'85 D100 door seals
#1647695
07/17/14 10:48 PM
07/17/14 10:48 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
VL21
OP
pro stock
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OP
pro stock
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
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OK, I need some help.
I got a door seal/weatherstrip kit (10 pc?) a while back, after some confusion about the window whiskers (sent me the early ones, got that squared away, no problem).
So, I started with the passenger side, did all the inside the door stuff, but postponed the door opening seal for a bit.
When I DID do the seal, it was the type that pushes on over the pinch weld, instead of gluing. At the time I was glad for that, thinking it much easier and cleaner than gluing.
But, it made the door shut very hard. So, I hav put the driver side door/seal off, thinking tht the other side would "settle in", and start closing better.
It hasn't. So, yesterday I went to the u pull, found only 2 square Dodges, but both had decent RIGHT side seals, so grabbed them. By the way, a '90 and a '92. Both had the push on style seal, like the "new" ones I already have.
Tonight I replaced the "new" right side seal with the used, '90 one.
It fits no better, still need to really slam the door to get it closed fully.
In a fit of stupidity, I replaced the left side with the other, '92 seal.
Now I have TWO doors that must be SLAMMED hard to fully close.
I am pretty sure that the extra thickness of the push on part is causing my problem.
My doors are adjusted so that my body lines are good. Sprayed silicone on the seals.
Anybody else have this problem? Did the factory do something different with door thickness to allow for the new style seal?
I thought that maybe the "new" ones were stiffer material, not compressing, but the '90 and '92 ones act just the same, and look same.
Any advice you have is needed, tia.
This damn truck is one aggravation after another ...
It takes gasoline to interest me.
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Re: '85 D100 door seals
[Re: stumpy]
#1647697
07/18/14 12:15 AM
07/18/14 12:15 AM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
VL21
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OP
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Well, the new seal that I put on the right side was on there for about 6 weeks. The ones off the '90 and '92 were probably original to the trucks, I took them off yesterday and installed them this afternoon, so I don't think they regained any of the original shape (beyond what they were). Mind you, I had a '92, back in '93, I don't remember the doors shutting this hard. I REALLY have to slam these, my wife has a hard time to fully close the door, and my girlfriend can't get the doors fully latched ... jk 
It takes gasoline to interest me.
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Re: '85 D100 door seals
[Re: VL21]
#1647700
07/18/14 10:30 AM
07/18/14 10:30 AM
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 15,487
Florida
scratchnfotraction
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 15,487
Florida
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I have the same problem on my 440 truck. Complete new weather strip kit, heater/firewall block off plate, full door panels and it has become air tight when closing the doors with glass up. 4 yrs old now still soft/tight. I have the habit of rolling the window down some as I get in. FYI...It only took one time of my wife getting out of the stepside and closing the door not latching. Then the booty bump to close it put a big azz dent in the door. Then the fight started. I NOW Open & Close the door FOR her Getting In & Out of either of my trucks. some time late 80s I think the doors got an air vent behind the lower door panel on driver doors. My JY replacement door on the stepside has the ugly hole with a plastic piece/rubber flap. I have short door panels and you see it. but worn seals and just about no weather strip on either door it is drafty so no airpockets when slaming doors. have you tried open/closing the door a few 100,000 times to break in the seals? 
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Re: '85 D100 door seals
[Re: TooMany62s]
#1647701
07/18/14 12:02 PM
07/18/14 12:02 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
VL21
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pro stock
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OP
pro stock
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
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Quote:
I bought new aftermarket seals for my '84 and had the same problem. The doors were very difficult to close. I bought new parts from the Dodge dealer, problem solved. I don't know what the difference is between late seals and early ones but the factory replacements for an '84 worked perfectly on mine.
2many, were the replacement aftermarket the push on style, no glue needed, and the '84 factory replacements the glue on style?
This '85 had the glue on, and while they were torn a little, the doors closed easily.
I thought the push on ones would be an improvement, and I do think they will seal better, if I can figure out how to get the doors to close.
I loooked at a low mile, '88 on ebay, it seems to have the push on style.
