Drip Rail Re-Installation

[IdahoMan]

(Updated - 10-24-12)

Hi y'all.

Been lurking and searching this forum for a few days now, learning what I can about sealants, adhesives, trims, moldings, mirrors, parts, soaps, etc.. I am going to start putting the the Drip Rails onto my recently painted 81 truck, but had a few questions I'd like to ask before I start. Will post pictures as I go along if you wish.


Materials.

What are the proper materials for this task? When removing the Drip Rails from the vehicle it was obvious that a double-sided tape or a gasket of some sort had been used in between the rails and the body(Tough stuff; took a lot of scraping to remove). What kind though?  And the tips of each screw had been dipped in an amber rubber.

The materials I have currently are these:

• Permatex Copper Anti-Seize Lubricant
• 3M Automotive Acrylic Plus Attachment Tape 06382 (1/2in x 20yd x .045in)
• 3M Black Super Weatherstrip Adhesive
• Lexel
• blue Painter's Tape

Methods. 

Is there a best/proper method for installing the rails? My current plan of action is as shown bellow. The rails lasted 30+ years on the vehicle without issue, they should last at least that long again when I'm done.

• Rub DR base with alcohol and dry.
• Apply tape to DR base.
• Poke pin-holes in tape for screws. And run a screw through to tear away
  some of the material and widen the whole for ease of installation.
• Use toothpick to apply small amount of anti-seize to screw-holes on the body.
• Remove tape liner and insert screws partialy into tape.
• Place DR onto truck with screws just entering into holes.
• Lightly tighten each screw partially.
• Place a dab of weatherstrip adhesive between screw-head and DR.
• Tighten all screws fully, starting at the bottom and working up, over and toward the front of the vehicle.
• Done.
• SEE POST #12

Does this sound about right? Any advice?

(appologies for the quality of some of the pictures)


Sincerely,
IdahoMan

[Tx_Phil]

Interested in what you find out. My 87 suburban had the drip rails removed by the PO and are no where to be found. Once I find some replacements I will be asking these same questions!

[Blazin]

I useually dip the screw in silicone sealant of a higher quality. Have never used neer sieze on them before.

[Captkaos]

The gaskets on the drips were rather thin, how thick is that tape?
I usually put silicon on the screws also.

[IdahoMan]

The gaskets on the drips were rather thin, how thick is that tape?
I usually put silicon on the screws also.

Gaskets? Is that what they used originally?  The tape is .045in thick.

What kind of silicon do you all recommend? I've got molding and side mirrors to put on later, I'll "silicon" those holes as well I guess.

[VileZambonie]

Get a small tube of seam sealer because all you need is a dab in the hole and on the screw threads and it will hold up better than the silicone plus it's easier to clean up if you make a mess. If you don't have any silicone sealant will work too. The drip rail moldings should have a gasket not double sided tape. Did you get new ones?

[IdahoMan]

Did you get new ones?

No. They are the original DRs that I took off the truck prior to having it painted.

When I removed them, there was a very tough to remove foam substance between them and the body of the truck. It took a lot of scraping with a plastic paint-scraper and some Goo-Gone to get all of it off both the DRs and the body. That's why I figured a double-sided tape had been used originally.

Where would I get a "Drip Rail Gasket" for a 73-87 Chevy truck?

[Blazin]

I have also used seam seal as well. The two sided tape works. I have also used butyl tape that is made for the long runs on metal roofing.
The correct way would br to get the gasket.

[IdahoMan]

A little update.

The search for the right sealant isn't going well.

Some say use silicon, others say never use silicon.

I've seen Urethane seam-sealer recommended but I can't find any of that anywhere, and when I research such products as 3M Urethane Seam Sealer it says it does not provide adequate protection from moisture when applied over bare metal. 

Blazin, you said "silicone sealant of a higher quality". What would you recommend, Permatex?

[thirsty]

I used this. I use it where a silicone is a necessary evil in construction. It works extremely well on metal roofs. I used it on my drip rails because I knew it would stick to clearcoat no problem and because I had some already.
http://www.sashco.com/hi/lexel.html
I reused the original gasket and added the sealant just to make sure. Don't put too much of whatever you decide on though. It only takes a small bead to seal up that small of an area.

Another tip is don't do it alone. I tried mine alone with fresh paint and the way those are shaped along with the sharp edges it isn't worth scratching your truck up or smearing sealant all over it.

[Captkaos]

Mock mount it and put painters tape around it and then remove it to keep cleanup to a minimum.

[Blazin]

I meant like the gray Ford silicone for the 7.3 oil pans.
Or Honda bond, I haven't tried it yet but I hear from a reputable sorce its pretty awesome stuff.

