New door rubbers

How the hell do you get doors to sit in place or flush with the rest of the body when you have new rubbers on?
Firstly its a bastard to close and as mentioned the unsightly misalignment.

How long before they settle. I suppose I ask because if you see a nice new sprayed VW at a show that has been rewarded with new rubbers, I cant remember seeing the doors hanging out 5mm.

I had to cut the join in one of the corners of mine as they were too large for the door. I then cut out enough to get it to fit properly and glued it in and it now sits right. Still have to push the door hard to close it though but it sits right.

Yogie

Mine didn't take all that long.... maybe....

I don't think it was very long.... maybe months...
maybe less....
I shut the doors..... which was a bit hard.... at first...
but they seemed to compress fairly easy....
Really surprised Me, I thought I'd have no shut doors for a long time....
I could have used armarall on them, can't remember....

When My Son fitted His new rubbers a few years ago...
When We shut the doors, it chopped off about 8mm of rubber....??

I think My door rubbers are Brazillian, as they are cheap and easy to replace....
not like door glass rubbers etc....

Lee[/b]

From your note i take it you have a Type 3.... these rubbers are different to Beetle in quality and type of rubber

1. Adjust tthe door gaps and lock settings without the rubber fitted

2. Make yourself a wedge out of a piece of hardwood... bout 200 mm long n tapered say about 50 mm wide.

use this wedge to push the seal all the way home into the groove and you will proberly find there not seating

3. Failing this if its all the way home i suggest you get a new razor blade and cut about 1mm off the back face of the seal

let us know if this works

I had a similiar problem with cheap rubbers. I went and got a set of german ones and they fited perfectly.

vw54 wrote:From your note i take it you have a Type 3.... these rubbers are different to Beetle in quality and type of rubber

1. Adjust tthe door gaps and lock settings without the rubber fitted

2. Make yourself a wedge out of a piece of hardwood... bout 200 mm long n tapered say about 50 mm wide.

use this wedge to push the seal all the way home into the groove and you will proberly find there not seating

3. Failing this if its all the way home i suggest you get a new razor blade and cut about 1mm off the back face of the seal

let us know if this works

Thanks VW54, I have good german rubbers for the Type 3 but have been too scared to replace them as the OE still work but look tatty. My queastion actually referred to my newly acquired 73 Dual Cab with new rubbers (good quality). The doors hang out about 5mm.

So same suggestion for these rubbers as well?

yeah same suggestion
fit the door first without rubber so its easier to adjust and get the gaps corrrect all round and set the locks as well.