Parts Wanted rubber seal

[Rkb53]

Hey BT
This looks very promising. Please let us know how this works for you and of course pictures, lots of them. Just one question, where did you buy this seal?
Thanks

 

[Biggy Two]

Menards store. Ideal Door brand pn 4311371. 3 1/2" wide x 9'2" long. With rebate, $8.89 ($9.99 * tax paid). The photo STA TRINITY posted helps (thanks for posting them).
I will take pictures of cutting and replacement and post in 2 weeks or so after it warms up here in Wisconsin.

 

[Todd Z]

Remember these rubber seals are not UV protected.... may fail in less then a year... .

 

[Biggy Two]

Finally warmed up a bit and I installed home made rubber seal for tonneau cover. Easy removal of old seal and using garage door seal seems to have come out ok. Before and after pics attached. I had to trim side ridges off the garage door seal, otherwise too thick.

Ford put a lot of thought and design in their original seal. Seems like the rubber they used is glued or fused to two thin plastic pieces that are bolted to piano hinge and tonneau cover halves. Wish they still sold these. I saved original one in case I get creative and cut out old rubber off the plastic pieces and glue new rubber on. Thickness of new is slightly thicker.

I have more pics of the work process in case anyone is interested. Tonneau cover is dirty because little too cool outside to wash it.

 

[Rkb53]

Finally warmed up a bit and I installed home made rubber seal for tonneau cover. Easy removal of old seal and using garage door seal seems to have come out ok. Before and after pics attached. I had to trim side ridges off the garage door seal, otherwise too thick.

Ford put a lot of thought and design in their original seal. Seems like the rubber they used is glued or fused to two thin plastic pieces that are bolted to piano hinge and tonneau cover halves. Wish they still sold these. I saved original one in case I get creative and cut out old rubber off the plastic pieces and glue new rubber on. Thickness of new is slightly thicker.

I have more pics of the work process in case anyone is interested. Tonneau cover is dirty because little too cool outside to wash it.
View attachment 3198View attachment 3199

Yes, I for one would like to see the other pictures that you have.

 

[Biggy Two]

About a three hour job for me.
Only 16 torx screws of all the same size. Need a T30 screwdriver (i used a 6" T handle). First I loosened up the 16 bolts in first pic. Nuts are secure on backing bar and no wrench needed. I stood cover up and opened to about 90° in picture 2 with arrow. Try not to drag the cover when moving. The side molding starts coming off. I had to reattach it in 2 spots after I finished.

With cover open to about 90° remove tension bar (white arrow below-no tension on bar at this 90° opening position). Bolts were removed from one side and then the other. I marked rod with a sharpie for reassembly reference.




Hinge was removed and plastic/rubber hinge cover popped out of hinge with flat screwdriver. If my seal fails, I will probably cut cracked rubber off plastic pieces and glue the garage door gasket to it. Old PN is on seal below. I used a little WD40 in each hole before reassembly.

Next step is I cut garage door seal with kitcen shears to 54" length and cut off outside ridges off it with carpet knife due to thickness. Easy to do. I laid gasket on hinge and made sure there was enough rubber to cover outside plastic pivot point (see left yellow arrow below). Started with top bolt and used carpet knife to put a small hole in new gasket for bolt to start. The ridges on the gasket helped to maintain a staight line along length of hinge as I worked down length of the first cover. Tension bar goes back on in last step after gasket is on both covers. First pic below is first half tonneau cover with holes up to add all bolts and snugged down as I centered the gasket. Ridges help to center it. Started on 1 end and went to next hole and continued to the end. Cut the new rubber to length before last bolt put in so it covers the plastic pivot piece slightly (it has a slight recess- see pic below with left yellow arrow). I think finished length of rubber is 52 1/4".


