When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My driver side windows would go up and down but it would slip in the front and never close all the way on the front side towards the engine, with the door open I could lift it up and it would slip down. The back end would go up all the way. Now the motor seems to have pretty much died and I need to replace it. I found the regulator and motor from an online site, but I don't know if the tracks the regulator goes on needs to be changed also and where I could get them, or if all i need is the motor and maybe something to fix the regulator. When I put the window down a bit at certain points the front side would almost fall a few inchs at a time. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I may be explaining things wrong.
opened up the car, here are a couple pictures from what I can see.
entire door
closeup of stripped after market hack job..
looks like they tried to do it and used bolts to secure it but it ripped straight down. So i need to make the metal plates for it inside and out right? or does someone have some sheet metal to spare already cut? also would this be the only reason for slipping in the front and not the back? Would I need to take out the tracks and make sure they are not bent or to grease them up again?
So i need to make the metal plates for it inside and out right?
Just on the side of the door facing in to the car. Depending on how much damage is, you may also have to bond the metal to the door skin. I haven't seen anybody offer the plates for sale, but the discussion has pointed to this method being the path of least resistance. (vs. replacing the door or having someone structurally repair the composite material)
Originally Posted by unreal1171
also would this be the only reason for slipping in the front and not the back?
Yes. The geometry of the inner workings is a little complex. Gravity helps you out when the glass is down and works against you when its up.
Originally Posted by unreal1171
Would I need to take out the tracks and make sure they are not bent or to grease them up again?
No, but greasing them up with Sil-Glyde wouldn't hurt. The behavior you are mentioning describes normal tracks with a regulator that isn't situated in space. I would be surprised if there is any damage to the tracks. There's only one short one on the inside of the door that you can't see. Take the door speaker out and you should be able to look at it with a mirror.
Just on the side of the door facing in to the car. Depending on how much damage is, you may also have to bond the metal to the door skin. I haven't seen anybody offer the plates for sale, but the discussion has pointed to this method being the path of least resistance. (vs. replacing the door or having someone structurally repair the composite material)
Yes. The geometry of the inner workings is a little complex. Gravity helps you out when the glass is down and works against you when its up.
No, but greasing them up with Sil-Glyde wouldn't hurt. The behavior you are mentioning describes normal tracks with a regulator that isn't situated in space. I would be surprised if there is any damage to the tracks. There's only one short one on the inside of the door that you can't see. Take the door speaker out and you should be able to look at it with a mirror.
THX, now i just need to order a new motor, probably from rockauto is the cheapest and still quality, unless you can recommend another site, and the plate would be on the door inside the door or on the inside of the car, im not sure which side you meant, looking at my picture. You mean to bond it to the fiberglass from the inside of the car and not on the inside of the door right? http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/more...460&cc=1374702
You mean to bond it to the fiberglass from the inside of the car and not on the inside of the door right?
Right. I'd think that you would throw off the geometry of the window if you add thickness to the inside of the door. (It would also be a huge PITA!)
I'd recommend getting the Dorman design motor (many reasons why - talked about lots in other threads) and I'd recommend getting them from a local parts shop that offers a lifetime warranty. The Dorman motors are MUCH better than stock, but they will go belly up at some point.
You should also check out the shbox method for motor installation and make allowances in your metal plate for that so you don't ever need to remove the regulators again when this is all over.
Right. I'd think that you would throw off the geometry of the window if you add thickness to the inside of the door. (It would also be a huge PITA!)
I'd recommend getting the Dorman design motor (many reasons why - talked about lots in other threads) and I'd recommend getting them from a local parts shop that offers a lifetime warranty. The Dorman motors are MUCH better than stock, but they will go belly up at some point.
You should also check out the shbox method for motor installation and make allowances in your metal plate for that so you don't ever need to remove the regulators again when this is all over.
yeah ok ill get the doorman, i have seen shbox's site plenty of times through here and searching online lol, he does it by leaving the regulator in and drilling, I am not sure if that would be easier than removing it all at once and then changing it and putting it back in since I need to grease the rails also again.
yeah ok ill get the doorman, i have seen shbox's site plenty of times through here and searching online lol, he does it by leaving the regulator in and drilling, I am not sure if that would be easier than removing it all at once and then changing it and putting it back in since I need to grease the rails also again.
