Steve Adkins

I adjusted my doors before I put the weather stripping on and they closed perfectly. Now that I have the W/S on I have to slam them to get them to close. Does W/S have a break-in period? :confused: I was told that after about 6 months in the summer sun they will soften up and the doors will start to close easier. Is this true? Has anyone else experienced this?

pws69

Yes, this is the normal for new W/S. You will find that it gets better just from leaving the doors shut for a while - but the summer sun will help it (as well as us!) a lot.

Steve Adkins

Yea I have noticed that if I leave them closed for about a week and open them and close them back within 30 minutes they close easy, but if I wait a couple of hours you have to slam them again. I am wishing that they will loosen up after a while.

ImBatman

I did mine about 3 months ago and I still have to slam them to get them to shut all the way. Hopefully when the 90 degree summer days get here I can leave it out in the sun and they will close better. Don't feel alone I have read a lot of posts about this very same issue. It seems as though it happens to everyone who has done this job.

:cheers:

Steve Adkins

Wade, no offense or anything, but I am glad to hear that I am not the only one this is happening to. :D I hate slamming the doors to get them to shut. Hopefully they will soften up as time goes by.


[Modified by Steve Adkins, 1:03 PM 2/19/2003]

gliot1

Be patient here. I did my whole car's worth last summer. The reason you have to slam the doors is because of the much improved seal. You'll probably notice that with the windows down the doors close much easier. This is because with the windows up you have air pressure working against you. In other words the seal now works properly. you may notice the windows don't always roll up all the way as well. Since last summer my weatherstrip has mashed down considerably and the problems I have noted are gradually becoming non-exsistent. My T-tops were a bear to get in at first, but now the insert smooth as silk. A mechanic friend told me to use spray white lithium in a cup and smear on the weatherstrip to help things as well. The only complaint I have is that it took quite some time to re-adjust those damn Vette windows after the install. GM does some funky things, and those windows are one of them. :smash: :mad :smash: :mad :smash: :chevy

WhyFly

Hello Steve...Don't despair..this is a normal result of the new weather stripping. I have the same problems with mine after replacing both door and the window rubber on both sides. Passenger side fits rather well and closes nicely...though it was a bear to get the window to fit correctly..Drivers side door doesn't want to close without slamming it. I was told by the local Vette parts dealer that aftermarket weatherstripping is much harder than the genuine rubber from GM..but it is also less expensive. There is a weather strip treatment you can buy from GM that is supposed to work quite well, and help to soften up the rubber. It's cheap at about 6 bucks for a small bottle. You put it on lightly close the door and let it sit for a few hours. I just picked some up and am going to see if that helps on mine...Be careful though, the guy at the shop told me to go lightly around the windows as it supposed to be a real B*&^%ch to get off....Good Luck.. :chevy

paintdaddy

Yep,I do about 3 or 4 cosmetic restos a year and during the assembly process I pull the doors together with a ratcheting strap while the rest of the car goes back together.That usualy takes about a month and even after that it sometimes is not enough. :seeya

Love My 72 and 77

I just did a complets weatherstrip job on a 70 it took a while to get it to adjust but the door feels alot better slammed on that nice tight rubber than on old leaky worn out weatherstripping. My buddy just bought a 68 that the doors simply never closed I walked up to the car and flung the door closed and it closed so we losened the striker for the door and moved it out just a little and his doors close fine now. If your rubber doesnt relax you might have to do this. But give it some time!!! :seeya :steering:

SanDiegoPaul

Now that I have the W/S on I have to slam them to get them to close. Does W/S have a break-in period?

Mine did. About two weeks...

Steve Adkins

I hope if gives soon, slamming can't be good on the door internals. I thought about getting my wife's hair dryer and putting some heat on them and then shutting the doors and leaving them shut for a while.

paintdaddy

Hey you could adjust your door striker to prevent the slamming for a few weeks.After letting it sit like that for a few weeks adjust them back to the correct spot and see if it helps.Your door might look out of adjustment for awhile but it should help :seeya

Steve Adkins

I think this is what I will do for now to give it time to break in. I can deal with the out of adjuistment, but I cannot deal with the slamming all the time! :thumbs: