Replacing Outer Window Sweeps/Seals
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 108
Likes: 5
From: Lawrenceville NJ
Replacing Outer Window Sweeps/Seals
So, my first project since I purchased my vette is the above title. As soon as I brought the car home, my wife said it looks great but you are going to replace those cracked rubber pieces.. Now, I am in the middle of replacing them. It took me about an hour so far just to get the old passenger sweep off. Hopefully, getting the new one back on won't take as long. The old sweep literally crumbled when I was taking it off. I printed out a step by step guide on replacing the seals, they said half an hour a door... Any one else do this project recently?
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From: Fredonia WI
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30 min job?! It wasn't for me! Maybe if you've done a dozen of these before, but it took me a lot longer than that.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,672
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From: Sumter South Carolina
I ripped the crap out of them. Not easy as it looks and if you are taking old off no harm in grabbing a plyers and ripping with the window down. If no fitment issues with new ones they slip right on. Make sure you line them up front and back before putting them down, hard to adjust without damaging them.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 108
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From: Lawrenceville NJ
This is my first corvette and this sweeps replacement is really the first project I have ever done on a car outside of change the oil, fuses, taillights simple stuff... I bought the car because I love how the car looks and drives, but I also like the idea of putting some work into it.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Albuquerque, NM
I just replaced these on my '90 ZR-1 a week ago with NOS GM parts. It was a hell of a job because some of the clips were installed on the sweeps in the wrong places so they didn't line up with the holes. I had to bend some of the tabs with pliers to make them fit but it was a few hours of trial and error. So much for NOS GM stuff.... 
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From: Riverside County Southern California
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Be careful as you remove the door panels, the plastic is old and brittle.
Basic tools, Drill+bits, Riveter, Rivets
FYI, they don't slide out or slide back in. Be ready to "persuade" the seals back in.
Basic tools, Drill+bits, Riveter, Rivets
FYI, they don't slide out or slide back in. Be ready to "persuade" the seals back in.
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From: Riverside County Southern California
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Two weeks ago I took The Ghost to a window tint shop and they installed the rear window struts' stud backwards and on the wrong sides. Thanks to the fact I have my 95 and I was able to compare.
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 120
Likes: 1
When I bought my car the sweeps were jagged and broken. Looked like hard black rubber teeth. Actually scratched vertical my door glass when rolling windows up and down. You are probably done by now. I suggest not ripping anything out. Drill old rivets out and carefully rivet in the new ones. Car looks much newer with fresh seals.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 108
Likes: 5
From: Lawrenceville NJ
I had to stop at just removing the old passenger side door one last night. I didn't have time to put the new one on. Yes I did very carefully drill out the rivets. I still had to pull hard to get the old sweep off. I tried prying the clips like the instructions said, but it was going no where. So, I used a pair of pliers and just pulled up hard on the sweep, that worked. I'll probably have time later today to put the new one on. The driver side will have to wait.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
You can also use screws to put them back in if you don't have a riveter, self tapping. It makes it easier to replace in the future. I used rivets on one side and screws on the other just to test it out. Worked like a champ.
But it wouldn't hurt to put a little thread lock on them as well.
But it wouldn't hurt to put a little thread lock on them as well.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 9,060
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From: Epping NH
I didn't find them too bad to do, although I had to rivet the new ones in, screws wouldn work. I used this link as a guide
http://www.corvettemagazine.com/body...dow-seals.html
Oh, and while you have the door all apart I highly highly highly recommend replacing the window guides, if they are not bad they are probably pretty damn close to being bad!
http://www.corvettefever.com/techart...***/index.html
http://www.corvettemagazine.com/body...dow-seals.html
Oh, and while you have the door all apart I highly highly highly recommend replacing the window guides, if they are not bad they are probably pretty damn close to being bad!
http://www.corvettefever.com/techart...***/index.html
Pro
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 703
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From: leesburg fl
St. Jude Donor '12
I just finished mine and the 30 min. sure was not by my time it was more like hours. I did drill out the rivets and used a small screw driver to break the clip off the sweep then pulled out the clips being careful. Then I went to ace hardware and found fat short screws to install the new parts, worked great. looks good. Now I may be nuts but after the new sweeps went on it seems as though the sound of my doors closing is more solid and more air tight.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 108
Likes: 5
From: Lawrenceville NJ
I finished putting the passenger side sweep on using the rivets. It all went back together well and looks great. I did take a bunch of pictures but haven't downloaded any yet. I won't have time to do the driver's side until later next week though.
Took the vette out for a drive tonight. When I was driving I noticed the redish light that is above the door handle and goes on while driving must have gotten knocked into the door panel or something, the red light was shinning from the door lock switch. Oh well, will have to take the panel off again.
Took the vette out for a drive tonight. When I was driving I noticed the redish light that is above the door handle and goes on while driving must have gotten knocked into the door panel or something, the red light was shinning from the door lock switch. Oh well, will have to take the panel off again.
Last edited by CNJ Surveyor; May 24, 2012 at 11:34 PM.
3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2017
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I just purchased an 85 corvette and turned to Corvette Forum for guidance. What a joke. No real help here. Just a bunch of blowhards. For example I got on the forum tonight to research replacing outer window sweeps and this is the nonsense I read. Here's an idea... Post something helpful and relevant. I don't care how long it took you, I want to know HOW it is done.
3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2017
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Here's another example...I wanted to get information about restoring and polishing stock "salad shooter" wheels and the topics quickly shifts to what some so and so replaced his stock wheels with. THAT WASN'T THE QUESTION! The question was, what product to use and how to use it. Gesh!
3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2017
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