I got a seal from a ~2000 -99-01? style, it is very similar, but locates the seal part just a fraction of a inch away from the pinch part, not sure if this will help but gonna try it.
Rolling the window down doesn't help, at this rate the window will be broken out soon. I need to put the fuzzies in the driver door, just to hold the glass snugger ...
Still need to get the windshield in.
One thing at a time, if I decide to burn it I hate to waste a good windshield ...
AAARRRGHH!
It takes gasoline to interest me.
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Re: '85 D100 door seals
[Re: VL21]
#1647702
07/18/14 05:12 PM
07/18/14 05:12 PM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,176
Crockett ,TX
98RAM1500
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,176
Crockett ,TX
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Just curious, but what brand are the aftermarket seals your using? I'm using precision on my 84, there are 2 other tricks to do, try hitting the pinch lip where the seal pushes on slightly inward with a hammer you might gain a tad bit more & also sometimes moving the striker outward works, done this on a buddy 91 D350 and it closes like a dream now & seals good & last time I seen the truck the door is flush with the cab Sometimes the striker might be too far in and that's why it closes too hard. just move it outward a tad and try it its worth a shot & easy to do to 
Last edited by 98RAM1500; 07/18/14 07:42 PM.
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Re: '85 D100 door seals
[Re: VL21]
#1647703
07/18/14 07:36 PM
07/18/14 07:36 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,796
Greer, SC
TooMany62s
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,796
Greer, SC
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Quote:
Quote:
I bought new aftermarket seals for my '84 and had the same problem. The doors were very difficult to close. I bought new parts from the Dodge dealer, problem solved. I don't know what the difference is between late seals and early ones but the factory replacements for an '84 worked perfectly on mine.
2many, were the replacement aftermarket the push on style, no glue needed, and the '84 factory replacements the glue on style?
This '85 had the glue on, and while they were torn a little, the doors closed easily.
I thought the push on ones would be an improvement, and I do think they will seal better, if I can figure out how to get the doors to close.
I loooked at a low mile, '88 on ebay, it seems to have the push on style.
I got a seal from a ~2000 -99-01? style, it is very similar, but locates the seal part just a fraction of a inch away from the pinch part, not sure if this will help but gonna try it.
Rolling the window down doesn't help, at this rate the window will be broken out soon. I need to put the fuzzies in the driver door, just to hold the glass snugger ...
Still need to get the windshield in.
One thing at a time, if I decide to burn it I hate to waste a good windshield ...
AAARRRGHH!
The Mopar seals I got from the dealer push over the pinch welds on my '84. The big difference between the factory part and the aftermarket part was the hardness of the rubber. The aftermarket parts were as hard as a rock.
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Re: '85 D100 door seals
[Re: VL21]
#1647704
07/19/14 11:34 AM
07/19/14 11:34 AM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
VL21
OP
pro stock
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OP
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
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Small update, though it took me about 1/2 a day ... First, I swapped in the '01 (or 99 or 00) door seal I picked up (would you believe it is only about 8-10" longer than the '85? Doors look much bigger). This seal moves the seal part more toward the door opening wall (think expanding a circle) seems like about 1/4", probably not that much but in the overall circumference, it adds up. This helped some, so I took the door apart and installed the driver door portion of the kit I had (channels, fuzzies, etc everything but the door seal), this just tightened up the flopping glass. I figured that if I had to slam the door hard at least the glass wouldn't be bouncing around inside. I have moved the doors outward on the hinges, body panels align, driver striker is actually just a tad out too far (rear edge of door slightly outboard of cab corner, run a finger over it and it will catch) and still hard to close. BTW, this is a Precision kit, some parts of it are fine, the whiskers leave a lot to be desired especially at the rear, curved up area, and the door opening seal really doesn't feel stiff, or hard, seems very much the same as the factory from the junk yard. Going back to the yard today for an inside handle and window crank, do some shopping ... want to measure up some sway bars, something bigger than the factory one I have now ... Still not happy with the force needed to close the doors, even with the tired but intact used factory ones in there now. For instance, close the door to the first click of the latch, it is not possible to push the door closed to the second click, it must be slammed. At least the windows aren't flopping around ... 
