Steele Rubber door seals

[Marc]

Wondering if anyone here has used the door seals from Steele Rubber. I know some have had problems getting their doors to close with the Dennis Carpenter seals.
The Steele Rubber seals cost quite a bit more than the DC seals. Curious if they are worth the price difference.

[KYBlueOval]

Marc, in the recent past I was looking for windshield and rear glass gaskets for my Ranchero. I spoke with both Carpenter and Steele regarding the same gaskets.After asking the "right" questions, I found out that the Steele gaskets were in fact a Carpenter product at a higher price.
I asked Steele, why their gaskets were higher priced and the reply was that Steele had a more liberal return policy.
I have no information regarding the door seals and who makes what. But my call to Carpenter regarding the windshield and back glass gaskets was the source of my information........That Carpenter supplied Steele with the gaskets I was inquiring about.
John

[gasman826]

Since we've become a third world country, sometimes it's more about who has it rather than the price.  I've put two sets of Steele Rubber seals in two '57 Custom style Tudors.  Unfortunately, I have no experience with Steele's return policy or with Dennis Carpenter seals.  I've found that you have to do a lot of shopping...it seems no supplier has everything.  Follow the directions...surface prep and adhesive application are critical.  Don't stretch the seals.  For seal break-in, I lubed the seals with petroleum jelly.  Having the doors off the car was huge. I had no issues with the one car that had an old paint job.  The Custom had too many coats of paint and the seals are still very tight.  The Custom is also very air-tight so the doors close much easier with an open window.  Time and use will help with the fitment.  My seals have been installed for several years and still continue to get better.

[Marc]

Thanks guys. I don't mind paying a higher price if it's a good quality product. If they're all just selling the same stuff though then obviously I'd like to pay the lower price.
I'll have to give both suppliers a call and find out if they are selling the same product.
Good advice about prep and breaking in the seals. When I had the car painted it was stripped down to bare metal so I don't anticipate too much paint being a problem.

[Ford Blue blood]

I've never had a problem with returning errors with Carpenter.  Ya, lots of his stuff comes from China but most if not all the soft goods are USA made by them.  Never had a problem with fitment of his soft goods.  And yes, shop various vendors for the best prices!

To get the doors to close I put steady pressure by them closed by using ratchet straps and bracing inside the doors.  It took about a week for the seals to "seat".

[Jeff Norwell]

I've never had a problem with returning errors with Carpenter.  Ya, lots of his stuff comes from China but most if not all the soft goods are USA made by them.  Never had a problem with fitment of his soft goods.  And yes, shop various vendors for the best prices!

To get the doors to close I put steady pressure by them closed by using ratchet straps and bracing inside the doors.  It took about a week for the seals to "seat".

Thats a great idea Bill!

I have the door seals from Carpenter,. never used them.I went on Amazon and bought a generic door seal with a 3m adhesive tape on the back... about a 1/4 inch smaller in height that stock ones..... The doors shut perfect and soundly..no messy glue to deal with and took about an hour to do both doors..... My cars are never going to be restored pebble beach cars... so.. it got the job done and done well.

And no..... I can't find the brand or order number... I could post a pic.

[Marc]

Jeff that's not a bad option. certainly sounds like a much more simple install than the repop seals.
If you can dig up a pic I'd appreciate it. I haven't ordered seals yet so I'm open to all options.

[Jeff Norwell]

Marc.I go have a look in the HD for a few pics

[Jeff Norwell]

Marc... sorry.. but I just ordered more. and at 16 bucks Canadian for 26 feet I believe... the price is unbeatable  and goes on very very easy,
I will add some pics here for you....I have used this on my black custom and seals so very nice from wind noise, rain and the doors fit without any adjustments.. The factory stuff is just much of a major pain for me.... and your doors have a hard time closing properly until the rubber settles it.
Yes. this stuff is foreign made. but so is Carpenters... and the cost is so much less.
As I attach pics. there are many different styles to choose from..... Not sure how much you need but its very affordable and solved my problem
As I mentioned before. on this issue of door and trunk seals..I am not going for the Restoration award..... I want something that mainly works and is cost effective.

[Jeff Norwell]

A few more pics

[Marc]

That's awesome Jeff, thanks for posting those pics. I haven't been on here much lately so I'm just seeing these now.
That looks like a great alternative to the OEM rubber. I'm trying to maintain a reasonably stock appearance for the car, maybe from 20 feet. Little details like this are not a concern, and I'm all for using something inexpensive and easy to install.

Again, I appreciate you digging these pics up and posting them!

[Marc]

I tried those seals posted above. Easy to install and attached to the door nicely. My doors have a fresh coat of paint so cleaning them prior to installation was very easy anyway.
I installed it on one door to see how things looked.
Once they were installed I realized they were a little smaller than would be needed to fill some of the larger factory gaps. I ordered seals with a larger .059" diameter and tried those on another door. Those filled the gaps nicely and I was still able to close the door without excessive effort.

[Jeff Norwell]

Great Marc.... yes. they come in different sizes.. Since they are cheap.. you can play around to get the certain thickness needed.