The best door seals

[ghetdjc320]

Want to collect some info and get some input on what door seals you have found to be the best overall. My criteria is: the door should close easily without being slammed, it should seal well without any bunching or wrinkling, it should reduce wind noise and it should fit the interior trim like oem
 

I currently have Mopar nos seals installed if the 96- design. I have used Fairchild as well in the past. The Fairchild seals required a hard slam to close. I have a set of used 97+ seals (see attached pictures for profile views). The 97+ seals have a slightly different design that looks like it may provide a better seal to the door. I’ve seen many people say the 97+ seals don’t work but that seems to mostly be the aftermarket seals which don’t fit right to begin with and require hard slams to get your door to close. It should be noted as well that the Fairchild seals I had spent two years in the truck in the sun and heat and still wouldn’t allow for a good close. The durometer of the rubber was just wrong for the seal. The factory mopar ones also use a white gummy adhesive that helps seal the pinch seam in the body a bit. 
 

Essentially, these are “side bulb” trim seals and are available in a wide variety. Finding NOS 97+ seems quite difficult. I’ve also heard that fox body mustang seals work and their profile is similar to the 96- seals. Any thing anyone has come across that works well overall? 
 

 

 

[ghetdjc320]

These are noted as being dual durometer and seem like they have the correct design: https://metrommp.com/door_sealfront_9701_jeep_cherokee_4_door_models_lm_97e/?Year=2001&Make=Jeep&Model=Cherokee

 

But I have no experience with these. I prefer the 97+ design as it has a better profile

[89 MJ]

I’m curious to see what you come up with, I should do my door seals too. 
 

Could you get a generic one of similar design and then modify it so the door opening shape is correct?

[ghetdjc320]

1 hour ago, 89 MJ said:

I’m curious to see what you come up with, I should do my door seals too. 
 

Could you get a generic one of similar design and then modify it so the door opening shape is correct?

Yes you can. The factory ones were not molded in any way, they were just bulk length cuts that you trim to fit. There is a marine side bulb seal that has an excellent profile but is not the proper thickness. I’m thinking that I’ll align the doors with no seals then once they are set perfectly, I’ll use some clay and get a profile and dimension for the seal location in different positions around the door. 

[Gjeep]

Fairchild isn't good from my perspective. I bought them few years back when I was going to do a budget build on my '92 MJ. Thin. Very thin and soft. Couldn't do it. Don used 'used' 97+ door seals on his LB MJ with no issues as they were already broken in. I'm running NOS '97+ seals on my '92 build and it's a firm close and needs break in. But I've maybe opened those doors all of 25 times. Crown '97+ XJ door seals are very nice quality and I run them on all my kids XJ builds. They take a good 6 months to close "normally" -- read, not a firm shut. I really like these. They drop off on availability on/off but seem to be in steady production. Two thumbs up.

[ghetdjc320]

Good to know. I’m wondering if the actual door profile is any different between the 96/97 break. I have both sets of doors and will try to compare 

[Gjeep]

No difference. In fact, '97 year also used the first gen hinges. '98 hinges changed. 

[Salvagedcircuit]

I went with the 97+ door seals from precision seals. I only tried them on my driver door so far, but my data point is not a useful one. My driver door was sagging from cracking around the hinges. I had to level my door and re-weld the door hinges. It sits nicely now, but I unfortunately bent the top part of the door window frame in efforts to improve door sealing before the welding process. The driver door has an annoying bounce after the precision seals, but I noticed re-bending the window frame outward makes the door stop bouncing when closed. I don't like having to slam a door either, so I've been using 8.5x11 paper to gauge my door seals. I slightly bend the window frame outwards, close the door and check that a page does not easily slide between door seal and door jam. It's not a super precise method, but it seems to be working. My door now does not bounce anywhere near as much. I have not bent the window frame back enough that I like it, but it's close. I'm waiting for warmer weather to straighten out my door window frame.

[89 MJ]

40 minutes ago, Salvagedcircuit said:

I don't like having to slam a door either, so I've been using 8.5x11 paper to gauge my door seals. I slightly bend the window frame outwards, close the door and check that a page does not easily slide between door seal and door jam. It's not a super precise method, but it seems to be working.

This is the way my dad taught my brother and I on the cars he has built. Put the paper in, shut the door, then try to pull it out. Works well. 

[ghetdjc320]

51 minutes ago, Salvagedcircuit said:

I went with the 97+ door seals from precision seals. I only tried them on my driver door so far, but my data point is not a useful one. My driver door was sagging from cracking around the hinges. I had to level my door and re-weld the door hinges. It sits nicely now, but I unfortunately bent the top part of the door window frame in efforts to improve door sealing before the welding process. The driver door has an annoying bounce after the precision seals, but I noticed re-bending the window frame outward makes the door stop bouncing when closed. I don't like having to slam a door either, so I've been using 8.5x11 paper to gauge my door seals. I slightly bend the window frame outwards, close the door and check that a page does not easily slide between door seal and door jam. It's not a super precise method, but it seems to be working. My door now does not bounce anywhere near as much. I have not bent the window frame back enough that I like it, but it's close. I'm waiting for warmer weather to straighten out my door window frame.

Any chance you can get a closeup profile picture of those pro seals like I did with the oem above?