I finally bought the last pieces of rubber for my car. It’s the window channel moulding, probably not the correct terminology. Everything I read says to take off the door card, but not seeing the point??

I must be missing something, but it seems that if you roll the window down about halfway, you can pull out the old and install the new.

I am going to tape the window from the outside to keep it from flopping out of the track, but maybe I'm over simplifying it.

Thanks for any input, I always cringe taking off the brittle door cards.

 

I've replaced the window channel felt without removing the door card, but it can be a little tricky. Start at the top door frame and work down to both ends. When you feed the ends down into the door frame is where it can get tight because the seal fits both around the glass, plus into the window track. I try and lube up the outside of the seal with some WD 40 or something to help side it into the track.

Plus after you get it started, you usually will need to "push" a certain length of it down, past the pinch point. Removing the door panel allows you better access to be able to "pull" it past. Have you ever tried to push rope?

 

There are four seals.
The window channel that goes around the inside of the window , the two horizontal seals that seal the outside and inside of where the window goes up and down and the actual door seal .
DO NOT use wd40 on the inner and outer horizontal window seals , you can use it for the channel seal on the outside to help you slide it in to the rail .

 

Thanks for the pointers! I’ve already replaced the inner and outer horizontal pieces a while ago.

I'm going to try it without taking the door cards off first. Worst case, I have to take them off. Hopefully I can get them done this next weekend. I’m really hoping that it reduces some of the wind noise. All the other seals have helped, but still think they let a lot of air in.

 

Interesting!

Where did you get the new rubber/felted seals?

 

Atkins Rotary. 25$ each .

You don't need to take your door cards off to do that job but it helps alot.

 

Mazda is 8871-58-605C, its more expensive than the Atkins

 

They’re definitely not $25 bucks! I have a friend that works at Mazda corporate and he found them for me, not sure if they were in house, but they are Mazda factory parts.

I paid $140 bucks.

 

All the door seals are still available from Mazda except for the one on the outside of the glass. Repro's are available however thru Atkins and a couple of other sources. Although more expensive, I like the OEM ones and they are always my first choice when replacing.

 

It’s definitely waaay easier to do with the door cards off! It also allowed me to grease all the mechanisms in the door.

I tried one with the door card on, very difficult, but the rest of the project went really well, now every single piece of rubber has been replaced on this car. Hopefully it lasts as long as the original stuff!

 

If only go with oem mazda door seals , the mazda window channels aren't that well made.
outer and inner window seal by atkins fit just fine and those are 25$ each . I think i paid almost 275-375 for oem door seals .

The only seal I have yet to replace is my rear hatch .