AlbinLee

Hey Everyone,

I really appreciate all of the DIY threads and shared content in the 3G garage. I noticed some of the older threads on Moleskin install were missing photos, and thought I might be able to make an updated thread to pay it forward. Today I installed new inner door seals with felt wrap (adhesive free/Moleskin alternative method), and documented the process with some pictures. This was not my original idea, I read about this method in an older thread (it was mentioned by several folks).

Before you start, review the scans on how to remove front/rear door panels correctly: https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...-016-a-603296/

Tools Required:

- Door panel removal kit (preferred, but not required... a flat blade wrapped with painters tape will work fine)
- 36" by 36" sheet of basic felt (can be found at most fabric stores). I chose charcoal so that it would pop in the photos, but black would probably be preferred.
- Exacto knife
- Cutting surface (cardboard would work fine)
- Straight edge
- Fine tip sharpie
- Philips head screwdriver
- Flashlight
- Painter's tape


Step 1:
Assuming you are replacing old seals that were either cut (by a tint shop), or have had issues with adhesive moleskin, here are the parts you will need:



If you plan on removing your current seals to apply felt, you will need to pop door panels first and remove your seals to begin.

Step 2:
Observe the replacement seals, and figure out (by parts no.) where each seal goes (LR, RR, RF, LF). In the photo below, you can see the seal profile:



There is a steel U which support the two blades (which face the window). The smaller groove on the right (upside down U) is what actually slides on to the top of the steel door frame. Be careful not to bend the steel insert, as they can be permanently damaged.

Step 3:
I started with a clean edge of felt, and tuck it into the rubber U (door frame slot from step 2). The door panel tool comes in handy here, but a butter knife would work just as well:



Note the two notches in the seal are facing towards me initially. Starting from one end, I tuck the felt along the full length of the seal:



Step 4:
Now, roll the seal in the felt like a burrito, until the seal is almost entirely covered (but not 100%, note that you can still see the two notches from the beginning). Now, slide your straight edge flush with the rubber side, and cut the felt carefully along the edge (don't cut the seal):



Step 5:
After the cut has been made on the long side, you can unroll the felt (leaving the first side tucked in) and cut the felt to match the seal length (short side):



Step 6:
With all dimensions trimmed, roll the seal tightly in the felt (push down against the two blades, they act to create spring pressure against the window). While holding the roll tight, tuck the loose end of the felt into the other U (steel reinforced U):



Notice the notches are now facing away from you.

Step 7:
Once your tuck is finished, the felt wrap should stay tight and look just like this!



Simply repeat the process for all four of the seals.

AlbinLee

Just another picture:



Now for the tricky part... popping doors

Step 8:
Consult the scans linked above for door panel removal. I used painter's tape to protect my door handle, and to pull out the small cover behind it:



This is where the fine point sharpie comes in handy. When you scratch the plate behind the door handle (attempting to pull the tiny tab), just touch it up with the sharpie. If you are skilled enough to pop all four with no scratches, kudos to you!

Step 9:
Once you have the panel popped underneath (and lifted over the lock), you can remove the old seals. If you plan to reuse the seals, instead of buying new ones, you can do the following: Pop the tabs around the bottom/sides of the door panel, and the entire piece will pivot around the top edge/door lock. You can lift up and access the seal, then hang the door panel back over the lock and top edge. Do this for all four doors, then go wrap them in felt. No need to pop door panels more than once! Just be careful of the wiring behind the panel... there is only about 4 inches of clearance to work with. I chose to make the swap without disconnecting anything, but its up to you.

Here is a photo of the door panel removed, and held in place just far enough out to make the swap (new seal for old one):



Pulling the old seal out:



And this is what the bare edge of the door frame looks like (the seal mounts to this edge):



Step 10:
Push the new seal into place, and make sure it is completely seated! It will be a snug fit with the felt tucked in there:



And that's all there is to it! Make sure you run the windows up and down a few times after the door panels are installed to make sure everything is in order. Check to make sure the felt isn't coming untucked, and the window shouldn't have to strain to roll back up. If the window does seem to struggle, the felt may not have been wrapped tight enough to begin with. I didn't have any issues, all four went in perfectly. I wrapped mine about medium tightness (not trying to overdo it).

Here is the finished product:





Hopefully this helps someone to protect their tint, and not have to worry about Moleskin adhesive melting in hotter climates! Let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,
Al

EvilVirus

iTrader: (8)

quanaman

iTrader: (4)

Very nice DIY and work.

I did moleskin once, worked fine for me. Then another time one of the windows the moleskin just peeled off on a hot day and came up with the window


For my new TL, maybe I'll try this!

TypeSZilla

Really nice! I'll be getting tinted next month so might be a perfect Spring/Summer project.

Slayer-33

iTrader: (1)

I am now in here.

TY OP

sockr1

iTrader: (5)

nice write up OP

my original moleskin started coming off after about 7 years so i decided to do a similar project. however i found that the felt was a little too thick and made my windows all go up at different speeds and a lot slower than normal.

i ended up taking off the DIY felt and bought a kit from tintprotector dotcom which fit perfectly and i haven't had any issues since i installed the kit.

AlbinLee

Thank you guys! I had considered the tint protector kit but thought it was a bit pricey. That's why I gave the wrap method a shot, the raw felt was only 3 dollars lol (plus I had all the other tools already). That being said, you definitely get what you pay for.

nismotypeS

Thanks for the DIY. I wish I would've done this before getting my windows tinted, now i have to re-tint 2 windows

EvilVirus

iTrader: (8)

I vote for this thread to be garage/sticky worthy

peter6

Thanks for the DIY ! I used this with my old seals hoping that windows will not "shake" when partially open. Mostly noticed when closing doors. Right now is much better, I did it only for two front doors because there's no problem with back ones.

Thanks again ! Love this forum

UlsterBoy13

Great write up. I've been looking into getting tint upgrade but shops keep saying there's no need for moleskin, our tint is scratch proof or something of the ilk. But i read countless posts where people say their TL tint gets scratched by the seals.

Great job OP.

maharajamd

iTrader: (1)

I have moleskin on my TL and my tint STILL got scratched. You gotta be diligent about keeping junk out of there.

UlsterBoy13

Thanks!! I try to never put my junk near moving windows or doors.

marvinsjunk

Thank you OP!! Great information and very timely post for me.

thoefke

Thanks for this guide, it helped quite a bit. Very easy to do this and keep the tint looking nice.