In the world of weatherstripping, there are many different terms that may be unfamiliar to most people. If you&#;ve ever been confused when researching weatherstripping or rubber parts for your project, you aren&#;t alone!
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Some of our part names like Trunk Weatherstrip or Windshield Gasket make it easy to know what that part is for. However, there are other parts that can contain terms or phrases that if unfamiliar to you, can make it difficult to understand if it&#;s what you need.
So, we&#;re diving deep into the terms we often use with our parts to ensure you feel confident when choosing replacement weatherstripping.
Basic Weatherstripping Terms
Dense Extrusion&#; A solid, durable rubber that is flexible enough to bend around a curve but does not compress much. Some of our parts made of dense rubber include: glass gaskets, rub rail inserts, window edging, insert trim, most RV slide out wiper blade seals and some rubber edge trim.
Dense Rubber Extrusion
Sponge Extrusion&#; A closed-cell sponge rubber, meaning it does not absorb and hold moisture. These seals are soft and squishy, yet durable enough to withstand compression for long periods of time without losing their shape. Some of our parts made of sponge rubber include: trunk seals, auto, RV, and marine door seals, RV and marine compartment seals, RV slide out bulb seals, hood to cowl seals,
Sponge Rubber Extrusion
Clinch Seal&#; Also referred to as a &#;C-clip&#; seal or &#;push-on type&#; seal, these seals are designed to easily install by pushing onto a lip. They have a metal core that is fully encased in rubber to prevent rust and rubber teeth/flanges to create a durable grip. Most of these seals will feature a side, top, or double bulb attached, making for an excellent choice for automotive door and trunk seals, RV and marine door and compartment seals, as well as many universal applications.
Clinch Seal
Vulcanized&#; When we use this term it means that two or more pieces of rubber are molded together. For instance, when we make a windshield gasket it&#;s a complete circle of rubber made from an extrusion. The two ends of rubber are put into a mold with some additional rubber, heated up and vulcanized, or molded together, making them one unit that won&#;t separate. We do not glue or join our rubber ends together any other way.
Flocked&#; Parts that are flocked have a fuzzy, velvety coating. Flocked weatherstripping is ideal for sealing areas that experience moving surfaces because it&#;s smooth material eliminates friction. Most commonly, you&#;ll see this term with glass seals like glass run channel, window felts, and beltline weatherstrips.
Flocked Glass Run Channel
Individual Part Names
Beltline Weatherstripping&#; This part has many different nicknames like window fuzzies, anti-rattle, window felts, cat whiskers, window scrapers, window sweeps, etc. There is an inner beltline, sealing between the door panel and the inside of the window, and an outer beltline, sealing between the door and the outside of the window.
These parts mount on both sides of the opening at the top of the door panel where the window goes into. The beltline weatherstrips &#;sweep&#; the window as it rolls up and down. They prevent window rattles while preventing water and debris from getting inside your door.
Roof rail weatherstrip&#; This important weatherstrip comes on all hard tops and convertibles. There are two types- the hardtop roof rail and the convertible roof rail.
The hardtop roof rail weatherstrip is mounted along the roofline of the vehicle and seals between the body and the top of the window when the door is shut and window rolled up all the way. This is super important to eliminate leaks, rattles and wind noise while driving down the road.
Hardtop Roof Rail
The convertible roof rail weatherstrip is a series of molded parts that mount to each section of the convertible top and seal between the convertible top and the top of the window when the door of the vehicle is shut and the window is rolled all the way up. If you&#;ve ever owned one, you know how important weatherstripping for a convertible top can be.
Convertible Roof Rail
With the Convertible roof rail weatherstrip often comes the header bow (or front header bow). The Header Bow runs across the top of the windshield and seals between the convertible top and the windshield frame when the top is closed.
Header Bow
Run channel&#; Run channel is a metal or rubber U-shaped weatherstrip. There are 2 types of run channel- flexible and rigid.
Flexible run channel runs up and over the window in the window frame and seals the window when it&#;s rolled all the way up. It&#;s called flexible because it has a metal spine but it&#;s made to bend around the curve of the window. Flexible run channel is normally held in by tension but you can use a clip or two to attach it if needed.
Flexible Run Channel
Rigid run channel runs vertically in the door and guides the window as it goes up and down. Typically, only found on the channel opposite a vent window. There are sometimes two pieces of rigid run channel in a door- one that&#;s above the beltline and one that&#;s down inside the door below the beltline. Rigid run channel just pushes into the metal channel already on the vehicle- no clips or adhesive required.
Additionally, mohair liner is sometimes glued into a metal channel for use as run channel. Mohair liner is a soft, thin fabric with a thin rubber backing and is used to prevent glass from sliding against metal
Mohair Liner
In the &#;s auto manufacturers started using rubber run channel in place of the metal, felt lined channels. These can take many different shapes for different applications and typically just push into the channel already on your vehicle- no adhesive or clips required.
