Just thought id share my experience today with obrian glass

Mitsubishi will tell you that in order to replace the rubber seal you need replace the whole window glass....NOT TRUE

It is true that the window rubber is called an "encapsulated rubber" meaning the rubber forms a part of the glass, but it is replaceble

Obriens have a number of what they call uni rubber, uni 2, is the rubber of choice and looks very similar to the TL/W rubber

Just thought id share this with anyone who wants a new window rubber without the expense of a whole new window

Good tip

The rear window rubber on my TJ VRX doesnt look the best now. Starting to flake. Seal is still OK but looks cosmetically crap

I was wondering how I was going to fix this common problem the 3rd gens have

Just thought id share my experience today with obrian glass

Mitsubishi will tell you that in order to replace the rubber seal you need replace the whole window glass....NOT TRUE

It is true that the window rubber is called an "encapsulated rubber" meaning the rubber forms a part of the glass, but it is replaceble

Obriens have a number of what they call uni rubber, uni 2, is the rubber of choice and looks very similar to the TL/W rubber

Just thought id share this with anyone who wants a new window rubber without the expense of a whole new window



Just like the time the high mount brake light fell off. Dealer said a complete new rear window setup would be required. I just reattached it with some Permatex black silicone and it lasted longer than the original silicone.

I originally looked around at the wreckers to replace the trim around the rear window in my TJ but they were all just as bad / worse. Thanks for this info as it looks like what I need.

Good tip

The rear window rubber on my TJ VRX doesnt look the best now. Starting to flake. Seal is still OK but looks cosmetically crap

I was wondering how I was going to fix this common problem the 3rd gens have

Same as my TJ. I bought a tube of Selleys Silicone Window sealant, black for about $14 from autobarn. I scraped off the flakes then coated the whole seal, and also went slightly over the seal onto the duco to.create a new "seal line" so to speak. good thing about this sealant is that you can easily clean it off the duco straight away without any hassle, to get a straight edge. its easy to apply, i used my fingers, was easy on a hot day in the sun. dried quick.

THE GOOD. It made the rear seal look unified in colour and hopefuly protected it... it was way easier than painting it. it was cheaper and quicker (15 mins) than painting... hopefuly will last a long time without having to worry about repainting. I didnt have to get all the paint off the seal, as the sealant formed a thick enough coat to fill the gaps between the paint and stll look uniform.

THE BAD. it doesnt look as clean or professional as repainting the seal. the sealant is more of a satin than matte black. The shine does dull down though over time however and unless you really look hard, you dont really notice that its not paint (after about a month now)...

I did find out after that Silicone "solvents" are apparently not good for rubber... like tyre shine? but I figured if it was a silicone "rubber" and coating the whole seal (most of which is still painted), so it wouldnt be so bad... maybe ask around lol

Just thought id share my experience today with obrian glass

Mitsubishi will tell you that in order to replace the rubber seal you need replace the whole window glass....NOT TRUE

It is true that the window rubber is called an "encapsulated rubber" meaning the rubber forms a part of the glass, but it is replaceble

Obriens have a number of what they call uni rubber, uni 2, is the rubber of choice and looks very similar to the TL/W rubber

Just thought id share this with anyone who wants a new window rubber without the expense of a whole new window
Thats awesome, thanks!

Ricbec any pics of the finished product?
Cost?
Does it look OEM?

Mine is flaking and sometimes (in the cold) it squeaks. I've been wanting to replace it but cannot find the rubber to replace it. Mitsubishi have told me I need to buy the whole rear window

My rear tailgate window rubber ion mt TL wagon s starting to dislodge from around the glass, when I push it back in it just falls out again.

The window has not been reinstalled yet, I had the window removed for repainting, probably be a couple of months before I can get a fitted photo

As to whether or not it looks oem, it looks alot closer to the TL/W seal then the TJ and earlier....according to obriens, ealier model (unsure how much earlier) had a different rubber again that is not encapsulated

A few pics

This is the outside view, meaning its the side you see....right side goes on the window, left side goes against the metal of the car

http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag252/rick_hill3/20150328_103151_zpswluw6pwa.jpg (http://s1370.photobucket.com/user/rick_hill3/media/20150328_103151_zpswluw6pwa.jpg.html)

Inside view....the part you dont see

http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag252/rick_hill3/20150328_103202_zpsnneos9tn.jpg (http://s1370.photobucket.com/user/rick_hill3/media/20150328_103202_zpsnneos9tn.jpg.html)

End view

http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag252/rick_hill3/20150328_103211_zpsdiktwpup.jpg (http://s1370.photobucket.com/user/rick_hill3/media/20150328_103211_zpsdiktwpup.jpg.html)

Yes, it is a known fact that the J series and earlier had issues with leakage due to being just that bit smaller in size. The L and W series fixed it with a chunkier seal.

