Door Window Regulator & Latch Maintenance

[Phil 32DL6]

I'm replacing the window channeling on my '32 DL Sedan. While I have the door panels off, I thought it would be a good opportunity to clean and lubricate all of the window and door latch hardware.

Both the window regulator and latch mechanisms unbolt easily, but they don't easily slip out. Is there a correct order of removal, or a trick to getting them out...without removing the whole glass assembly?

Or is the "grease on a stick" method the best way...to lube everything in place?

Dick Taylor, who's about to go through the same procedure with his '32 needs to know, too.

[Guest 1930]

29/30 Dodge requires glass removal before window regulator removal to do the job safely. I can tape the glass up in place and take the risk of it dropping and breaking but then I would also have to bend and twist the regulator arms to get out the holes in door which looks much like your own.

Grease on a stick is a half-way job in my opinion. Do it once and do it right.

[Phil 32DL6]

I guess that means carefully chipping away the old dried rubber that seals the glass in its channel? What do you use to reseal the glass?

[keiser31]

If you are replacing the material in the window channel itself, you will have to remove the window from the door. It's a fun process of tilting and twisting things carefully to remove them.

[JACK M]

I recently put new glass into a 31 DG8. The glass shop used an adhesive in place of the old tape like stuff. It is made for gluing glass and is a two step process with the primer then adhesive. When I had the windows on the bench (on a blanket) I used a short piece of 2X4, laid it on the glass with one end against the channel then tapped it with a hammer. It comes off fairly easily. Then as you suggested it takes some time to chip out all of the old rubber like tape that is all dried out in the channel. If I was to keep on with what all I went thru here it would include the hassle of replacing the slide channels as well. All in all, a few days of work will have all of the parts out of the doors, cleaned and lubed and back together.

[Guest 1930]

I guess that means carefully chipping away the old dried rubber that seals the glass in its channel? What do you use to reseal the glass?

Window urethane will work just fine, prime the metal and for extra security ( there is a special primer that the glass guys use, I do not know if it is anything different than a quality etching primer, may want to look into that, I use what they use, it is black in color ) although not necessary scuff up the glass in the area that the channel sits. Again not necessary but it gives the urethane a little extra to bite into.

Use a quality 3-M urethane. Stick it in the sun or run your blowdryer over the cylinder for a few minutes to make it workable in your standard caulking gun.

[Phil 32DL6]

If you are replacing the material in the window channel itself, you will have to remove the window from the door. It's a fun process of tilting and twisting things carefully to remove them.

I spent a couple of hours of "fun" today without results. It looks like there's a slot for the roller guides to slip through, but I can't get things to align right. Wish I knew the "trick."

It looks like one COULD unhitch the clips on the window channeling and replace them without removing the glass, but it also seems like removing the window channels might give some more wiggle room to tilt the glass more vertical?

[keiser31]

I spent a couple of hours of "fun" today without results. It looks like there's a slot for the roller guides to slip through, but I can't get things to align right. Wish I knew the "trick."

It looks like one COULD unhitch the clips on the window channeling and replace them without removing the glass, but it also seems like removing the window channels might give some more wiggle room to tilt the glass more vertical?

Yes....you will have to unclip the side channels. Mine simply raise up and pull out. You will have to lower the window in order to do that. Once you pull the window inward a bit, you should be able to raise it higher to align the "slot" with the regulator and remove it. I think I did this when I was about 16 years old, but it's starting to come back to me now.

Edited May 3, 2013 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Phil 32DL6]

I think I did this when I was about 16 years old, but it's starting to come back to me now.

Thanks, John!

Hopefully, not TOO many things I did when I was 16 will start coming back to me!

[Bob Zetnick]

Do you have a removable panel at the top of the door? My '29 has them and I would remove those. I could then unbolt the window channel w/ glass from the window riser mechanism. Can't remember what point I took out the side channels, but I could lift the glass and channel through the top of the door. After that I would unbolt the riser mechanism from the door. It wasn't that easy, but I could get the mechanism through one of the triangular holes in the door.

[Phil 32DL6]

Got the window out today! There definitely IS an order to this process. I'll go through what I did although there will be nuances for each year, I suspect.

