I have a 1996 Dakota SLT Club cab I have owned since new. It has been my weekend work and play truck for a few years, and I recently bought a 2006 Dakota Quad cab 4X4, so the 1996 was getting even less use. I got in the 1996 after a storm, and found the floorboard carpet was wet - both sides. I used the shop vac to suck out the water, and put a cover over the truck. I am assuming the door weatherstrip seals are bad ? They are not dry or cracked, but I guess maybe just too soft to seal anymore ? Anyhow, (a) has anyone else experienced this with the mid 90s Dakotas and (b) does anyone know where is the best place to order the weatherstrip ? I've done some web shopping, but most places don't have good pics. Some that I have seen with pics do not appear to be the right parts.

Any help appreciated. I am thinking about selling the 96, but need to get the leak corrected first.

 

check the FAQ in this section, it has a post about water on the floor.

 

Are you theoriginal owner? Any reports of this truck being broken into or something? I ask because it looks like someone broke into my truck before i bought it or maybe the prev owner locked his keys inside. Looks like someone took a pry bar to my driver door the top goes from being about a 1/4 in gap down to a 1/8th when it poors it leaks a little bit. My dads friend told me that I can fix it by having someone hold a 2x4 about mid way down the door with a towel between to protect the paint then slam the door by the top frame. Ofcourse rolling the window down first. He learned this in a jag dealership when he worked there... lol shocked the hell out of me but people brought their 50k+ cars in to have the seals replaced he would do this after they left test it with a pressure washer to make sure it was good and job done. 800 cash back to the dealer for the price of the seals plus 200 for "installing" them. So long story short look at the top of your doors before buying seals this might be easier to fix than one might think.

 

Thanks - that is helpful. I think I need to sit in the truck while someone sprays a hose on it to see where the water is coming from. Both doors have been repainted over the years due to minor side scrapes, but I don't think anything has ever been done to those caulk strips. 17 years in Georgia summers could very easily bake the caulk.

 

Yep, I am the original owner, and no, it has never been broken into. Both doors have been repainted though, so it is possible they were removed and reinstalled, so alignment could be an issue. The gaps have always seemed too wide to me. I recall in the early years driving it that when the wind was just right I would get a loud humming/buzzing sound. Back then I put some thin sponge rubber weatherstrip on the backside of the door. It was not thick enough to actually seal against the truck, it just broke up the wind enough to stop the sound. I am going to "hose test" it this weekend and figure out if the problem is the seam caulk or the weatherstrip, or something else.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

let us know how it goes, good luck