The "seal", doesnt really seal as such....its the sealant they use to bond the screen to the car that does the waterproofing....mind you, once mine was removed I could see areas where the sealant was only a couple of mm wide....and under the rubber seal was full of dirt and crapthe seal is more of a cosmetic seal really...to fill the gap between the glass and the panel....well thats how it appears anyway

The window has not been reinstalled yet, I had the window removed for repainting, probably be a couple of months before I can get a fitted photo


how much did obriens charge to remove?

$100 to remove...but they came to me (30 minutes drive out of the city) so id expect I payed for travelling time....not sure

Rubber only costs around 30....they charge 150 to refit....costs a little more as they use consumables in refitting, plus it takes longer to refit

$100 to remove...but they came to me (30 minutes drive out of the city) so id expect I payed for travelling time....not sure

Rubber only costs around 30....they charge 150 to refit....costs a little more as they use consumables in refitting, plus it takes longer to refit

hey mate, did you get a quote from anyone for replacement of entire window? just to compare savings...

Does the window need to come out to change the rubber surround?

Yes. Ideally. There is nothing holding the glass once the seal is removed. If you looked at the photo above, the left side is the bit that goes down with the adhiesive, the top has the groove for the glass to slide in and the bottom is towards the outside and the right side faces up.

hey mate, did you get a quote from anyone for replacement of entire window? just to compare savings...

Nah didnt get a quote for a replacement window.....didnt really feel the need....by the time you pay for install anyway, its not alot different

Obrians did estimate it would be around the 500 mark for a whole new screen....but that was just a guess..could be less

Does the window need to come out to change the rubber surround?

The window must come out to do it...the original seal is bonded to the glass on both sides, needs to be cut away

These guys look like they make a moulded rubber similar to what O'Briens supply.
http://www.ozautomoulds.com.au/c/25/universal-moulds

Cheers

Just thought id share my experience today with obrian glass

Mitsubishi will tell you that in order to replace the rubber seal you need replace the whole window glass....NOT TRUE

It is true that the window rubber is called an "encapsulated rubber" meaning the rubber forms a part of the glass, but it is replaceble

Obriens have a number of what they call uni rubber, uni 2, is the rubber of choice and looks very similar to the TL/W rubber

Just thought id share this with anyone who wants a new window rubber without the expense of a whole new window

Yeah they only service it with the rear windscreen

These guys look like they make a moulded rubber similar to what O'Briens supply.
http://www.ozautomoulds.com.au/c/25/universal-moulds

Cheers

Thats the stuff....the first pictured seal...uni 2 is the seal to use

Need to be careful which seal is used, as if a seal that is too wide is used, it will kink when wrapped around the bottom corners of the screen....hence uni2 was chosen, as it is small enough that is doesnt kink

Has the glass been test fitted with it to make sure no gap is present?
Or if the seal is too thick it may kink on installation if it touches the body of the car?

No test fit....obriens installer is quite confident there wont be any problems...but if there are, I will report back here

When I get home from Work Wednesday morning I will be off to O'Briens to get my VRX sorted. Thanks again for the tip

I cant see any problems with the seal....its slightly larger than the seal used in the TL/W, so it should be sweet

If your gonna head off to obriens to have this done, take some cleaning stuff with you so you can clean down where the original seal was, otherwise youll end up with a dirt line where the lriginal seal meets the frame

I'm sue they will do this during the install. Well one would hope so

Rodpolky, can you take some before, during and after pics and post them up please?
I am also thinking of getting this done.

Will do mate. Well I will try to get some during pics but If I cant will definately post up some before and after.

So looking forward to getting rid of my flaking rear window rubber.

Now yous have me second guessing myself....lol....cant see any problems

Obriens would have a warranty anyway if there were

Good luck guys!

Just remember....acting on advice on a forum is a "do at your own risk"

Hi all

Occasionally, when it hasn't been raining for a while, I'll hear a faint rattling noise when driving and a creaking noise when driving up a kerb, from what appears to be the rear windscreen. The seal has also flaked off in parts.

