Just had our 1992 D250 painted. The original windshield / back glass rubber was rough, so I order new rubber and locking strips from Steele Rubber.

After having glass installers come to the shop twice to attempt installation, the locking strips will not fit in the rubber for either the front or back glass.

I called Steele yesterday and they admitted that these gaskets and lock strips are not actually produced by Steele but are sourced through third-party manufacturer Precision Products.

They also admitted others have also had issues with this particular gasket and application, and offered a refund with return.

I went with Steele because of their reputation for quality, and expected no issues after paying over $475 for just the front and back rubbers and strips.

Now I need to find GOOD QUALITY rubber and locking strips for the front and rear glass from another source that is NOT Precision Products.

Any advice VERY MUCH appreciated! Thanks, Moparts!

I've heard some talk about Fairchild Seals on the 1st Generation Diesel Forums. Maybe you can contact them for more information. Maybe Detroit Muscle Technologies (DMT) which is a sponsor here might have something that would work for you? The other issue is I'm assuming you're using aftermarket glass. I've read that some aftermarket glass for the trucks don't play well with the compatibility of Precision Seals.

Good to know, I'm about to buy the same seals for my 85, I don't want any issues who is the best company to buy from? (If everyone just repackages the precision brand I would rather buy straight from them,)I've heard of several issues with precision brand sealsin other applications that our trucks need, like wing window seals as well

Contacted Fairchild, they don't carry them.

Contacted Detroit Muscle, theirs are made by the same manufacturer.

Much as I dislike to say it, the demand for rubber gaskets for glass for 30 or more year old Dodge trucks probably isn't a very high demand. I suspect there is probably only one, or maybe 2 choices and everyone sells the same stuff. The cost effectiveness of companies manufacturing limited quantities of specific items is simply not there.

We likely are going to be hearing more and more of this sort of thing. It is probably a idea these days to ask the company if they are manufacturing the parts themselves or if they are selling someone else's product. If they are not making the part themselves, and several suppliers are selling the same product, we may well be to the point of simply buying the lowest cost specific item we can find.

Its been the consistent story with parts for older Mopars for years. One company is producing the part, everyone else is selling the same part. Might as well buy it for whom ever gives you the best price, has the product in stock, or can deliver it in the most cost effective and fastest time frame..

You could have bought the Precision seal and lockstrip for under $100 at Rock Auto.

Metro Moulded Parts appears to make their own and can even make seals that aren't available elsewhere,

https://metrommp.com/windshield_sea...93_mopar_suv_with_trim_groove_vws_2720b/

Vans Auto has been adding a lot of stuff and usually has quality stuff. I only see lock strip right now though. Maybe they'll add soon. But better yet would be the Metro one above works well for you.

https://vansauto.com/product/wls-848-853-sp-windshield-gasket-seal-chrome-lock-strip-chzwls01/

How about using the gasket and getting a different diameter lockstrip? There are sources for the lock strip, perhaps McMaster Carr or similar vendor.

maybe it was for some other vehicle but I thought I read that somewhere that the gasket was OK but it worked better it someone elses lock strip.

So you are saying the $220 Steele Rubber windshield gasket is just the $35 Precision piece? Or just the lock strip?

That's my understanding.
I've been looking around for this seal in the past couple weeks since I got the windshield out of the 85....... The old one was way hard/brittle, I ended up cutting it out.

Called Metro, theirs is made by Precision Products also. 🤦‍♂️

But the lock strip fits in the Precision gasket. I've had two of them installed recently.

That's disappointing to hear about the window seal. I know a OE Window Seal doesn't bold well with the newer Chinese windshields as well since the newer glass is supposedly slightly thinner.

Can't win.

I've sold no less than a BILLION of the PRP truck windshield seals and cant remember ever hearing an issue. Precision has a great video to show the installation.

Have had one guy (out of probably 2000 sales) tell me the PRP seal that fits all A bodies from 68-76 didn't fit. My PRP guy said thats BS. Said he has an A body windshield frame in his office. He said did your customer watch the video and use the rope method. My customer calls back and said it fit great?!?!? Least he fessed up.

They don't fit worth a crap, they are too small, the corners don't conform right and they are a PITA to install and yes I've watched the old video (the one they did in a junkyard) and the newer video they did in the shop. I had one glass guy with 32 years of experience, give up and walk away, another ended up slicing the seal in the bottom middle of the gasket and filling the 1.5" gap with sealer. The last one I had done I had to help the glass guy do the job, you really need two people, and it was a total PITA.
There, now you've heard.

I doubt theyve made a billion of those seals counting the originals that these trucks left the factory with.
Knowing what they really are now though if that's the only game in town I definitely ain't buying someone else's overpriced repackaged one....

This is all great to know about the reproduction seal. I'll add this to the thread, from what I understand if you can find a factory seal the new aftermarket glass doesn't play well either from what I understand because the aftermarket windshield isn't as thick as the factory windshield.

Yep I bought a new windshield thinking I was doing the right thing since there was mild delamination around the edges and I was putting in a new seal anyway. WRONG. Thinner glass, chitty new seals, bad combination. Professional installers two tries still struggled big time. I've learned a painful lesson.

Made the same kind of mistake several years ago replacing an old gas tank. Figured that was the time to replace sending unit even though old factory one still working fine. Big mistake. Spectra (sp?) branded tank was fine but the sending unit sucked and never worked right. Should've just cleaned the old one and kept it in tank!!!!