1. Roll the window up and down as needed to...

2. Remove the window channels. What that takes is dependent on how the channels are affixed. One of the channels on mine had been replaced at some point and was of the more modern/universal type with a flexible backing of what look like large metal staples. It was loosely inserted in a metal sleeve at the bottom and screwed into the door frame at the top. The other was original with a felt covered, shaped rubber channel (no metal backing) and attached with metal fasteners top and bottom. You won't find those ANYWHERE, which is why I hesitate to remove anything from my all-original DB. I'll bag up and save everything for future reference. (See photos 2-5 for details.)

3. Remove the inner window guide roller assembly (or at least remove one screw, then loosen the other to swing the bracket out of the way, see photo 6). Somebody had replaced one of the screws with an allen bolt. This roller guide may be missing on some years.

4. Roll window up. Remove window handle.

5. Unbolt the window regulator assembly.

6. Pull the window pane up and in while...

7. Push the regulator shaft towards the front, while...

8. Push the window pane towards the back, until...

9. The two posts on the upper regulator bar align with the two slots in the metal channel holding the bottom of the window glass. (See photos 8-9)

10. Wiggle free.

11. Lift the glass up, inwards and out.

NOTE: You do NOT need to loosen or remove any part of the door lock assembly.

Next up is to clean and lube everything. I'm debating whether to use a thicker lube like water pump grease, or a lighter white grease. Opinions?

I'm not replacing the glass for three of the doors...just the broken passenger side door.

I'm using universal type channels from Steele Rubber. Hopefully, reassembly will go more smoothly!

Once I finish one, I'll tackle the other three.

Edited May 4, 2013 by Phil 32DL6 (see edit history)

[Taylormade]

Thanks, Phil, this will really help me when I get to this task. I'm glad you had the patience to figure it out - something I'm decidedly lacking at times.

[fozz71]

Hey guys-while we are on window subjects- my '28 Vic 6 glass bangs back and forth inside my door - what sort of bumper can I attach to the top lip to protect the glass when closing the doors and while driving? Thanks- Jim

[keiser31]

New window channel. Are there holes in the edge of the door near the bottom of the window for rubber bumpers?

Edited May 31, 2013 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Phil 32DL6]

Jim...New window channeling is the long term fix. In the meantime, you might do what I did to protect the glass from cracking: cut up some small pieces of foam rubber and jam them down on both sides of the glass. Leave enough sticking up that you can grab them if need be. Unsightly, but protected the glass until I replaced all of the channeling.

If you can get replacement rubber bumpers they will also help, but I haven't found any made for my car yet and I don't have any rattling without them.

[fozz71]

No holes anywhere for new rubber or bumpers- I was kinda hoping for some type of cap or peel and stick felting to jam between the glass and metal edge. Doesn't have to be much- just a small bit of padding.

Edited June 1, 2013 by fozz71 (see edit history)

[jpage]

You'll probably find that the universal window sash channel will not work as the sash channels are specific to fit the regulators. They hav a protruding goove on the bottom that the riser wheels ride in. I tried to duplicate it for my '36 but to no avail. Had to purchase the correct channels. Those cars did not have any outside beltstrip on them. Many had small rubber bumpers on the outside flange. Most of the sash channel retaining rubber had a wide lip on the outside that would seal up against the bottom of the outer door window flange and acted as a dust seal. There are some methods to replicate this seal as the correct rubber is not available. The glass was usually held in the sash channel with a glass setting tape; when your car was new it was a rubberized cork material that just recently when obsolete. They still make a rubber setting tape in various thicknesses to mount glass. Restoration Specialties in PA sells it. There was no real attempt to keep water out as the doors leaked around the hinges too.

[fozz71]

So, for the safety of the glass- maybe I can glue some of the glass compression seal very stealthily along the inside of the window frame to give it a little cushion? That's at least a start.

[JACK M]

The Victory six has a cover on the top of the door that let the windows out rather than to take them thru the window opening themselves. I would take that top cover off and slide something down either side if the glass.

It only takes about an hour per door to disassemble and replace the channel with new available from most glass shops or restoration specialties.

These days instead of the setting tape there is an adhesive that works even on the cleaned up parts. Most of the bottom pieces (channel) are rusted but after sand blasting the adhesive will hold them to the glass when the tape wont) (unless they have rusted away completely).

[fozz71]

Thanks Thanks

Thanks Jack, I looked down into my doors and I do have a good channel yet with the felting channel all the way around- it is just that it is tired and allows the glass just enough room to slap back and forth with opening/closing of the doors when fully opened.