Wind Turbulance

[Lynn M]

I have a 1954 3100. After adding A/C and driving with the windows up, I hear wind turbulance near the top front of both doors. I have all new weatherstrip and I cannot locate an air leak. Has any one else experienced this?
I wonder if the air diverters could be making the noise.
I did test for air leaks by putting blue tape around the windows and doors, no change in noise.
Also is there a way to seal the door hinges from leaking air.

 

[vwnate1]

There's an oft missing rubber "windlace" trim that helps a great deal with this .

The body jigs on these when new were rarely properly aligned. why once the door is adjusted to close properly the body's lines no longer match up correctly .

Your best bet is to remove the headliner and door cards, install good closed cell insulation and then plastic vapor barriers in the doors and re install the headliner . not only will it be *much* quieter the lack of temperature loss (be it cold in Summer or heat in Winter) will be very noticeable .

Also, add rubber grommets to the pedals and any other holes in the floor and firewall .

I'm surprised none of the Hot Rotters here have chimed in because they're usually the sharpest on drafts & wind leaks .

 

[Lynn M]

There's an oft missing rubber "windlace" trim that helps a great deal with this .

The body jigs on these when new were rarely properly aligned. why once the door is adjusted to close properly the body's lines no longer match up correctly .

Your best bet is to remove the headliner and door cards, install good closed cell insulation and then plastic vapor barriers in the doors and re install the headliner . not only will it be *much* quieter the lack of temperature loss (be it cold in Summer or heat in Winter) will be very noticeable .

Also, add rubber grommets to the pedals and any other holes in the floor and firewall .

I'm surprised none of the Hot Rotters here have chimed in because they're usually the sharpest on drafts & wind leaks .

I’ve done all of the above thank you. I had even put blue tape around the windows and the door opening. It seems like it could be turbulence coming from outside of the truck. There also seems to be air leaking through the hinges and coming into the cab. Wind lace does not touch the door. New weatherstripping around doors, windows and vent window.

 

[vwnate1]

The windlace may not be proper;y installed, it was designed specifically to touch the edge of the door, that's how it eliminates drafts .

 

[e015475]

There's an old method where you take a crisp dollar bill and put in the door jamb in various places and give it a tug to see if the seal is actually touching the sheet metal. Try that first.

If you want to spend a few bucks, you can buy a smoke machine with a little fan in it to create some positive pressure in the cab and see where the smoke comes out. The smoke comes from burning baby oil so if you have good upholstery you might want to be careful and not overdo it. You can make one out of fog machine available for about $30 on Amazon if you want to tinker with it to make it work in your application.

I suspect if you put a smoke machine on it you'll find more leaks than you want to(or can) patch

Just because you have a new seal doesn't mean it is seated against the metal - the variation in the gap where the door seal meets the jamb is about 3/8" (the seal at the max compression area has to squish down to a little more than 1/8" and at the widest area it is about 1/2")

I've tried Precision, Sofseal and Steel rubber seals and the only one that worked was the Steele Rubber Products one.

You might check the orientation of the door seal too. About half the ones I see are installed backwards. The seal, properly installed, falls over on itself when the door closes so you don't have to rely on the compressability of the seal's material. If it is installed backwards, it won't fold over on itself and it will leak.

There shouldn't be any air coming in from the hinges - it should be trapped between the door seal and the windlace.

If you bought aftermarket replacement windows, they don't fit very well in the corners - it certainly leaks there on mine.

I installed new windshield glass on mine and I suspect it isn't waterproof, and if water can get in, so can air. Really should run a bead of silicone under the lip of the seal where it meets the cab pinch weld.

You can seal your pedals with gators- it helps a little. Here's mine

Don't forget to put some dumdum around the steering shaft, and make sure your cowl vent and side vent are sealing

But the single bigest thing you can do is adjust your expectations.

These trucks were never made to go blasting down the road at 50-60mph with the AC running and the windows rolled up with a sealed cab - it was basically a farm implement when it was new. You might be able to make it better, but it will never be like a newer car.

Good luck. Nice to see some new people posting here.

 

[vwnate1]

Lord that's a pretty truck .