Door / Window Felt - OBS

[92bluesilverado]

What method have you guys used for installing new inner window felts on OBS door panels? Found an OEM GM Window Felt for my Drivers side door which was split and worn out.

The originals were stapled in to the fiberboard door panel. After carefully removing the original, I bought stainless steel staples from Corvette Central which you have to drill pilot holes and then somehow bend the staples but I have yet to find a way of bending the staples w/o destroying the fiberboard on the door panel.

Any thoughts/advice appreciated

[the 73 beast]

i"am thinking of replacing all the window felts, door rubber seals, weatherstripping, etc. but i'am leaning of getting all the parts and having a glass shop take care of it, if not hopefully soon i'd like to get it re-painted and have the body shop do it. i've got a 91 suburban.

[rabristol]

Just replaced mine. I drilled new holes and used aluminum rivets. Make sure you use washers to spread the load of the rivet out. It looks flawless!

[cancritter]

pics :O(

[94Yukon]

I replaced mine about 5 or 6 years ago, if I remember correctly I just bent the staples over with pliers. If you're careful it wont hurt the fiberboard.

[92bluesilverado]

I replaced mine about 5 or 6 years ago, if I remember correctly I just bent the staples over with pliers. If you're careful it wont hurt the fiberboard.

Worked on it a bit this weekend. The rivets i had on hand were not long enough to go through the stip, fiberboard and the washer, pulled out of the 2 holes i tried. gonna search for some longer body rivets.

the s.s. staples are shockingly stiff/thick, my needle nose plyers cant grip them enough and anything larger doesnt allow me a tight bend. cant believe I am being foiled by a damn window felt!

gm clearly never thought these would need to ever be replaced....

[SuburbanK2500]

I'm in the process of replacing mine with the Escalade Leather. I got a NBS Escalade center console a while ago and was pleased to see that the OBS Caddy trim matches perfectly. I found that it's easiest to cut the vinyl skin on the door panel and peel all of it off, rather than trying to peel the glue off of it. Of course this is with the 95-98 interior though.
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7889/0326121651.jpghttp://img521.imageshack.us/img521/9265/downsize1z.jpghttp://img38.imageshack.us/img38/2827/0326122124.jpg

[sasquatch094]

Hey Suburbank2500, howd you get those vinyl panels off the door panels? mine were glued like crazy and was just a f*n mess. is there an easier way so i can wrap those things?

[SuburbanK2500]

Hey Suburbank2500, howd you get those vinyl panels off the door panels? mine were glued like crazy and was just a f*n mess. is there an easier way so i can wrap those things?

To get the old felt off I cut the vinyl door wrap all the way around it with an xacto knife, then peeled the vinyl off the door. I found that the glue bonding the covers to the vinyl is a lot stronger than the bond between the vinyl and the door, so it's easiest to just slice it and peel it up as one section. I tore the first one to pieces but I was able to get it up in one piece by the time I got to the last one.

The biggest pain in the ass was separating the escalade plastic inserts from the old doors, and then peeling the glue off of them to stick them on flat. That glue is like like rock.

If you plan on reusing your inserts to wrap, it'll only make the already hellish job that much harder. I'd recommend peeling out the old inserts like I did, and then maybe cutting out some plastic inserts to wrap instead, and curving the edges in a bit so there's no sharp corners showing.

[sasquatch094]

hmm good advice. i tried what you did a while back, peeling off the insert and that was a cluster fawk. I want to make my door inserts with suede and it has to be damn near perfect or im not going to want to do it lol (kinda anal about that)

I dont like seeing raw edges inside the gap and what not. I already ruined 1 door panel. not sure what i should do now lol