Drivers Window Regulator (Replacement)

[mikewags]

Has anyone replaced the driver's side window regulator?

One of the things wrong with my car, is that the window regulator needs to be replaced. The window will crank down, but then getting back up is impossible without moving the actual glass physically.

I suspect I will need to remove the door panel then replace some parts; are these parts (regulator) hard to come by? Special Order?

Thanks!

[AZ-240z]

Hello mikewags,

Just to shed a ray of hope on this, you may just be looking at just taking off the door panel and making some adjustments to the regulators position within the door panel. With my limited experience with these, I have found that, unless the regulator is bent, or the plastic rollers are totally worn out, the regulator can, over time, get knocked or jarred out of postion causing the window to bind in various positions.

If you have a factory service manual (Datsun, Haynes, etc.) it should describe pretty well what machine screws need to be readjusted and the degree of adjustment available.

There is a lot of trial and error, but eventually you should be able to get it to work properly.

I would recommending doing this first before going to the trouble and expense of replacement. Also, try to clean the regulator, as well as you can access, the dry, hardened, dirty grease from the regulator runs and replace with something like white lithium grease.

I am sure others here may have additional experience with this, but this has worked for me.

Hope this helps, and good luck.

Dan

[EScanlon]

I've worked on a few of these.

From what you describe; easy roll down, but difficult if impossible roll UP; it might be the spring in the regulator that has fallen off or is broken.

To check this, you'll have to R&R the door guts, that is:

Remove Door panel and handles

Remove Glass (no need to remove the outer door frame - the stainless one)

Remove the regulator. You'll need to adjust it with the crank handle so you can remove it from the door itself.

The spring IS under tension at all times, even when the window is in the full UP position. In the DOWN position is when it is at it's full tension. If the spring has just fallen off the tang that holds it, crank the regulator to it's full UP position (you might want to examine it's working without the window to ascertain this), then you won't have to rotate the spring too much to engage it again.

If the tang has broken, you might be able to fashion something by welding or riveting, but be aware that it DOES take a lot of tension.

If the spring is broken, you just replace it. They're not sided, so a passenger's door one will work in the driver's door.

FWIW

E

[mikewags]

Thanks for the advice guys; when I start to work on this, i'll post a few photos up if I get stuck; but I think rolling the window/up and down with the guts in view will reveal the issue.