Would fitting this uni 2 seal fix the rattling / creaking or is it purely cosmetic for the flaking? Thanks

Yes. As said, the J and prior series had a known issue with its rear seal with leaking, squeaking and rattling. The whole screen with the seal was a tad smaller than the L and W series which fixed the issues.

Thanks very much Vlad, I'll look into getting this done too.

Hi all

Occasionally, when it hasn't been raining for a while, I'll hear a faint rattling noise when driving and a creaking noise when driving up a kerb, from what appears to be the rear windscreen. The seal has also flaked off in parts.

Would fitting this uni 2 seal fix the rattling / creaking or is it purely cosmetic for the flaking? Thanks

Mine does the same thing.
If I go and press the rubber at some spots I can hear it squeak too.
Going over driveways does it, especially in cold weather. If it rains it goes silent though, assuming the water acts as a lubricant

Just thought id post this bit of extra info

When I rang obriens to book the job, I priced up the entire job, the fella on the phone was using his computer to look up what seal was the best.....I didnt know it at the time, but he was looking at uni 12 seal....it was the installer who suggested uni 2 was the best seal....I didnt know about the uni 12 till I just looked at the job sheet properly

Question is now.....who is right

Here is link provided earlier in this thread that shows both the uni 12 and the uni 2.....

http://www.ozautomoulds.com.au/c/25/universal-moulds
Anyone who decides to go ahead with this should perhaps suggest that 2 different seals have been suggested, and they can double check on which one is best.....

Uni 12 does however, look like it will kink when wrapped around the bottom corners of the screen

Anyhow, just thought id add this just in case

thanks mate

No problem

I still think the uni 2 is the right one, but I thought id better play it safe and let you all know

I just rang a my local Instant Windscreens & Tinting shop and after confirming what car I have and the issue in detail, he said that a uni seal can be fitted to the existing rear windscreen. Although he said he'll need to look at the car, he tentatively quoted $135 to remove and refit the existing rear windscreen with a new seal. Dropping Maggie off this Thursday so I'll report back then.

Hey, take some before and after photos please

Hey, take some before and after photos please

X2
Thanks

Yep no worries, will do.

Well I had the rear window seal replaced last Thursday and am pretty happy with the results - no more flaking seal and squeaks from the rear window.:D It came at a cost though - $285 through Windscreens O'Brien.:eh:

Instant Windscreens & Tinting couldn't do the job when I arrived Thursday morning as their fitter was sick so I took a drive to O'Brien. It was explained to me that the rear window is 'encapsulated?' (ie window and seal are manufactured as one) and so removing the seal might cause damage to the window and/or tint. Also, he had never replaced only the seal before. Despite this I gave the go ahead as it was either this, leaving it as is or getting a new window fitted and tinted.

The new seal feels much more rubbery (you can lift it off the window) and it sits higher, but he couldn't tell me what uni number it was (he just got it off a roll). The job took 2 hours and workmanship was good with no damage to the window, tint or car in general.

Before:

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/walker35tc/IMG_20150402_082636_zpsjxxqfhyz.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/walker35tc/media/IMG_20150402_082636_zpsjxxqfhyz.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/walker35tc/IMG_20150402_082552_zpsqjasycft.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/walker35tc/media/IMG_20150402_082552_zpsqjasycft.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/walker35tc/IMG_20150402_082603_zpsoos2unm2.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/walker35tc/media/IMG_20150402_082603_zpsoos2unm2.jpg.html)


After:

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/walker35tc/IMG_20150402_163532_zpszjspowox.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/walker35tc/media/IMG_20150402_163532_zpszjspowox.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/walker35tc/IMG_20150402_163551_zpsxhrjfkwb.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/walker35tc/media/IMG_20150402_163551_zpsxhrjfkwb.jpg.html)

It appears thicker than the original seal?
Would yours squeak over bumps?

And which O'Brien did you go to?

The L and W series are thicker than J and prior and mine did not leak or squeak over 9.5 years.

Hi Spetz, yes in dry weather I would get squeaks, rattles and creaks over bumps / kerbs, primarily from the passenger side corner. These would disappear temporarily after washing the car or rain.

The seal is a thicker and far more flexible rubber (the TJ seal feels a bit like plastic by comparison) and I got it done at their Tuggerah branch.

I should also mention that the join in the seal is at the centre bottom of the window.

Does it look non-original in any way?

Mine used to squeak much more, but has stopped recently. I think it does so more in the cold weather (especially in Canberra winter).

