window allignment problems
klum
Senior Wagonist
if you ever owned more than one ef you know what im talkin about ! my cars window allignment gets off track whenever i roll the window up it kinda sits off to one side and so it causes gapage. any one know how to fix this or any suggestions without replacing the regulator? thanks!
Comments
I had trouble because the window actually came out of the little clips on the regulator. I tried three different epoxies before I found something that worked: CJ-7. That was a three-weekend PITA.
Could poor alignment be the reason it came out of the clips in the first place?
1)A good preventive tip is when you have the door panel off.Is to get one of those plastic syringes .Pack grease into it & inject it into the window regulator.What happens over time is the lube inside wears off & metal 2 metal rubbing starts.If you do this early it could save alotta sweat R&R the regulator.Read my posting @ :Window Crank Problem.
2)Lube all the window parts in the door.
tips I heard about:
3)silicone spray along the window tracks.
4)Rain-X the window.
0.1 Tools required:
-#2 Phillips Screwdriver
-Flathead Screwdriver
-Needle-nose Pliers (the bent ones work even better here) or a proper "retaining clip removal tool"
-10mm socket, six inch extension, ratchet
-Big Plastic Syringe for grease, OR a grease gun
-Lubes - 1 grease (for gears and tracks), 1 can spray silicone (for glass on rubber), 1 WD-40 type (for tight spots where the grease can't "flow")
-Rags!
0.2 Open the car door, sit on a low stool or bucket facing the inside of the door.
1. Remove the interior door panel -Remove the window crank handle by pushing in on the door panel until the crank axle is visible, then use a pair of needle-nose pliers to grab the back side of the u-shaped retaining clip and pull it off the shaft. Wiggle and twist while pulling the handle until it and the ring behind it are free. Next, remove 4 #2 phillips screws, then pop out the "grab handle pocket" (the part where you put your fingers to pull the door shut) by prying with the flathead screwdriver. Now work (pry) your way around the front, bottom and rear edges of the panel, popping out the little trim "plugs / clips". The top of the panel has 4 u-shaped clips holding it to the door. Pull the bottom edge of the panel about six inches away from the door and you can see one, near where the lock button comes up. Use a flat head screwdriver and pry the clip upwards, and work your way from the back edge of the door towards the front.... easy!
2. Remove the Vapor Barrier - Firstly remove the small bracket where the "grab handle pocket" was (3 #2 phillips screws). Next remove the vapor barrier by gently pulling it away from the door while cutting away at the caulk / sealant underneath. Both the plastic sheeting and the caulk can be re-used if kept in good shape - My 21 year-old caulk was still sticky and soft!
:shock:
It is an easy job to put new caulk and sheeting in anyways if need be - so easy I'll let you figure out how
3. Remove the window glass - Roll the window almost all the way down, using the crank on the shaft. There are 2 bolts (8 or 10 mm) holding the window to the "lift" (look for the white tabs attached to the glass - one is only accessable through a circular hole in the door ). Using a six-inch ratchet extension, loosen these two bolts BUT DON'T REMOVE THEM TOTALLY. The metal "lift" portion they are threaded through slides forward / back and allows the bolts to stay with the glass while the bolt heads slip out through the larger diameter of the "keyhole". Once the glass is un-bolted, tilt it forward, outwards and then pull it up and out of the door.
4. Remove the Regulator - Crank the "lift" back upwards until it is about halfway up and all the regulator parts / tracks / scissors form a straight line. Unbolt the two rear bolts, noting the position of the rear-most bolt (this is the adjustment bolt, which threads through the elongated hole), then the four bolts near the crank shaft. Note that the top-most two bolts need not be removed entirely, again loosen them only, as they will slip out the "keyholes". Grab the mechanism, rotate until the bolt heads slide out the "keyholes" then take the whole mechanism out the bottom of the door.
5. Lube Time! - Clean any rusted parts first. Then grease all the tracks, rollers, hinges and anything else that moves. Using the syringe / grease gun, inject grease into the "gearbox" (I greased the teeth of the rack it engages too). Use the light oil on the scissor hinge and the ends of the window crank shaft (note that the shaft wears away the metal into an oval shape from the repeated torque over the years). Crank the mechanism back and forth a few times to spread the lube around and to check for function / smoothness. Spray the silicone lube into the vertical rubber tracks the glass slides up / down in, working from top to bottom.
Wipe up any excess lubes, or your glass may suffer from slug trails!
6. Re-assemble! - Mostly it is the reverse of dis-assemble . Be sure to slide the glass into the rubber tracks before bolting it up. Note that the "keyhole" bolts stay with the part they thread into, making assembly easier. Keep the glass still and move the metal "lift" portion until the bolt heads slip throught the "keyholes" (ditto for the top two regulator bolts). BEFORE Re-Applying Vapor Barrier, Check the function again - now is the time for adjustments to the rear-most (adjustment) bolt if nesscesary, but for me the lube fixed all my stiffness problems :oops: - I left mine at factory position. Re-apply the Vapor Barrier or install a new one with some silicone or caulk, trim the excess with a sharp knife. Re-install the interior dool panel, starting with the top clips (hammer fist) and working your way down, then the screws. Re-install the window crank plastic ring and crank handle. Mount the spring / retainer clip on the handle ALMOST in the position it ends up in, so that the handle can be put on the shaft and in one push with the flat-head screwdriver clipped into place. Oh, and clean them greasy finger prints off the glass! :P
Suddenly you're done! And if there are no parts left over, you did a good job too!