Flipped up for bolting second half with gasket inside and only a slight cut into rubber for each bolt. Last step is putting tension bar back on.
The seal I used can make 2 of these. I made a mistake on the first attempt, cuting it too short. I have emailed a request to Ideal Door to see if the rubber is UV resistant. I will add additional info as to how it is holding up as time progresses. To me. it is better than it was. Tight fit like original, a little thicker than OEM material, looks better then it did, and cost effective. Not too hard to do. And, you can always put the old one back in if needed. Hope this helps.

 

[Powly]

Wow great job! I need a solution on mine as water gets on my golf clubs

 

[Biggy Two]

You're welcome. It is raining here today and truck is outside. I'll post back later today when it stops to let you know how it is.

 

[user 64972]

Would you recommend doing this with the tonneau cover off or with it on the truck. I thought it should be done with it on, but you have the experience. I'm going to do this repair also because mine started cracking a few years ago and it has always irritated me. Thanks for the post with photos!

 

[Biggy Two]

Tonneau cover was off.

Sorry Powly, can't leave golf clubs in just yet. We had 0.5 " of rain and there re a few spots where water dripped in. I will remove cover again and review options of loosening bolts up slightly (1 side at a time) and applying either thin layer of clear silicone caulk or black RV gasket sealer between edge of rubber and tonneau cover edge and re-tighten. Aesthticlly it looks good and still promising. Top photo after rain let up. Hesitant to caulk outside top as is. Second photo is the inside of bed after rain.

Ideal Door company responded to my email question if seal was UV resistant and they did not think so, but claims their seals last for years.

 

[Todd Z]

They are not waterproof..... even says it on the sticker on the cover.

 

[Crodnie]

Greetings, I'm having issues with the weather strip that runs around the tunneau cover, it keeps coming out for no reason. Does anyone experienced this and what it can be done to fix it?

 

[Crodnie]

On the factory hard tonneau cover there is a rubber seal that covers the hinge in the middle of the cover that shows on the outside of the cover. Mine is drying out and starting to crack. I tried looking for a new one and cant find anyone that has a new one and cant figure out what to use to replace it. Anyone know where to get one or what to use to replace it?

Thanks

Home Try this

 

[Todd Z]

Greetings, I'm having issues with the weather strip that runs around the tunneau cover, it keeps coming out for no reason. Does anyone experienced this and what it can be done to fix it?

Black silicone or 3m black construction adhesive... Works mint for that. Flip the cover, Remove the seal, Clean the dirt and junk out of there, Small bead and press back on, Leave over night.

 

[Crodnie]

Black silicone or 3m black construction adhesive... Works mint for that. Flip the cover, Remove the seal, Clean the dirt and junk out of there, Small bead and press back on, Leave over night.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[user 64972]

Yeah, I used the 3M black adhesive for that problem as Todd mentioned. Worked well.

 

[Powly]

Thanks for the photos Biggie. That is less water than is getting in mine now

 

[lincolnman666]

Same problem on my 2009 STA and no luck finding one. I read on another site that an owner used a 26" bicycle inner tube trimmed to fit. He then sprays it periodically with a rubber preservative to maintain it.

I am thinking of doing same or the flexible rubber from the bottom of a garage door. Just have to wait until Spring to do it.

I had the same type of issue on a old cover a ways back. I masked it off with wide painters tape and used spray on flex seal. It was flexible and water tight for at least 3 years until I sold the truck.
Just a thought. Good luck!

 

[lincolnman666]

On the factory hard tonneau cover there is a rubber seal that covers the hinge in the middle of the cover that shows on the outside of the cover. Mine is drying out and starting to crack. I tried looking for a new one and cant find anyone that has a new one and cant figure out what to use to replace it. Anyone know where to get one or what to use to replace it?

Thanks

I used Flex Seal spray on an old cover and it worked pretty good.

 

[Biggy Two]

You ST owners are awesome with your ideas, thanks. I used flex seal caulk (painters tape close to rubber when caulking) and no leaks now using the garage door rubber. Thinking about using flex seal to make a rubber pad that is missing on front passenger section. Anyone try this?

I also used lincolnman666's idea and sealed my old piece with flex seal spray in case needed in the future.