a little deeper than I'd like) against the door.

Hank

[NiftyFifty]

My question is then...where is the cheapest place to buy the same moldings you all seem to be getting I really need a set badly for mine...now would be a good time to order to have them for spring.

[Frank Ollian]

Steele does not make all their products themselves. I ordered a seal for the rear window of my 64 D300, they told me it was coming from another source and it was on backorder forever so I gave up and ordered one from Restoration Specialties, nice piece.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Mexico and China... Thats where everything is made today-cheaply.

[Jim Shepard]

Several years ago I ordered all my rubber frome Steele. The only thing that didn't fit (although with mine the holes didn't line up) was the wind wing rubber. I talked with Steele and they said all the gaskets would have the same problem. I ended up sending them back and ordered new ones from Roberts. Otherwise, I'm pleased with Steele.

[Desotodav]

It was interesting to compare my Oz vent window with yours from over there Dollydodge. I tried buying vent window rubbers from Andy Bernbaum at $95 per pair and was told that the rubbers would not fit my truck because mine was an export truck. I can see what he means now (see picture of my vent window). Sorry, but I have to say that I think my vent window looks nicer than the ones you people have over there. I don't know where Andy B gets his stock from, but I reckon that there would be very few makers of the items.

Good luck with your saga.

Thanks for the info on the division bar for the vent window from the other thread also Dollydodge. I will follow it up when I get over my current hurdle - oil leak from the timing chain cover.

Desotodav

[catfishcuz]

It looks to me like that gaskit is made for a door that dosnt have that indentation in the corner is there another dodge door that dosnt have that indentation.Just my two cents worth. Butch

[DollyDodge]

After seeing the photos I agree, that the gasket I got would fit fine with a door with no indentation in that area. I wonder if Steele makes another style? I did think about the left and right side issue, but the gasket only fits one way, because of the latch, and the way the gasket is designed it is clear which side it goes on (the gasket only allows the widow to open one way). I called steele yesterday and the people I need to speak with were gone, so I will try again today. Like I said the gasket I have is way better than what was there before. It would be nice if it fit however, those little suckers were expensive! Hank's pictues show a better fit than my steele product, even though it does stick out a bit, it is still curved forward more than what I have.

[Monkey Truck]

Mine doesn't stick out away from the door like that but it does leave a small gap where it doesn't seal against the window around the lower front curve. This is one area where I've been disapointed with the Steele window gaskets.

Merle

Ditto for me too. I just replaced mine about 4 months ago and I thought I had installed them wrong, but I couldn't find any way to fix it.

[Dave72dt]

Apparently they're installing like an extruded molding instead of a true molded piece. No compensation for the radius.