Steele Rubber Rant.. I am PO'd big time

-
SpeedracerX

SpeedracerX

Still on this side of the dirt member
Joined
Nov 19, 2008
Messages
3,404
Reaction score
179
Location
Irwin, Pa
Howdy gang.. Its my turn to rant today.. Everyone knows theres several threads currently going on about the lack of window rubbers for our A-bodies.. Year One, Legendary, etc etc.. all nationally backordered,, with no time table for new stock.. Several reasons floating around as to why.. I still dont really know.. but I do know it sucks..

So.. a couple members mentioned Steele Rubber and gave some praise and thats where I went... They had 2 listing for rear rubber.. (though every other place only shows one listing) ... Steele has it listed Dart 2 door hard top WITH vinyl and two door hardtop without the vinyl.. No one could tell me what the differance was, but I figured there had to be one, so I ordered the one for the vinyl top... and they had one in stock.,. awesome.. $128 ...

Last night I finally get the chance to put the back glass back into the buggy...right away we notice the gap in the rubber that is supposed to go around the pinch weld in the window channel seems awfully large.. thats because it was.. right away my friends (who have done this with SEVERAL Mopars) start telling me something is wrong.. meanwhile we already had weatherstrip adhesive in the channel in preperation for the rubber.. the rubber wont stay in at all cause the gap is just too huge, hell you could've put 5 pinch welds in there.. but we figure we must be missing something, and press on.. we get the glass in.. and right away the rubber still isnt tight to the car, and with one hand and very little pressure I push the rear glass right back out... now I have seen this done before and know the glass is supposed to be tight.. the rubber just doesnt fit.. it isnt right.. so...

I call Steele today to find out what to do to make things right.. first off they were assholes on the phone... telling me that because I got weatherstrip adhesive on it that negates sending in back blah blah.. I tell them I paid serious cash for this rubber because its supposed to fit.. they tell me they used 'factory originals' as their guide to manufacturing this rubber.. I said unless the factory example they had used shag carpeting as a roof this rubber was never gonna work.. finally they tell me to clean the rubber up, send it back, and their 'engineers' will examine and investigate my window rubber to see what may be the problem... unreal

So I ask if the other rubber is available (the non vinyl top one) . they say no.. that one is made by another company and is on national back order.. their front and (non vinyl) rear rubbers are made by THE SAME PEOPLE that make them for everyone else!!!! I flip and tell them that their website claims they make their own rubbers.. he kindly informs me that they make 'some' of their own parts.. like the one for 'my' Dart.. nice... what they make DOESNT fit!!! ... I am pissed and bummed.. these rubbers are no where to be had, and now short of a miracle, the buggy will not be done this summer..

Now starts the search on ebay, here, craigslist, swap meets.. where ever to find a back window rubber for a 69 Dart.. Thanks Steele Rubber!!

there.. rant over.. I feel no better, but needed to get that off my chest..

as for what happened to the original rubbers (cause I know someone is wondering LOL) .. they were cracked, and seriously dried out.. they split and fell apart coming out...
 
So... Now that I've had my rant, anyone have a rear window rubber for a Dart? LMAO
 
Now that you're over your rant and feel a little better I'm sitting here still taking it all in that you were complaining that your rubber was too big...




:angel4:
 
ramenth said:
Now that you're over your rant and feel a little better I'm sitting here still taking it all in that you were complaining that your rubber was too big...




:angel4:
Click to expand...

fanofpetty said:
ya but he needed glue to keep it on...........LOL! ( just teaseing)
Click to expand...

Thanks guys!! Lol I needed a good laugh. Guess i walked into that
 
Very depressing rant I might say. Any time you mention rubber and pinch in the same line it just makes me wince.
 
Carlisle is approaching. What will be the prices be with the backorder when word hits the dealers and those with strips lying around?
 
Howard1784 said:
Carlisle is approaching. What will be the prices be with the backorder when word hits the dealers and those with strips lying around?
Click to expand...