If I didn't know it had been done I'd be hard pressed to tell that it wasn't a factory fitted seal. It just wouldn't be something I'd notice. I'll take some better photos soon and post them up.

It'd be nice if there was something similar that could be fitted to the top of the front windscreen as I'm not a fan of the plastic strip that doesn't sit flush all the way across the roof line and windscreen, probably creating wind noise.

Here is an old thread with some info on the factory seals and close ups of the seal on my old car for comparison:
http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102257

The last after pic looks like a before pic....

Anyhow, glad to see someone has gone through with it and got a good result

As promised, here are some better photos of the new seal:

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/walker35tc/IMG_20150419_114147_zpsq0jz2eb6.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/walker35tc/media/IMG_20150419_114147_zpsq0jz2eb6.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/walker35tc/IMG_20150419_114142_zpsqrlwklbg.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/walker35tc/media/IMG_20150419_114142_zpsqrlwklbg.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/walker35tc/IMG_20150419_114208_zpspnqpspxl.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/walker35tc/media/IMG_20150419_114208_zpspnqpspxl.jpg.html)

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j132/walker35tc/IMG_20150419_114158_zpst1ydbmyz.jpg (http://s79.photobucket.com/user/walker35tc/media/IMG_20150419_114158_zpst1ydbmyz.jpg.html)

Looks very neat.....and way better than the old seal.....well done!

I went to 2 O'Brien Glass shops today.
First said it essentially is impossible, and the second said it's not worth it.
Both said the reason is that the original glass came encapsulated with the seal and hence removing it would be a "mammoth job" and the glass may be stained where the old seal was (if the new seal does not cover that area).
Also I was told that the seal that they stock will look much worse than the old OEM seal it would replace.

Also was quoted $300+ for the job, and $541+ installation if the window breaks.

There is always an element of risk removing a front or rear glass.....only small risk, but it can happen

As flr the original seal staining the glass, I suppose thats possible, but as you can see in the pics from the member who had his seal replaced, no visible staining on his

In the case of removing the original seal being a mammoth job......it took obriens all of 5 minutes to cut the original seal away....and I can see it only taking 5 or 10 minutes to clean the glass where the seal was....

As to whether its worth it or not.....thats up to the individual to decide if is worth it or not

Really sounds to me that the places you went to simply are not interested in doing the job...must sound like to much hard work for them......try a 3rd

Lazy workers. That's all it is. I'm going to show O'Brien's this thread when I get mine done so they can't say no.

I had planed to get this done weeks ago but haven't had time

never mind!

Max, could you describe the process of this rust repair pointing out wht to watch out for, please. In a post here, or point to another post where it's described or I'll start a topic on it in sec gen? I'm just about to start this on the rear window because of some rust intruding under the window. I'm trying to fgure out how to remove the trim, (and then the window. I'm concerned because the rust may excert pressure on the window at one point. No idea how realistic that concern is.) hopefully to reuse.

I just called O'briens Seven Hills & they said impossible to replace the mould only & I explained that their own Tuggerah branch recently did one successfully.
I then was told well we would have to ask them what they did & that I must be mistaken so they would need to confirm what actually happened.
I then called O'Brien Tuggerah & I was told no worries about $250 all up & if I didn't want to drive up from Sydney he could call Seven Hills to tell them what to do, also the stain issue is not on the glass it is on the paint as the mould sits lower in the body not on the window so there may be black staining on the paintwork.
Im guessing you could cut polish it before fitting the new one in but not sure about that, anyway I will give it a go sometime during the next couple off weeks so fingers crossed.
Cheers Craig.

Max, could you describe the process of this rust repair

Sorry, I deleted that post because I looked at a cross section of the rubber used on the rear screen of a third gen sedan, and it wraps around the glass to a large extent, so what I did would most likely not work on a third gen sedan rear screen.
On the wagon rear screen I simply pulled the rubber trim off by hand, easy to do as it wraps around behind the glass by only a few mm.
Fixed the rust - scraped away the loose stuff, soaked with rust inhibitor, cleaned, bogged and painted. Then I trimmed the overhang off the trim and glued it back into its original position.

I just called O'briens Seven Hills & they said impossible to replace the mould only & I explained that their own Tuggerah branch recently did one successfully.
I then was told well we would have to ask them what they did & that I must be mistaken so they would need to confirm what actually happened.
I then called O'Brien Tuggerah & I was told no worries about $250 all up & if I didn't want to drive up from Sydney he could call Seven Hills to tell them what to do, also the stain issue is not on the glass it is on the paint as the mould sits lower in the body not on the window so there may be black staining on the paintwork.
Im guessing you could cut polish it before fitting the new one in but not sure about that, anyway I will give it a go sometime during the next couple off weeks so fingers crossed.
Cheers Craig.

