Water leak in rear

[Dr. Overkill]

Gang,
My 2-door has a decent water leak in the rear lift-glass and/or tailgate area. I discovered the carpet in the rear cargo area soaked after our recent storms. I have a floormat that I usually have back there, and had pulled it out to clean it when I discovered the factory carpet wet underneath (and the bottom of the mat was even damp).

My best guess is that I need to replace the long piece of weatherstrip that runs around the entire perimeter of the opening. There's also a seal over the very top edge of the lift-glass but I think that's just there to keep water from dripping in on you if you have the glass open in the rain. There's also a seal on the top of the tailgate itself and it happens to have a smallish tear in it, but I don't see how that would let much water in.

Any advice? Best place to buy the seal(s)? And how are they attached? It appears they're glued on--if so, what sort of adhesive should I use? Any other install tips?

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

LMC should have the weather stripping. not sure on the adhesive, but i know they make weather strip adhesive.

could have someone run water over the rear with a hose while you sit inside and try to track it down.


i have one on the front passenger side that just will not go away...

 

[branndon_b]

dr. overkill, i have the 4 door and i think i got my window gaskets from lmc, as well. and 96, did you try your cowl screws that hold down your black plastic cowl around and under your wipers? that's the usual suspect. someone was saying that they had recently had a windshield replaced, so it couldn't be those screws, but once the threads get loose either from vibration or corrosion, it leaks. doesn't take much either.

---------- Post added at 09:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 PM ----------

dr. overkill, i meant i have the barn doors. oops.

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

yeah i need to replace the pass side of the cowl, previous owner broke part of it, just keep forgetting to grab one at the junk yard.

i think its actually coming in around the windshield. have a couple small chips around the top (not the glass) that are rusted, may be letting water in around the adhesive for the glass. requires pulling the windshield to fix them and just haven't had the time or money to tackle it yet.

 

[Dr. Overkill]

I have some of that black weatherstrip adhesive. I suppose as long as it sticks, it'll be good

Re the pass side, I have that occasionally. It's VERY sporadic. We can have a torrential downpour and it will be dry as a bone down there afterward, but a small shower and I find the floormat on the passenger side is damp. I've read about this from others on FSC and I think it was linked to something else in the firewall or cowl area but I'll be darned if i can remember what it was.

 

[wrecker03]

Had the same issue, found that the seal at the top was wrong. At some point it was removed and wasn't installed correctly when it was put back on. There is a flap on the seal that should actually be outside of the glass which will cause water to run onto the glass rather than into the truck. Take a look, if you need a photo let me know I'll snap one and post it.

 

[Dr. Overkill]

@wrecker, yeah, I know the one you're talking about. Mine is outside the glass. There is a small pucker in it in one spot, but it's not such that it could let water in. I'm pretty sure this is from the long seal that runs around the perimeter of the opening. It's kinda flattened from all the years of it being closed up 99.999% of the time.

The only other thing that occurs to me is the seal that goes around the side glass. There are a couple places where it's receded a bit. If water is getting in there, it must run around the outside of the glass because I never see it on the glass itself. I think I have a pic of that thing somewhere...

---------- Post added at 01:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:28 AM ----------

Here's what that moulding looks like around the side glass in back.

 

[wrecker03]

Its a possibility. Once the seal pulls away like that it leaves an opening for water to get into and once it's in it can go anywhere. Damaged seals will do the same thing. If it's been permanently compressed it can let water by it also.

 

[Dr. Overkill]

I may put some clear RTV silicone in that gap around the window mouldings. Just not sure how cleanly I can do it--I always seem to leave it all boogered up when I do it on my RV's windows... Wonder if the black weatherstrip stuff would be better? At least it would match better if I made a mess of it ;-)

 

[wrecker03]

To make a clean silicone bead dip your finger in water and run it through the bead. Use blue painters tape on the surfaces you don't want the silicone on then pull it off, it's usually where the "boogers" are.