[IdahoMan]

Pic1 - The mock mounting of the DR.

Thanks Captkaos and thirsty. I didn't want to do this step, but it turns out it's vital.

Without taking the film off the double-sided tape, I screwed the DR onto the body using as many screws as needed (not tightened fully). DRs are shaped in a way that they have tension and so the holes don't always line up right unless most of the screws are in.  (And yes, one must be VERY careful in handling a DR when putting it on one's truck. With their tension, sharp edges, and process of attachment, unless you are slow and gentle it is very easy to swipe them "record-player-arm" style across your paint-job.)

I put blue Painter's Tape to-shape along the top edge of the DR. I didn't need any on the bottom. Then took the DR back off. (This tape outline was my best friend through all of this.)

Having the tape down and all items I needed within reach (DR, sealant, screws, wrench, stool, and damp/dry cloths), I could begin.


Pic2 - Applied a small stream of the sealant.

I decided on using Lexel, it was the best stuff I could find. I hope this stuff will do the trick. It will "gelatinize" pretty quickly when worked.. when it got on the wrench I was using in motion, it would form globules.

I put the sealant on as show in the picture, with a little extra on and around the holes. Should I have put them on the screw-threads as well? I would think the screw would catch some as it passed through the hole.


Pic3 - Installing the DR.

Taking off the red tape film, I quickly put a dab of Lexel on the bottom screw-hole of the DR (see PIP) and inserted a screw. I held the DR against the body, keeping it a couple of inches or so from touching.. except on bottom edge. Gently lined up the screw and found the hole in the body. Tediously managed to get the screw partially tightened with the wrench's open end. (This was probably the most difficult part, and sometimes the screws didn't want to find the holes on the body.)

Still holding onto the DR with one hand, I grabbed the caulking gun with the other and put another dab on the 2nd screw hole from the bottom on the DR, got another screw and screwed it in.

With these two screws partially tightened and holding the rail in place, I now had two hands to work with for dabbing Lexel onto the remained screw-holes on the DR. (Again, be VERY careful here. Work VERY lightly.. No pressure whatsoever. With the DR attached by only two screws, it is very much like a springy, floating record-player-arm and a slight bump can send the upper forward edge tearing across your paint.. However, the double-sided tape did help a bit as a barrier. Thank goodness for the masking-tape outline too.. When the DR's front edge had to rest on something, it was there.)

I then proceed with installing the rest of the screws, starting from the bottom of the DR then up, over and forward. Always holding tight to the DR with one hand, and inserting/tightening the screws with the other. Once the screws were all in place, I could go around and tighten them fully.  However, the bad news is that none of them could be tightened snug.. they would all start to strip.   I even bought a larger screw size for the left DR, but even they started to slip at the end.

Once finished, I removed the Painter's Tape which saved me a lot of mess and possible scratches.

Done - Finished at last.

It may look a little messy from the picture, but they turned out OK. Even though the screws started to strip, the fully-attached DRs are rock-solid. 

Except for in the DR canal itself, there is little to no mess on the body of the truck. If there are any globules left over, they'll be taken care of over time.

There are some gaps between the rails and the body that are big enough to drive a truck through. In some places it is almost like the DRs were bent or not meant to fit my truck.   But they were the rails I took off the truck.  There were a couple small pin-holes were some sealant my not have been put down adequately and so water my pass through from the top to the bottom, but this to can be fixed in time. The biggest issue of all out of all this is preventing evil, rust-causing moisture from reaching those screw-sockets. And I sure hope it works out.

[thirsty]

Glad you got it done.
As far as the screws not tightening up goes, while I was doing body work to my cab I hit the screw holes just enough to tighten them up a little. It made me laugh when I installed mine because of all the work I had done by myself, these little buggers intimidated me with fresh paint when I went to install them.
Do you feel good about the installation that you did?

[IdahoMan]

Glad you got it done.

Thanks. Me too.

As far as the screws not tightening up goes, while I was doing body work to my cab I hit the screw holes just enough to tighten them up a little. It made me laugh when I installed mine because of all the work I had done by myself, these little buggers intimidated me with fresh paint when I went to install them.
Do you feel good about the installation that you did?

Yes.

I dreaded doing it, but it got done smoothly one step at a time. Just had to think through the whole process before starting.

There will always be doubts afterward I guess: Did I get the sealant put on properly.. I hope I didn't miss a spot..
(For paranoia's sake, I surgically applied some more Lexel via a toothpick around a couple of the screw-heads)

But I think it turned out well. Despite some gaps where the DRs were misshapen originally, they look good and are rock-solid. 

Thank you all very much for your help!