X-Door weather seals - Removal & Install tips

[NJPShorelife]

Just acquired some xdoors. Ordered new weather trim/seals from Kascar. Has anyone ever replaced old seals with OEM? Hoping to do this without removing the rivets and trim. Looking for tips on removal (as it looks like the toothed insert could break apart). Install...possible with a lubricant on toothed portion and a putty knife or of the sort?
All ears.

 

[gsp45]

Have replaced many door weather strips on armored doors. They tend to get hammered the most because of the weight of the doors crush the aluminum channel, making it impossible to remove the rubber strip. The tool I've found to work best is a bottle opener with a piece of 1/4" key stock inserted for leverage. I also put on a piece of pipe for a bit of leverage on the bottle opener. You have to be careful and not damage the internal channel. I spray it down with a liquid soap to then pull it out and use soap to insert the new rubber. Its challenging to say the lest.

 

[NJPShorelife]

Gotcha I see what you mean about the trim getting hammered and closing... especially around the corners. Good idea to lubricate prior for the removal. Will look at various tooling to accomplish what you are referring to with the opener.
I'll record what I can and if or what works I'll translate to a photo sequence or YouTube video for future posts.
Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Bravojmc]

Gotcha I see what you mean about the trim getting hammered and closing... especially around the corners. Good idea to lubricate prior for the removal. Will look at various tooling to accomplish what you are referring to with the opener.
I'll record what I can and if or what works I'll translate to a photo sequence or YouTube video for future posts.
Thanks for the feedback!

I used a 90 degree pick and WD40 to pull the old seal Through the track peice by peice. The new seal I made up a thick dish soap and water mixture and carefully worked it thru the channel.

 

[gsp45]

NJP, If you'll PM me with an email, I can send you a few pics of the tool I use and how I pry the channel apart. Feel free to post my pics if you like.
gsp45

 

[Bravojmc]

NJP, If you'll PM me with an email, I can send you a few pics of the tool I use and how I pry the channel apart. Feel free to post my pics if you like. gsp45

Why did you pry the channel apart? Never needed to do this...

 

[gsp45]

Bravojmc, If you've ever had to re-furbish the Armored X-doors you'll find out that the bottom weather strip channels are hammered together so tight that the rubber weather strip is impossible to pull out.This is caused by taking the doors off and dropping them on the bottoms. You'll have to cut the exposed seal off, then pry open the channels to remove the rest of the old seal, so then, that will facilitate pulling in the new one.

 

[Bravojmc]

Bravojmc, If you've ever had to re-furbish the Armored X-doors you'll find out that the bottom weather strip channels are hammered together so tight that the rubber weather strip is impossible to pull out.This is caused by taking the doors off and dropping them on the bottoms. You'll have to cut the exposed seal off, then pry open the channels to remove the rest of the old seal, so then, that will facilitate pulling in the new one.

I totally get it now.