Door Window Problems and Checks

[EScanlon]

I wrote this some time back to help a member whose window had fallen off the tracks.

Remove the regulator assembly. That's the gear and scissor mechanism that the window crank operates. This will allow you to operate the window pane within the opening without the regulator getting in the way.

Once it's out of the way, slide the window glass up and down inside the frame and tracks. You should be able to determine if the window will go up and down smoothly and effortlessly (of course barring the weight of the pane and gravity). If it passes this test, then you know that the window frame and sashes are set up properly. You can now direct your attention to the regulator.

If on the other hand you find that it sticks either on the way down or on the way up, address the problem. Is the window roller (the little barrel shapped roller) pressing on the window pane properly? Is it guiding the pane into the upper part of the frame or not? How about the lower front sash? Is the front nylon guide on the window pane sliding through the sash smoothly? Is it bent? Will lubrication take care of it or do you need to remove it?

I recently had the same problem with a passenger side window. I finally disassembled the whole assembly and discovered that my lower sash was just slightly bent and was causing the nylon guide to bind, causing me to exert a ton of pressure on the handle to get it to go up and down. After replacing the sash, the window goes up and down like new.

Check the Window Frame, is it straight? There are some gentle curves to it, that's to allow the glass, which isn't flat itself, to slide up and down inside the frame. But other than the gentle curves is the frame itself straight, i.e. no twists, no sharp bends nothing that would stop the glass from going up and down?

If all these check, then last couple items: Are the roller guides on the window pane frame straight and unbent or undamaged? These little guides are what the wheels on the scissor assembly of the window regulator ride in and exert the pressure to raise and lower the pane. If there are kinks, gunk, or other obstructions they will cause you problems. Check the roller wheels, are they able to rotate freely? If they are binding or sticking, clean them out and make sure they operate without wobbling on their axles. If they have a lot of play on the axle on which they are mounted, i.e wobble on the axle, they will probably jam as you exert pressure on the wheel through that axle.

Next, check the regulator gear and spline arm. Any teeth missing? Is the gear portion of the spline arm straight and making proper contact on the gear that the crank handle actuates? Is there a spring on the scissor assembly? If so, it's there to help exert pressure upwards on the glass to help neutralize the effect of the weight of the pane on the assembly, if it's broken or missing, then raising the glass is going to be extremely difficult.

You shouldn't have to apply grease to the upper portion of the window frame "fuzzy channels" This part of the window comes into contact with passengers, believe me your girlfriend will kill you if you get grease on her $90 blouse. She will probably do more than $90 in damage to you and / or your car.

The only place for grease on the window assemblies is on the front sash, where the nylon guide slides through, the gear / spline contact area, the swivel point for the scissor, and the two roller guides that fit in to the window pane frame guides. Other than that, no grease, oil or other lubricant other than the "fuzziness" of the gasket.

If the fuzzy gaskets in the upper part of the frame have lost their "fuzzy" stuff, then they'll act just like rubber stops on glass, which is basically what they are. Replace them. There is no other way of restoring those items.

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[EScanlon]

There is the Window Pressure Roller which is a little barrel shapped roller located on the uppermost part of the door, mounted onto the "outside" part of the door, and below the Chrome / Rubber Wiper strip. This is what keeps the window from flopping around towards you and away from you as you are sitting in the car.

The other rollers that are of concern here are the THREE attached to the regulator scissor assembly itself. Each of these is critical in that they are the means of transferring the rotational cranking force you apply via the window crank to vertical movement. If these rollers are broken, tight, or otherwise NOT functioning properly, since they are at the end of long arms, the problem gets magnified by the length of the arm just as if it were a lever.

Each of these three rollers rolls in its own independent raceway. Two of them act directly on the window pane itself, the third fits in the guide channel that bolts to the inner part of the door. Each of these MUST roll somewhat freely. This sounds vague, but what I mean is that they don't spin like a wheel on a Hot Wheels car, but more like a wheel that needs constant thrust to keep it going, but the key thing, NOT HARD. If they aren't moving easily, then you must free them up with some sort of lubricant. The rollers are nylon, and can easily become grooved or damaged. If that's the case, the only way to fix this is to get a new window regulator scissor assembly as the pin that holds the rollers to the scissor levers is peened into the lever arm.

If the three rollers check out ok, then look at the raceways themselves. They must be uniform in roller channel width, that is the width that the roller "sees" as it rolls back and forth. Think of the race way as a true "C" channel with the roller trapped within the "C" by the flanges on the top and bottom lips of the "C". As you look in to the channel from the end, you should see a smooth and straight "C". Check for copious amounts of OLD grease. Old grease eventually gets to be the consistency of TAR, and makes it VERY difficult to move items through it.

If again, all this check, then check the FRONT sash. This is what the nylon guide mounted to the front of the window pane bracket rides in. It mounts to the lower front corner of the door. It has a GENTLE curve to it, but the channel itself should not have ANY NOTICEABLE bends in it. If it does, it must be replaced, this is more than likely the problem as I've stated in prior posts.

Lastly, check the spring on the regulator assembly itself. If this is broken, disconnected or sprung it will make the window very hard to actuate. This spring is what helps you counter-balance the weight of the window pane, so that you can crank it UP. Without it, you are trying to lever the pane up with a small 6" lever mounted through a geared mechanism, the mechanical disadvantage is such that you are literally pushing a rock up a big hill with a small stick.

[Miles]

Is there also a nylon guide that rides inside the rear window channel at the bottom of the window? My driver's side widow rattles around and upon inspection it looks like there should be a guide on the lower left (from driver's viewpoint) corner of the window as there is a lot of slop in the rear window track. Window rolls up and down ok, just a lot of sloppy fit of the window in the window tacks.

Miles

[EScanlon]

I'm going strictly off memory here, but IIRC the only thing in the "rear" track is a felt guide that wraps around the glass. The glass is held back in the track by the front nylon guide.

The felt goes in the Stainless Trim inside the door just below the gasket that seals the window when it's fully closed.

Hope this helps

E

[Miles]

The felt looks to be all worn away. I'll replace the felt.

Thanks

Miles

[beandip]

When you find a source let us all know.

[Miles]

Doesn't MSA and Black Dragon sell the felt strips that go in the window channel?