It takes gasoline to interest me.
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Re: '85 D100 door seals
[Re: VL21]
#1647705
07/19/14 11:48 AM
07/19/14 11:48 AM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
VL21
OP
pro stock
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OP
pro stock
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
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When I got this truck I bought it from a towing company, seems the previous owner got a DUI (DWI?) and never claimed the truck ...
I'm beginning to understand why he was drinking ...
It takes gasoline to interest me.
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Re: '85 D100 door seals
[Re: 98RAM1500]
#1647707
07/21/14 12:53 AM
07/21/14 12:53 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,589
Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,589
Freeport IL USA
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Two things that might be your problem. It is possible the pinch weld on the door is in the wrong location. I've seen them bent, mutilated, and simply misplaced when the truck was 1st built or after parts have been changed. Without the seals in place, close the door and check to be sure the distance all around the edges are consistent, especially the front and bottom pinch welds. If you have adjusted the door gaps, and the doors closed before, the position of the pinch welds becomes suspect. Quality control wasn't very high when these trucks were new, they were, for the most part, work trucks.
If the pinch weld flanges are consistent and appear to be correctly located, do yourself a favor when you go back to the junk yard, either on the door, or on the striker post panel on that 94 or newer truck you will find a little rubber flapper (its about 3" square). Get whatever you need to put the rubber flapper in your truck.
The door doesn't close well because the pinch welds are too close to the door, or the cab is too tight and is trapping too much air inside when the seals are tight. Gene
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Re: '85 D100 door seals
[Re: 440newport]
#1647709
07/21/14 09:16 PM
07/21/14 09:16 PM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,176
Crockett ,TX
98RAM1500
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,176
Crockett ,TX
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Quote:
The Precision ones are junk. I tried them on 2 trucks with the same results. One set about 5 years ago, and another just recently.
They're nice and easy to install yes, but you have to SLAM the doors to get them to latch. Cracking a window helps, but you still have to slam them hard.
The ones that were installed on the other truck 5 years ago have softened some, but still requires a good slam of the doors.
I've tried adjusting the door and latch outward which did help some, but it shouldn't be this hard to close a door.
Iv'e used precision once before never had a problem with them  ive compare the door seals to the original 89 rams and they are the same thickness other than being used.
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Re: '85 D100 door seals
[Re: VL21]
#1647712
07/22/14 10:01 PM
07/22/14 10:01 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
VL21
OP
pro stock
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OP
pro stock
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,357
central Florida
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Just sort of an update, really nothing to report. Went back to the yard, got the inside handle from the 90, looked around some, few other odds and ends, too damn hot, came home. Alternator quit charging, no start after dropping my buddy off is how I noticed it, still daylight, and my alt guage doesn't ever move. So, I got it home, pulled the alt next day, I could see a fried diode, got another from my (junk) stock, fixed stripped thread at adjuster hole, installed it, viola, high 13s (volts) and went for a ride to charge the bat the rest of the way, and see if it would keep charging. Got home, raining now, not charging. Nothing. Battery voltage only. Since I was in a hurry, I didn't pull the brushes, clean the surfaces, I sort of think that may be THAT problem. Since, it has rained every evening, and raining now. It can wait. BTW, I only installed one of the Precision seals, but currently have factory, well used, 90 one side and 92 other side, on it now, with no difference from the one Precision I had previously installed, still got to slam it HARD. Problem definitely isn't air tightness, even with the window all the way down still gotta slam it. Good point about checking the pinch weld clearance, I do think the difference from pinch weld to seal surface difference going from the glue on ones the truck had on it to the push on style is the problem, if it ever stops raining and I get it charging again I am back on the doors now that I have what I needed to do in the door done! Thanks everyone! I'll be baaack ... I really would like to make this a decent old driver truck ... OH!!! and get this! My backup rig, the LT1 powered Cherokee, is showing it's as-, with AN INTERMITTENT CHARGING PROBLEM! AARRGH! It's actually my primary, but I have been driving the truck for the last 6 weeks or so. 
Last edited by VL21; 07/22/14 10:06 PM.
It takes gasoline to interest me.
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