Tailgate Dew Wipe Source?

[Kodachrome Wolf]

I've been hunting around the forum looking through the dew wipe threads seeing if anyone has posted anything in the direction for a tailgate dew wipe and seem to be coming up short (or just can't manipulate the search function efficiently).

Has anyone had any luck with finding one?

[Kodachrome Wolf]

So I think I'll give this a spin unless anyone else might have a good alternative: Linky

I checked around for comparable 80s/90s full size SUVs like Blazer and Bronco to see how their dew wipes were setup, but theirs are set lower than the upper trim piece. Seems like the Jeep one is a little like ours where it runs at the same height across the trim. Anything that works is considerably better than the cracked, hard, full size window scratcher that is fitted.

[kishy]

Definitely want to see the outcome of this. My tailgate has all sorts of issues, with this being one of them. I had bought some Bronco bits to see if they could be adapted but I'm not entirely sure where I put them.

As a related question: how much of a role does the inside dew wipe play in positioning and angling the glass (e.g. preventing it tipping too far inward as it goes up)? My tailgate door card is absent and the window flops around in there quite a bit...had to get creative with other parts of the mechanism to make it stay more or less rigidly positioned.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

To my knowledge there’s these felt covered guides towards the edges that are supposed to help with window control. That said, I rarely open the gate without lowering the window more than halfway because: 1.) My door seal is intact, but hard, so avoiding extra wear by slipping the glass from under it is required, and 2.) My window will flop a bit as well.

My door card is fitted, but I don’t think it does much for rigidity back there.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

Well, I'll know more this weekend, but this look promising...





Probably will need to yank the tabs on there currently and see if it's the stapled variety holding it like the doors or some other method. Shame you can apparently only get this piece off with the window removed from the tailgate, so it's not a nice simple job.

[Tiggie]

You can get it off with the window installed (and in the up position IIRC). I had mine off in the 88 a long time ago and pulled one in the junkyard.

[kellen302]

I'm not sure how the rear dew wipe attaches, but 3M makes some specific weatherstrip adhesives that are supposed to be the bee's knees. I've always had good luck with 3M products even in my real job as an engineer when used exactly as directed for the specified application. I'm planning on using the 08008 type when I do my front door dew wipes instead of drilling tiny holes for sheetmetal screws or dealing with staples. A bit pricey, but my experience has been with other products from them has been excellent.

[kishy]

That does look quite promising...very interested in seeing developments here.

Consider that if mounting doesn't really seem feasible, a long piece of thin sheet aluminum bent on a brake and then strategically riveted or bolted could get you to where you need to be.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

So minor update, we’re about halfway done swapping the tailgate on my car. Awful job trying to align this thing, so I haven’t done the dew wipe on the replacement gate, but we did yank the trim piece on the damaged tailgate to determine how it comes off the car and how the dew wipe attaches.

So that trim piece in theory can be removed with the glass in like Tiggie said. It’s not awesome looking but doable. Towards the corners are two studs with 11/32” nuts. After removing those, the assembly just slides up and out. The dew wipe is attached like the ones on the doors, giant staples through the metal.

Right now, the Wagoneer stuff looks like it has a high probability of working for this application. The clips that are attached to it will not work, so the traditional nut and bolt job will work, or gluing it if desired. The confirmation though is if it makes effective contact with the glass.

Hopefully I’ll have something put together tomorrow once we get this awful thing hung correctly.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

We've finally got a suitable dew wipe replacement option! This thing fits really well and presses firmly against the glass, just the way you'd want it to.

Fairchild Industry D2033 Tailgate Belt Weatherstrip - Jeep Grand Wagoneer 1963-1991

It does require a little modding to work on our tailgates, but nothing too abstract that needs a PhD.

Quick run down to get that piece off:
1.) Remove tailgate door card

2.) Remove access service panels (if they're still there)

3.) With the glass all the way up, in both corners are two 11/32" nuts. One is easily seen on each side, the other is hidden by the glass; you'll need to feel for it.

3b.) Late 1985-1991 owners, please remove your high mount stop light and undo the four screws at the bottom

4.) Pull the trim piece straight up

Once you get that piece off, you'll see the old dew wipe is attached to the trim in the same method the ones on the doors are: staples. I took a Dremel on the cross section of the staples versus prying them all apart and zipped all of the apart, then used a screw driver and pulled it apart. After getting the old dew wipe off, I then removed the little fragments of the staples. One could remove the staples via prying, but that takes a while.

Now is also a great time to paint that piece if you want, polish it shiny, whatever. The old black material seems to be more of a tape they wrapped it in versus painted on, just an FYI.

Once you're ready to install, please note, the Jeep clips must come off! Just pry them off on the edge that would clip onto a panel versus trying to work the corners up. They pull off quite easily.

Install is very similar to the outlines for the door dew wipes, nuts and screws work great. I used 8/32" machine screws, just try and keep them as short as you can so everything clears. I drilled right through the dew wipe and trim panel.

Alignment check:


Screwed together:


All attached:


You're almost done, but you do need to cut some notches real fast. There are two forward mounted glass guides that need a notch cut out in the dew wipe to clear! They are present on the factory ones, so you need to replicate them. Just don't cut your dew wipe edge apart, please.


So now you can remount it to the car, but this is a great time to do one more thing... inspect your window guides! Your tailgate has four window guides, two of which are only removable with that trim off. It's a metal framed bit, with a rubber edge towards the glass, and it's a wrapped in felt. Or it was 30+ years ago, but yours may be, or has already, fallen apart. If the guide fails, the window will flop and likely get scratched. These guys are also probably why many wagons don't have working defrosters since the whole lower printed contact rubs right over them, eventually breaking them apart. Good design...

Check these guys:




My inside stop guides were okay from my original tailgate, but the replacement ones were both ruined. Ones was only metal, the other still just the rubber stuck to it. The forward guides had the rubber, but that was it. We cut up a old microfiber towel and attached it with headliner adhesive for quick rebuild. Works good! The window doesn't flop around as bad as it used to anymore.

After you've done all the work you want to the trim and guides, just futz with it to get it back on the car. I noticed it tends to bend back on itself a bit so you have you kinda work it a bit to get the studs to go back through the holes on the tailgate. Once they're in, just bolt it back together and verify window movement is appropriate.



Hope this helps anyone wanting to replace theirs.

[kishy]

This is a really big deal, thank you for giving it a shot and letting us all see how it turned out. I'll be picking some of that up.
I imagine that Fairchild could somehow be coaxed into making a clipless version, but they haven't answered any of my multiple contact attempts over the last couple years...not a company that wants to communicate with "the little guy".

Someone needs to figure out the tailgate door seal, particularly the upper half around the window...there has to be something out there that can work for it. The box B-body one is not totally dissimilar but I don't think it's available either (at least not advertised for it).

[87gtVIC]

Awesome work. And nice straight tailgate!

[Tiggie]

Great research and experiment! I picked up an good used one, but I know that's probably ready to crack.

I second the tailgate weatherstrip. The part of that weatherstrip that is bad on mine is the most complex part where the top connects with the bottom.

[sly]

Added to the dew wipe sources top post. Also removed and updated dead links in that post.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

I second the tailgate weatherstrip. The part of that weatherstrip that is bad on mine is the most complex part where the top connects with the bottom.

Maybe if we submit enough inquiries to Steele Products maybe we have a chance for some reproduction of the tailgate seal. If eBay and Bring a Trailer keep showing good quality wagons where replication would make sense for people restoring them, maybe they’d consider the feasibility of making them.