The Seven Hills O'Brien is the one I went to, and the Roseville one too.
The guy are Roseville was totally unaware, the Seven Hills seemed to have an idea but were pushing not to go ahead with it.

I got the UNI2 seal fitted at Obriens Tuggerah today.
It was very fast maybe 2hrs including waiting time for cure to be able to drive.
I have to say im not 100% happy with it as the both bottom corners have a kink in the mould where it goes around the window corners & I found a bit of scratching on the window which was there before fitting so not their fault for that but it just lowered the quality of the finished product & if I noticed it before going there I could have got a window from the wreckers for $50 to fix this but all up it looks good & was done for $250 all up.
The mould has a nice profile & does look better than the original im just not quite there with the bottom corners & cranky at myself for not noticing the scratching on the glass.
Does anyone know of a product for maybe polishing the glass to fix it at all?
Thanks Craig.

Any pics of the kinking?
The previous poster didn't seem to have this issue in the photos?

Any pics of the kinking?
The previous poster didn't seem to have this issue in the photos? I am not very computer savy as I don't really use one much & cant get any pics to transfer but the both bottom corners are the same the glass must have a very pointy corner there.
The guy who done it is the same one that did Bens because he remembers doing the job.
Thanks Craig.

I am not very computer savy as I don't really use one much & cant get any pics to transfer but the both bottom corners are the same the glass must have a very pointy corner there.
The guy who done it is the same one that did Bens because he remembers doing the job.
Thanks Craig.
Sign up to Photobucket.com and then upload photos to there. You then link them here. There are write ups on how to do it.

Thanks here is pickshttp://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/yeha3/IMG_2517_zps3z25f3gi.jpg

How come the other car didn't end up with these kinks?

How come the other car didn't end up with these kinks? I don't know what happened maybe he pulled the mould too hard around the corners but the rest of the job was great apart from my glass had some previous scratches which is not their fault.

Well I just had a bit of a play around with the mould & I gave it a bit of a massage around if you want to put it that way.
It has come up much better so I will see if it stays that way or goes back again, if it reverts back I might take it back to see what they are willing to do.

Yeah im suprised it has kinked....when we did a test fit around my rear glass after jt was removed and it didnt kink.....we could tell though is was pretty much at its limits and didnt want to curve anymore without kinking.......it certainly didnt look like that

Could the seal be added in 2 pieces?
So one that covers the sides and top, and the bottom one by itself to avoid the kink, or will this look even worse?

Getting the join lines nice and neat would be next to impossible on a curved section of the screen like that......

How come the other car didn't end up with these kinks?

Refer back to post #21

Refer back to post #21 I specifically asked for UNI2 they said this is it.

I specifically asked for UNI2 they said this is it.

Yes, so both used UNI2 yet turned out different. Do the third gens all have the same shape rear glass?
I looked at the original rubber on my TJ sedan, and the bottom corners have a distinct corner moulded into them.
Perhaps the neatly fitted one had some trimming/cutting done at the back of the UNI2 to allow the visible corner part to wrap neatly at such a sharp angle?

I know the rubber system used pre tj was different again, but I have no clue as to the exact shape of the glass.....as I said earlier....test fitting on my glass was fine, and thats KJ...im wondering, if during fitting, the rubber has "gathered up" around the edges, and just needed to be pulled a little tighter...or even perhaps the opposite....maybe it has been pulled to tight and has caused it to kink..its the only thing I can think of....having said that, it was placed around my screen with any particular attention to the corners other than investigating how good a fit it was

Yes, so both used UNI2 yet turned out different. Do the third gens all have the same shape rear glass?
I looked at the original rubber on my TJ sedan, and the bottom corners have a distinct corner moulded into them.
Perhaps the neatly fitted one had some trimming/cutting done at the back of the UNI2 to allow the visible corner part to wrap neatly at such a sharp angle? Well it was the exact same guy that did Bens I think his name was Brad & done at the same place & approved by the same manager Matt that did Bens which is a J model & its the same mould so you would think it was done with the exact same technique so maybe the TJ to KJ was a different window im not sure.
After my massaging of the mould it is much better almost fine, I might drop into the local Obriens & see if its possible to stick it down to hold it exactly flat.