i had some dripping from the top of the hatch into the rear of the truck that was easy to replicate with a hose. cleaning the area wasn't enough so I bought another seal (67881-35040) for ~$145 and installed it.

the drip is no longer present, so it fixed that, but you can hear the actuator handle the closing of the hatch differently. when you engage the handle to open it, it pops it open so clearly there is new tension there.

i dont think this is an issue, and imagine it will soften over time, but has anyone else encountered this after a seal replacement?

i did loosen the strike and pulled it out as far as it would allow to try to mitigate this, but no real change.

here's an old pic for your viewing pleasure.

If I'm understanding correctly, it's essentially a tighter seal. I had this same experience when I swapped mine about a year ago, and seeing as the old one was original from 2005, it's probably just some added resistance that had been missing for a while. I've noticed no issues and everything has been operating as before.