Weather Strip Replacement

A 100-year storm rages, yet you're cruising down the highway in relative calm, sealed tightly in your vehicle from the whistling wind and sheets of rain. Your comfort is courtesy of yards of weather stripping around the doors, windows, hood and trunk—one of those innocuous automotive systems, backed by years of technology, which we all take for granted. When those gaskets start to go, though, you'll need to give them some attention.

Wet Seal
While your physical comfort may be your first concern, the stripping also keeps potentially corrosive moisture away from the window mechanism in your door panels. In addition, it cushions the door/body panel connection, much like healthy cartilage in your joints. The stripping around your hood, trunk and a truck's tailgate performs the same functions.


If you're driving a new car, you may think the molding will last a lifetime, but if you've ever bought a used vehicle, you know that kind of longevity is not a given. That annoying, high-pitched whine of the wind past the door seals is the first sign of trouble. Once the wind finds its way past the seal, moisture will soon follow.


The technology has come a long way since the 1930s when seals were fabric webbing screwed into the metal body panels. Today, the high-quality aftermarket weather stripping is made with a rubber skin and sponge interior. The rubber creates a sturdy weather seal; the sponge gives under pressure and effectively conforms to the proper shape when the door or trunk lid is closed.

Perfect Fit
If your weather stripping is leaking, or has been leaking for a while and is now dangling from the doorjamb, it's time to replace it. If you've got an older vehicle, you may want to seriously consider taking the job to a body shop. What looks like a simple case of pull-off-the-old and slap-on-the-new can turn into a royal hassle. With the improvements in the technology, the newer stripping usually has more vibrancy than the original. So when you close an old door on new weather stripping, there may be too much bounce to allow the door to latch properly. The simple solution is to make adjustments by moving the catch on the doorjamb farther out, just enough to allow the latch to catch. The result is a door that seats properly but rides a fraction of an inch away from the rear body panel.