I just replaced the driver's side window motor because I thought something was wrong with it. When the window goes all the way down the door actually bows out. I was thinking maybe the old motor had one too many turns when it activated or something...but just put in another one and it's doing the same thing. The passenger side doesn't do it and I don't remember it doing this before I replaced the motor. Is there something I can adjust? Just seems to be putting a lot of pressure on the inner workings and I'm afraid something might eventually break.

Thanks

 

Look at the mounting holes in the door for the motor. On one of my last fbody's, one of the holes that a tab for the motor went through was elongated. When the motor would pull the window down, it would go down too far because of that hole and it would push out on the door panel.

If that is the case, you could fashion a stopper out of aluminum. Make it 1'' of 1 1/2'' wide and drill 2 holes on each side and then rivet that to the door and have it cover the part of the hole that has been elongated. That way the tab on the window motor will catch that and stop.

 

^ That may be the case if it is coming inwards. I'm thinking if the door is bowing outwards the skin of the door may be seperating from the rest.

 

It's actually bowing the door panel out inside the car. I'll check on the holes. I didn't notice any of them being elongated but could be the case.

Anything else?

 

That's typical to push the door panel in, especially in the area where the panels always crack.
When you had it apart, did you do the door panel mod also?
If not, you should.
I wouldn't ever put the window down all the way.
Leave it up a couple inches.

If it's pushingthe panel on other areas, like right in the middle of the door, then it may be some other problem.

Read the Door Panel sticky in the Firebird forum?

 

This is normal. Check the glass bumper in the bottom of both doors. Its a big black rubber piece that fits in a slot carved in to the bottom of the inside of each door. (towards the front of the car)

I'll bet that your bumper on the passenger side is out of place, or something like that. (very common) The door bows in when the glass hits the bumper and comes to rest. If the bumper isn't in place on the passenger side, then the glass may be traveling further down and not causing the motor to push in on the door as the whole thing settles.

 

My '02 Bird has done the same thing since I got it in '07. I've had to replace the motor, have done the mod to the weather strip and checked the glass stopper. It still bows the inside of the door out a bit. Seems that since the door is all just fiberglass, it may not be as rigid as steel.

 

I haven't checked the door panel sticky...I'll go look it up. Same with the door panel mod...not heard of it, so I'll go look that up as well.

As far as the bumper in the passenger side I don't know. I'm not going to pull the door apart to check it, but I'll see if I can tell from underneath the door since the bumper sticks through the slot. I guess I'll just tell the wife to not roll the window all the way down from here on out.

Weird thing is I know for certain the car didn't do this before I replaced the motor as I would have noticed it...

 

Great idea.

No need to do anything special. Your old motor was probably weak, which would explain why you didn't notice the movement. If the thermal shutoff in the motor is going bad, it will cut off before it seats the window all the way in to the bumper.

The modification is absolutely required - on both sides. When you take off the door panel, you will probably see the cracks starting on the backside first.

There has been a myth circulating that the cracks are due to the motor bulging the door - this is not correct and you'll confirm that truth when you do the mod. No need to do anything special when rolling down the windows.

Some of the weatherstripping stables were put in to the door panel in such a way that built up tension in an un-reinforced part of the door. If the cracks have started, you'll see that the tension is in the panel even when its off the car. (and its not exposed to door bulging) When you release the staples, the tension goes away and the cracks close.

 

yep this is normal,,, happens in my car too,, especially if you use the window express down mode... i try not to use it and I only put the window below the seal but not right to the stop. In some Montana vans the window will actually break the fiberglass door frames. Never seen it in break and fbody door tho.

 

Right. The bending will eventually... cause stress and cracking. But I haven't heard of anyone's door panel cracking in an F body.

 

WTF did you just say?!?
Yer kiddin' right?!?
Have you not seen the mile long thread about the door panel cracks?
Have you not seen the write-up in the Pontiac magazine?

Just curious, ..., your comment is really confusing, ...
You say the bending will cause stress & cracking, then say you've never heard of it?


That is not a myth. It is true.
Run your window all the way down a few times & watch the door panel move around in the area where the crack generally start.
So your one opinion is opposite of a whole mess of F-body owners?

I'll argue that 'myth' all day, ...

 

Agree. Its not a myth. Both of my door panels had the crack. I got lucky and found a set of LT1 panels. These do not crack like the others but nevertheless I did the door panel mod to both of them.

The stress of the motor indeed transfers to the door panel. Its like when you fold a credit card, eventually cracks, same with the door panels. They are supposed to not break but due to the stupid staples to attach the weatherstrip they do.

 

OMG! A thousand apologies to the OP for dumping this ill worded comment on the thread. (I will not take crack and post again. I will not take crack and post again. I will not take crack and post again. ) I should have clarified that I was talking about the inner composite panel that is structurally attached to the door.

So, if we were to take the outer door panel off... (the one addressed in the mod) the composite inner panel that the motor attaches to does not crack. To the best of my knowledge, we have not seen this panel crack due to the motor, bulging or anything else. (We have seen the door motor attachment holes tear - but 100% of those issues are due to the regulator being replaced with the wrong attachment hardware - either standard bolts or standard rivets. Special regulator hardware is required for attachment to this panel. This is why the shbox motor replacement technique is so good - it leaves the regulator in place.)


The cracking of the outer plastic panel that the weatherstripping and armrest attach to is real. (no myth) Beyond being real, its a scary thing because it looks like 90% of owners report the cracks being there or starting.

The suggestion that the bulging of the door causes this cracking IS a myth. The cause is 100% definitely the weatherstripping staples - which are at the heart of the fix. The panel is designed to move and bulge and float on the door. (The motor isn't the only thing that causes bending on the panel. Every time one pulls on the door handle, leans on the arm rest, or shuts the door, the panel bends.) The staples cause a stress to build up in the door that the molded panel wasn't designed to counteract. (One will see that the cracks all develop in the same place - where the structural ribbing in the panel is the weakest.) Once the staple holes are drilled out to relieve this stress, the door can bend and bulge till the end of time.

 

The cracks at the top of the inner door panel near the weather strip are NOT because of the window motor flexing the door frame. The cracks are caused by the metal weather strip being stapled to the plastic of the door panel. The door panel plastic shrinks and expands with temprature AND shrinks in the sun. Where the cracks begin is a little dimple made during the forming of the panel. That crack doesn't open and close as the window hits bottom. It only closes if you remove the stapels that hold the weather strip on. All of you need to get your facts straight. I have YET to hear evidance that the window motor flexing the door frame has caused ANY cracks in the frame nor the door panel itself.