Rubber Run Channel
Sash channel- A metal U shaped channel that&#;s installed horizontally inside the door and supports the window glass from underneath. This is the channel that&#;s attached to the window regulator.
Sash Channel
A Sash channel filler is a piece of rubber that&#;s mounted to the bottom of the glass to protect it from the metal sash channel and to prevent rattles. This can be a molded part, specific to a certain vehicle or just a thin strip of rubber cut to length and pushed into the channel.
Sash Channel Filler
Lock pillar filler&#; This part seals the gap at the bottom of the rear side (quarter) window. Usually only found on hardtop and convertible models where there is no B-pillar. Sometimes referred to as &#;U-jambs&#; they&#;re often shaped like a &#;U&#;. Without this part water and debris could collect inside the body leading to rust. Ain&#;t nobody got time for that.
Lock Pillar Filler
Hood to cowl&#; This weatherstrip seals between the top of the firewall and the back edge of the hood. This weatherstrip seals snugly to prevent fumes from entering the cab of the vehicle. This piece typically runs the width of the car, and many vehicles require special clips for installation.
Hood to Cowl
Division post seal- Everyone has heard of vent window weatherstrips but the division post seal doesn&#;t always get called out by name. For those vent windows that have a two-piece seal, the division post is the straight piece that mounts to the vertical post on the vent window. The main vent window weatherstrip installs into the frame, sealing the other sides of the triangle. A division post seal often has attaching tabs that correspond to holes in the vent window frame. If yours doesn&#;t have holes, you&#;d simply glue it in.
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For more information, please visit Automotive Weatherstrips Manufacturer.
Division Post Seal
Divider bar seal&#; The piece of rubber that divides two pieces of glass in a two or three-piece windshield or rear window gasket. Here at Steele it comes molded into the gasket or sold as a separate piece (depending on the individual application and how it was originally made).
Divider Bar Seal
Hinge pillar&#; Attaches to the body and seals between the A-pillar post and the front section of the door or vent window frame when the door is closed. Typically, only found on convertible models. This is like the A-post section of a hardtop roof rail but then ends due to, you know, no roof.
Hinge Pillar
Side window leading edge&#; This part is specifically for hard tops and convertibles. It is a strip of rubber that attaches to the vertical edge of the rear side windows and seals between the front and rear windows when both windows are fully raised and the door is shut.
Side Window Leading Edge
Splash apron seals&#; Pieces of masticated rubber attached inside a fender well to prevent debris from entering the engine compartments. Splash shields are usually partial cover pieces and as such, a vehicle may be fitted with only one splash shield, or multiple ones that cover different sections of the wheel well. These are attached to the vehicle using screws, bolts or clips.
A-arm dust shields function the same as splash apron seals but are custom-shaped to wrap over &#;A&#; shaped control arms without posing an impediment to their motion.
Locking strip&#; A rubber or mylar strip that accompanies many windshield and read window gaskets. It&#;s designed to fit into a receiving slot in the gasket to tighten it up and create a seal. The gasket is placed on the vehicle first, then the glass is placed in the gasket. Then you can install the locking strip into the slot in the rubber and it expands the rubber creating a seal all the way around the glass.
Bumper bullets&#; Conical shaped bumper guards on the front bumper/grille assemblies of some post war American cars in the &#;s.
Bumper Bullets
Bumper guard&#; A rubber piece mounted to the bumper to protect it from minor dents and scratches.
Gravel shield/stone deflector&#; Molded rubber piece or extrusion mounted onto the vehicle to prevent damage to the vehicle from stones deflected by the front wheels of the car.
Stone Deflector
Body mounting pads&#; Thick, heavy-duty pieces of rubber between the chassis and body of a vehicle. They prevent metal on metal rubbing and make it easier on the frame that supports the vehicle. Also often called biscuits.
Bumper grommet&#; A rubber grommet is made specifically for cars where the arms that hold the bumper go through the fender. The grommet fills the hole preventing road debris from entering the fender and gives it a decorative look.
Bumper Grommets
Miscellaneous Terms
Revulcanization&#; Here at Steele revulcanization is the process of stripping the old, dried out and/or damaged rubber off a metal core and molding new rubber onto it, making it like a brand-new piece. We offer revulcanization services for parts like motor mounts, transmission mounts, harmonic balancers, accelerator pedal pads, vibration dampers, etc. on specific vehicles. See our website for more details.
Masticated rubber&#; Strong rubber sheet containing random milled cotton cord reinforcement for making splash aprons, etc.
Steele not only offers high-quality products, but also the knowledge to help you complete your projects. If you have questions regarding weatherstripping for your classic vehicle, street rod, RV, or boat, don&#;t hesitate to contact us! Call us at 800-447-, send us an , or chat with us on our website.
*For more help check out our How To series on YouTube!
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