You can grease the rails with everything in place. Just take out the door speaker and then you can reach all of the tracks easily. Just grease, move the door a few inches, and then you can get in to grease the places the rollers were at initially. The key thing is making sure you get a compatible grease with what is there. Sil-Glyde should be an exact match.
Using the shbox method is 4X faster and easier. You still have to drill out the motor to regulator rivets either way, but getting the regulator out is tricky and you also need to lock the regulator (when it doesn't have the weight of the glass on it) before you remove the motor, otherwise the spring will blow up. All these extra steps add up to a ton of work.
The biggest benefit to the shbox method is wear and tear on the door. Each time the regulator rivets are drilled out, a little damage is done to the door holes, which makes your problem more likely. (With our without bolts being used in place of the rivets.)
You can grease the rails with everything in place. Just take out the door speaker and then you can reach all of the tracks easily. Just grease, move the door a few inches, and then you can get in to grease the places the rollers were at initially. The key thing is making sure you get a compatible grease with what is there. Sil-Glyde should be an exact match.
Using the shbox method is 4X faster and easier. You still have to drill out the motor to regulator rivets either way, but getting the regulator out is tricky and you also need to lock the regulator (when it doesn't have the weight of the glass on it) before you remove the motor, otherwise the spring will blow up. All these extra steps add up to a ton of work.
The biggest benefit to the shbox method is wear and tear on the door. Each time the regulator rivets are drilled out, a little damage is done to the door holes, which makes your problem more likely. (With our without bolts being used in place of the rivets.)
oh ok, ill order the motor, was their a thread that had the actually diagram of the metal to cut, I think i have some metal here i can make into the plate, but would love a traceable printout and where the holes need to be drilled, as the picture shows above, what exactly are those bolts holding in then?
so just to clarify, in my pic the riverts were gone and buts and bolts replaced, thats the regulator attached to the door, i need the metal plate to stay up and fixed to that, the motor rivets are hidden behind the fiber glass i need to drill holes to see and then drill out and replace the motor, correct? loctite to make sure it all stays together, which one? (blue, red or green?)
Correct. You need to drill out some new holes in the door skin to get to the motor rivets. (... or, you may even find that the person who replaced it last time put nuts/bolts there since they did the same for the regulator.) If you put in a plate, you'd need extra holes in that to align to the new fiberglass holes for future motor replacements. (if needed)
Random thought - if you want to spend too much money and get something different for nut locking, you could get some Nord-Locks: http://www.nord-lock.com/ (For something like this, Nylock nuts would probably work just as well.)
if i use the plate method are those bolts that are there holding up the regulator? are their issues with removing all of them putting the plate in and making the holes for everything? so loctite 263 or 262? how much of the stuff you think i need, trying to save money and find a good place to buy it
Last edited by unreal1171; 09-04-2014 at 04:28 PM.
The link I posted above should lead you to all you ever wanted to know about thread locker.
When the regulator bolts are removed, it will only be held in place by the hook on the regulator body. That sits in a 5th hole in the door, (top middle) which is also ripped on yours. (It looks like the hook is gouged in to the side. The regulator and glass should be fine hanging on the hook, unless the hook pops out...
With the regulator on the hook, the glass and regulator may move/flop around a bit, but it should be OK.
ok, so i just need to match up the holes, drill them out, drill the holes for the motor, drill out rivets, replace all and everything should be fine. Is their a cheaper brand of loctite red to buy? I can only find it online not locally and most places are charging a huge amount for it.
Every auto parts store and (probably) Home Depot has it. You may find it under another brand name, but its the same stuff. You may even find it in small $0.99 packets at auto parts stores. You should be able to get a small bottle for under $5.00.
Looks like the red might be harder to come by in small packets, but you should be able to get the little tubes for under $5. Permatex is an alternate brand, which you'll come across in parts stores: http://www.permatex.com/products-2/p...read+compounds
04-29-2016, 01:06 PM
Window Regulator & Motor Assembly firebird 2001 
