Door Window Squeegee

[cygnusx1]

Yup there is a link hidden in my first line. http://www.datsunlandsocal.com/mm5/m...duct_Code=D001

[newtonhubcap]

cygnusx1, the seals you bought are those from Datsunsocal ? Just confirming!

[grantf]

Yup there is a link hidden in my first line. http://www.datsunlandsocal.com/mm5/m...duct_Code=D001

I order a set. Though they do not look identical to the stock ones the price is right, I get to preserve the original SS and I will be happy to finally be rid of the brittle crumbled ones on my car that do not seal. Thanks for the write up.

[TomoHawk]

I installed my squeegees a few years ago. They went on easily enough, but there is the smallest of gaps between the rubber and the glass.

Should the rubber be pressing on the glass? Maybe the piece wasn't on exactly as required, and needed a little angling-in to make the contact. It seemed the only way the parts would go on, and I tried to put it in a little, but it's firmly fixed in the attitude it went on.

I suppose if it rained hard, some water would get down into the door, and drain out if there was enough, but that doesn't seem to be the purpose of the rubber...

[sblake01]

Their purpose is to keep the water from getting the door. They pressed against the glass on my 78 and I just installed a set on my El Camino and they press against the glass on it also.

[tlorber]

I don't think their purpose is truly to keep water out. There is no way they can really do that. I think they provide a flexible stop against the glass to keep it from moving around, and maybe to clean it a bit. If you look at the glass when the window is down, it is farther from the (non flexible, dried out, rigid like mine are) squeegee, creating a gap. When it goes up it rubs more tightly against the squeegee. I assume that with new rubber there is always contact against the glass-even when the window is almost fully open.

[sblake01]

Well, maybe that's not their main function but when both the inner felt and the outer sweep are in proper condition, they do keep the majority of the water out.

[cygnusx1]

Yes they attempt to keep water out, and keep the window stable in any position. Mine do, reach the window and provide weather protection. There are no gaps at the glass.

It's a bit confusing when you put these onto the chrome strip. There is a small lip on the outboard edge that should rest on top of the chrome trim, not under it's edge. If you put it too low, it may very well not reach the window, and the clips will not be holding very well either.

Note the small rubber edge that rests on TOP of the edge of the chrome.
http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/a...8&d=1335674008

[Koalia]

Anyone has picture of BD strip? id love to compare and deciede which to order. Thanks.

[grantf]

I got mine in the mail today. I have installed one side and I am not really pleased. It does seal up to the glass well but in on area it does not seal to the SS trim piece. I may rethink my installation technique for the other side. It just is not quite the correct profile, sort of like a stock molding that just happened to sort of fit. It does not extend over the SS peice very much and sits low on the door glass.

[cygnusx1]

Yes, if there are bends in the rubber part, it wont sit flat against the chrome. I had to take out bends in the rubber part before I started. Note that there is a metal stiffener molded into the lower part of the squeegee, for those that are reading this. I think two or three more clips would be nice to keep it from leaving gaps. Try to move the clips around a bit.

I agree, it's not ideal and I almost was going to put them back in the box and send them back, but when all was said and done, they function well, and look decent installed.

[grantf]

I was thinking of using weather strip adhesive in addition to the clips at least to hold it firm to the SS piece. I am also thinking of putting a long strip of material between the stiffener and SS as a spacer to change the angle a tad.
perhaps one day I will get the ones from BD but I have read mixed reviews on those also. Yes it would be nice if someone had a picture of them.

[rv6aflyer]

So I pretty much did what grantf suggested but went one step further. For the spacer I used a piece of old bicycle inner tube. I did use weather strip adhesive both to hold the inner tube to the squeegee and to act as a water seal between the squeegee and the trim piece. Finally, I decided I didn't think the supplied clips were going to keep it even enough, so I used staples.

My steps:
1) I narrowed the side of the squeegee that mounts to the trim. I don't think you really need to do this, but it made using the clips a bit easier.
2) I used weather strip adhesive to glue the inner tube to the squeegee.
3) I used weather strip adhesive to try and seal the joint between the squeegee and the trim piece.
4) I used the supplied clips to hold the squeegee in place while I inserted the staples.
5) I made a little template/fixture with holes spaced to match my staple width.
(staples were for a T50 stapler and are 3/8" long)
6) I used a backing piece of wood and carefully drilled the holes using my template. I was especially careful not to drill through the outside of the trim piece which would ruin your day!
7) I inserted the staples and used a needle nose pliers to both compress the inner tube/squeegee "sandwich" and start bending over the staple.
8) Repeated the process on both ends of the staple and then bent the legs flush against the trim piece.

You can see the added rubber piece in the first picture as well as the template.
The second picture shows the wood backing plate. Drill carefully!
The third shows the staple before squeezing it.
The fourth shows a couple of staples after squeezing them.

[grantf]

That is exactly were I was thinking of putting the spacer strip. I had not thought up a material yet. So the rubber you used was to change the angle not move the squeegee out from the SS, correct?

I sort of like the clips but as cygnus said more would be nice. I wonder where I might find more someplace.

[rv6aflyer]

I just used the rubber to move the squeegee out. It didn't change the angle unless you are comparing it to the way Dave mounted his with the little lip over the top of the trim. I put the rubber in to move the squeegee closer to the window while keeping the natural angle of the new squeegee.