Side Finisher Rubber Replacement and Rear Side Window Trim Replacement

[PSUEng]

Can’t believe BMW made it that difficult to replace. The E36 seals were super easy to replace smh. Gonna cry when I install these inside my 110° garage in a couple of days. 😭

Looks like if one has an assortment of screw drivers, window removal isn't necessary, but maybe this is much easier if the window is out. For those that have done this, window out or in?

EDIT: Got all the screws out w/o window removal. Any tips on actually separating the trim from the body? I'm sure I've got all the screws out, but it's not coming off; seems to be glued on or something.

[Amos]

See Post #157

Group buy info

Price: $130 USD for one set. $260 USD for two sets. shipped to USA
Send paypal payment to: matthewnavis@gmail.com
Under the payment amount it will ask you what this is for and type:
Group buy E46 Rear quarter weather stripping and include your name, full address including USA and phone number.

Thanks, but I need shipping to Canada, not USA

[SQ13]

Thanks, but I need shipping to Canada, not USA

Then email the vendor.

[Maxima SE]

Email matt. he shipped to europe and australia too

he told me we have had about 30 orders so far

[PSUEng]

Metal rivet. 1/8” diameter. I used a die grinder to get the old one out but I’m sure you could also use a 1/8” drill bit. The fit on the rivet is really tight. I had to get it started and then lightly tap it in.

Yep, this bracket is a b**ch. Drilled out old rivet, and getting the bracket on with the new seal is a massive PITA. Heat gun is helping along with brute force. Got everything into position and got the rivet head set after an hour of messing with it--final installed the rivet and then realized the holes in the new gasket don't align with the trim rail in the last two spots. Laying the old piece next to it and approximating visually, there is a significant "length" difference--shorter--on the new piece; so drilled out the rivet, and try again. I am going to attempt a re-position down at the kink area to get some extra space with the hole alignment, then temp fit the finisher back on the car. The holes can be opened in the gasket, but if the gasket is too short, it won't fit to the window opening gasket and that's not something I want. This is turning into a massive job--at least for me. I may abort the passenger side, as that one hasn't degraded like the driver's side (what I'm into now).

[Maxima SE]

can u post a side by side picture of how the new one is shorter than the old ? from what I remember the old one comes to about the door window edge

[PSUEng]

It actually will line up; there is a scribe mark on the underside of the aluminum that you need to align the part with. I first secured the piece using the bracket; then using a combination of heat and starting at the scribe mark, pulled the adhesive and managed to get it to line up. Now I got the trim finisher back in and the aluminum isn’t properly gapped with the body; off it comes again. Also remember to cover the bracket with a fresh piece of foam or it will contact the paint.

[Ryan_R]

Yep, this bracket is a b**ch. Drilled out old rivet, and getting the bracket on with the new seal is a massive PITA. Heat gun is helping along with brute force. Got everything into position and got the rivet head set after an hour of messing with it--final installed the rivet and then realized the holes in the new gasket don't align with the trim rail in the last two spots. Laying the old piece next to it and approximating visually, there is a significant "length" difference--shorter--on the new piece; so drilled out the rivet, and try again. I am going to attempt a re-position down at the kink area to get some extra space with the hole alignment, then temp fit the finisher back on the car. The holes can be opened in the gasket, but if the gasket is too short, it won't fit to the window opening gasket and that's not something I want. This is turning into a massive job--at least for me. I may abort the passenger side, as that one hasn't degraded like the driver's side (what I'm into now).

The new seal needs to be stretched as you go along. Otherwise the holes will not line up.
I started at the rivet side and removed the plastic on one adhesive strip at a time, slowly stretching it and using the holes to judge how much to stretch it. By the time I got to the end it was all lined up and worked well. Do not remove the red covering from the adhesive all in one go. You need to so one at a time and slowly work it into place. Apologies I didn’t get photos as I did mine but in the end my lined up great.

[PSUEng]

Yes I figured that out; it needs stretched.

[Maxima SE]

Yeah…… sometimes you gotta stretch things to make it fit fit……

[T.J.]

The riveted bracket wasn’t too bad for me but it’s definitely an unnecessarily tight fit. The back window is fitting pretty tight in that spot on the bottom of the kink now.
I marked the end of the old strip with some masking tape as a target to stretch the strip towards.
Worst part of the whole project was removing the adhesive for the lower strip.

[PSUEng]

Well I’m tapped out to do the other side, it’s in tact so maybe some other time. Bmw foam piece to cover the bracket is: 51717037260

Finished product...definitely a difference from the original, the fit is a little different--maybe because it's new? But overall, a great go at this price. I fought the aluminum trim gap to the body at the kink, and just ultimately gave up. I'm not sure if it was like that originally, or there is some magic method to positioning this thing, but, it's one and looks better than the rot that was there.

[PSUEng]

The riveted bracket wasn’t too bad for me but it’s definitely an unnecessarily tight fit. The back window is fitting pretty tight in that spot on the bottom of the kink now.
I marked the end of the old strip with some masking tape as a target to stretch the strip towards.
Worst part of the whole project was removing the adhesive for the lower strip.

If you're saying it's a tight fit near the kink, at the bottom, mine is the same. But I'd say this riveted bracket deal is one of the worst auto trim designs I've seen in a while; would love to talk to the designer about that one. That was the worst part for me. It's like the bracket designer and the rubber seal designer never talked, never test fit any parts, never thought "hey, maybe we can add a recess for the bracket"...it's just there--and a b**tch to mess with; I bet the supplier loves building these trim finisher assemblies. And I now realize maybe why BMW doesn't sell this part--no dealer is going to fight this on a repair due to time alone.

[E46 M3]

Maybe this is why BMW never sold it?

[Cubieman]

Strange, when I did my 3M weather stripping I definitely didn't have any rivets to deal with, just screws, the trim pieces came off fairly easily.

I also don't think any of the previous owners had taken the trim off as the weather stripping was in bad shape.