That's what scares me. I see serious price gouging coming
 
It's not news that Steele don't make all the glass rubbers they sell. But their behavior on the phone sounds cheesy. It looks like there is a different gasket called for with versus without vinyl roof on Swinger/Scamp in '68-'72, but not in '73-'76.

So the backglass gaskets on '68-'76 A-bodies are as follows:

•'68-'69 Barracuda, fastback

•'68-'69 Barracuda, notchback

•'68-'76 Dart 4-door sedan, '74-'76 Valiant 4-door sedan, '68-'69 Dart 2-door sedan

•'68-'73 Valiant 4-door sedan

•'68-'72 Dart & Valiant 2-door hardtop (Scamp/Swinger)
WITH vinyl roof + '73-'76 All

•'68-'72 Dart & Valiant 2-door hardtop (Scamp/Swinger)
WITHOUT vinyl roof

•'70-'76 Dart & Valiant 2-door fastback (Duster/Demon/Sport)
 
Be that as it may, I still can't figure out what the difference is from vinyl to non. The vinyl doesn't wrap around the pinch weld in the window channel. And that's where steeles rubber was messed up. The gap in the rubber was way to big and wouldnt fit the pinch weld. And their phone treatment plain sucked
 
So the rear rubber is different on the 4 door as compared to the 2 door??
 
Looks to be the same.

•'68-'76 Dart 4-door sedan, '74-'76 Valiant 4-door sedan, '68-'69 Dart 2-door sedan
 
I think all the concave rear glass is the same, though I have heard of 1/8"+ variations. Let you know more on the seal when I dig it out tonight(at work till 1am).
 
hellion_locdogg said:
Looks to be the same.

•'68-'76 Dart 4-door sedan, '74-'76 Valiant 4-door sedan, '68-'69 Dart 2-door sedan
Click to expand...


sedan (post cars) use 4dr glass....
2dr hard tops use different glass....

Why wouldn't you just clean up your original and reuse it? The new ones don't fit anyway.......... (ask me how I know)
 
res1vw21 said:
sedan (post cars) use 4dr glass....
2dr hard tops use different glass....

Why wouldn't you just clean up your original and reuse it? The new ones don't fit anyway.......... (ask me how I know)
Click to expand...

The originals were in bad shape. Very dried out and brittle, cracks and splits. And it got worse as we took the glass out. On top of that the previous owner apparently had the rubbers out once before and monster glued them in place, then glued the glass into the rubbers. It was a fight just to get the glass out. Had to be done though so the new top and headliner could go in. So I understand correctly, your saying the rear rubber for a 4 door will not work in a 2 door hardtop right?
 
correct 4 doors (and post cars) and 2dr hard tops use different windows.
 
o and fyi the head liner and the top can be installed with the glass in.

Sounds like the rubber needed to be replaced anyway though.
 
They did. But I was told glass had to come out. The front window rubber hides the front edge of the headliner. And the vinyl top comes down behind the rear rubber (not to the pinch weld but close. Also the molding clips go on after the vinyls down, those screws are almost impossible to get out with the glass and rubber in place.).
 
I did the same on a 72 Swinger. But I reused the old seal. I cleaned the pinchweld due to rust and painted it. I installed the same window and gasket I took out and it was loose. WTF!
Turns out there was foam seal (filler) that I had removed from the pinchweld during clean up.
I got a thin closed cell foam weatherstripping at the local Home Depot put it on the pinchweld and slimed it up with windshield sealent before installing the rubber and glass again. Worked like a champ.
I have a 71 Swinger here with the back glass out of it. I'm sure that ribbon seal is still on there. If you like I can get you a picture in the morning to show what I'm talking about..
 
Nope glass can stay in for all of that, you can even replace the trim clips with the glass in if you don't mind being a little creative. I have done it a few times including on my own car. (the head liner on my swinger and a scamp and a few other cars, the top on another swinger)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top