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Re-Seal Rear Window?

lawsoncl

NAXJA Forum User
Location
North Idaho
I'm getting some water on the floorboards, and it looks like it's coming from around the rear window where it seals to the body and running down behind the corner trim. How hard is it to pull and reseal that window? Or should I just try to lift up the rubber outside trim and recaulk?

The center sliding window was replaced with a piece of plexi before I bought it way back when. If I have to pull the window, I'd like to replace that with a piece of glass. It doesn't look like the center slider can be replaced without pulling the whole window.
 
I'm getting some water on the floorboards, and it looks like it's coming from around the rear window where it seals to the body and running down behind the corner trim. How hard is it to pull and reseal that window? Or should I just try to lift up the rubber outside trim and recaulk?

The center sliding window was replaced with a piece of plexi before I bought it way back when. If I have to pull the window, I'd like to replace that with a piece of glass. It doesn't look like the center slider can be replaced without pulling the whole window.

I would try to re-caulk it first, I replaced my rear window and I have the outer rubber strip if you need it. Just pay shipping and you can have it.
 
Does the outside rubber trim just pry out? Or does it wrap around the frame and the whole frame has to come out to remove it? I can't tell and it's not prying out.

Was that rubber strip you have new or used? I might take you up on that offer if it's in good shape.
 
Cargo glass is basically flat lip on the inside (hatch and side glass same). Get 3-4 flathead screwdrivers and walk them around the edge. Silicon spray will help it separate from the body

Glass_Removal.jpg


You can break the glass this way, just take your time
 
The glass must be removed to reinstall the trim. Even a professional glass installer will have a hard time removing that glass without breaking it. I would like to offer up an alternative. How sure are you that the leak is there? Passenger side on these is a common leak from around the dash area in a couple of different spots.
 
Buy a new seal from RockAuto. Taking it out is easy. Use a carpet knife and cut the seal away. I have replaced a half dozen windows. Most leaks are due to the seal hardening and deforming over time. A new one will fix this.
 
Buy a new seal from RockAuto. Taking it out is easy. Use a carpet knife and cut the seal away. I have replaced a half dozen windows. Most leaks are due to the seal hardening and deforming over time. A new one will fix this.

Finally found some time to start on this and taking a short break.

The rear window trim rubber is out, intact. I've got all the dirt and any loose sealer pulled out, and wiped down with alcohol. It looks like the seal separated slightly right at the upper corners. I'm going to caulk it up and then try reinstalling the original rubber trim, since I can't find a new one anywhere. Looks like a challenge to reinstall without pulling the rear slider window. I might wipe it down the inside face with touch of silicon lube to help it slide back in. I might have to trim the inside lip that hooks around the window on the corners a bit too.
 
Finally found some time to start on this and taking a short break.

The rear window trim rubber is out, intact. I've got all the dirt and any loose sealer pulled out, and wiped down with alcohol. It looks like the seal separated slightly right at the upper corners. I'm going to caulk it up and then try reinstalling the original rubber trim, since I can't find a new one anywhere. Looks like a challenge to reinstall without pulling the rear slider window. I might wipe it down the inside face with touch of silicon lube to help it slide back in. I might have to trim the inside lip that hooks around the window on the corners a bit too.


All back together now. I dug out the top corners where I think it was leaking, and caulked the top and sides with a urethane-based caulk (no point doing the bottom edge). I trimmed the inside lip of the rubber where it's supposed to hook around the slider frame on the corners to make things easier. It was still a bitch to get the trim pushed back into place with putty knives, screwdriver, and a mallet. The trim is not perfectly flat, but it was a little curled and uneven in places to begin with.

In hindsight, it would have been far easier to have just lifted up the edge of the trim and squirt a thick bead of caulk under it. Instead what could have been a 30-minute job turned into 2-1/2 hours with lots of cussing at the rubber trim piece.
 
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