Ok, I originally posted this question on the main board, but '56 Ford Custom suggested that I post this question over in a Group (which is actually what clued me into the whole group aspect of the HAMB in the 1st place!!). So here goes.... ....Having some difficulties with the p***enger side window of my '55 Fairlane Club Sedan and was hoping some HAMBers might have some ideas! Basically, she'll roll down smooth as silk. Rolling it back up she's fine until about 3/4 way up, then really seems to bind/stick. You can force it the rest of the way up (usually) but typically it's necessary to use your hand to help the left (as you're facing out from inside the car) side up. Now, I really had ***umed that there was an issue with either one or both of the window roller ***emblies having come off the track. However I took the door panel off last night and to my suprise both ***emblies and arms seem to be in the window channels just fine! So I'm kind of stumped.
If it's anything like my '56, yours probably has bound-up regulators from 50+ year old white grease/lube that has hardened and gummed up the mechanisms. I had the regulators out & cleaned all that gook off, then re-lubed them with white grease. I also replaced the rollers - they needed it. They now operate like new.
Ron's right, and there's another issue as well. The gl*** needs to lift squarely to prevent binding. There are various adjustments to accomplish this. A factory Service Manual is your best friend here...worth every penny, trust me. Try eBay...
I tried the adjustment that squares-out how the window is being lifted via the 3 bolts in the center of the door per the Service Manual. Unfortunately no luck there. Figure I'll ask right now: is there an easy (relatively speaking) way to remove teh regulator ***embly that I may just not be seeing? I had to replace the drivers-side door gl*** last year and it was a b!t$h and a half just to get the rollers back on....and I didn't even remove the whole regulator ***embly for that job. Primarily what makes it difficult for me is simpply the small amount of room afforded inside the door and not being able to see much/anything up inside there. I did it per the manuals instructions, but I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything here, or better yet in case there are some 'tricks of the trade' I simply may not be aware of.
I also have a 55 and had a window doing the same thing . Like Ron said take the gl*** out and the regulators and get all that crud out of the regulator . Once you get it good and clean lube well and replace the rollers while everything is out . Also make sure your "Fuzzes" in the channel is good and not worn out because they will also make the window bind when going up . You can also watch the gl*** as it goes up and see if the gl*** stays level or goes off on an angle . Then you will need to make adjustments . I still think if you clean the old grease out that has caked up and hardened up over the years , you will be OK . Remember that being 55 years old does have some limits ! Jim
One more item to consider on all of this. I had this same issue 2 years ago, also a 55 Club Sedan. The drivers side window would ride smoothly and then begin to bind about 1/2 way up and then at 3/4 up, she would stop. No need to crank any more and bind the regulator arm! So, I took off the door panel and trim and took a look at everything. Seems that the lowest attachment points on the gl*** channel run (vertical run with that U shaped felt inside) on both the front and the rear has a nice adjustment on it where that lowest attachment will slide in a slot that comes in and goes out (as you sit in the p***enger car, looking to your left, the point goes towards the outside of the door and then slides to the interior of the door) This is only like a 3/4" overall slot, but if you make a 3/4" adjustment in the lowest part of your gl*** run, how far off will you be up top? There is a bolt that you can loosen at the bottom of these U shaped gl*** runs that will allow you to make that adjustment. Sure helped me. The window goes up and down like a brand new one! hope my advice doesn't get lost in translation...didn't mean to be so wordy.
Ok, well I'm pretty happy with how far I got last night, though I'm still dissapointed that I can't point my finger at a single thing and go 'yes, that's what was causing my problem!'. Anyway, I was able to remove the window regulator ***embly, the lift arms and the door gl*** itself. Wow, what a pain that was, though I remember it being as such from last year when I had to remove the scratched driver's side gl***. Funny story though: when I did it last year, I never removed the window stop or the lift arms or anything. I just strugled with the vent-side lift channel until I got the thing out. Did the same thing for over an hour last night befor I decided to finally heed the shop manual's advice and just remove everything, including the stop. Then it was out in 10 minutes. Go figure Anyway, what I see so far: the two roller ***emblies that attach the window to the lift channels look to be in great condition. Nothing like what I saw on the drivers side last year. And they're metal, not the plastic replacement ones that are all I can find now days. So I'm going to clean these up good and re-use. I didn't realize however that there was a 3rd roller ***embly that is in a horizontal track that's connected to the inside of the door. That one was all bound up, so I'll remove and replace with one of my new ones. Also, one of the arms that swings on the window lift plate (the thing that connects directly to the inside of the door with 3 bolts that can be adjusted if the window is lifting ****eyed) is very rusty. Very strange because the rest of the thing looks almost new, with even most of its original black paint on it. Anyway, I'm going to WD-40 that up and then I'm thinking of throwing the whole ***embly into a rust-b-gone bath (I figure it'll take off the paint, but I can't see that as being an issue if I oil it up afterwards, right?). Finally the felt in the gl*** channel run is pretty beat. I was going to remove the whole run, because as a side note I need to replace the Lock ***embly and it appears as though you really can't get to it unless you remove the Gl*** Channel run. Once removed I figured that I could either recondition or replace. But here's my question: it seems as though this thing is epoxyed onto the door. Is that probably true? If so, how am I getting this thing off, with a razor blade maybe? I'm not trying to make more work than necessary, but again I figure that since the lock ***embly needs to be replaced I might as well go the whole 9 yards. @danman55: see, you never have to worry about wordy with me around! I think I get what you are saying about how the bottom of the run is adjustable, but with this thing epoxyed in it doesn't seem to move a whole lot even once I loosened that bottom bolt. But I'll take another look tonight....I wasn't eally looking at that as an adjustment (plus it was midnight!) at the time so maybe I just didn't notice. Bare with me guys....Jeff
To get the lock out you need to carefully pull the rubber away from the door on the inside to the side of the door lock . Under the rubber ss a "U" clip that goes in the side of the door from the outside . You will see the part . Take a flathead screw driver and carefully pry the piece out and then the lock will come out the door from the outside of the car . Very simple to do ! Jim
Thanks Retro! Quick question for the crew here: Is the horizontal bar, that has the 'fuzzy' surface that faces the window and the top is chrome, called an anti-rattler? I tried to get pics of what I'm talking about into this thread, unsucessfully. But they can be found here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=26347&pictureid=293245 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=26347&pictureid=293244 I figure if I'm getting new window channels I should get a new 'this' as well, but a lot easier to find one when I know what it's called!
Belt line weatherstrip, or "fuzzy". The entire set, including the U-channels, rubber bumpers (if any) and belt line weatherstrip, is called an "anti-rattle kit". Replacing this stuff is absolutely necessary to prevent your Aunt Hanna from cracking the door gl*** by slamming the door like she does on her new Honda. Note: It will also improve your image, 'cause you won't have to yell at everybody who gets into your car, "don't slam the %&*#-ing door!" - usually after they already have.
They're also called cat-whiskers; it's an old MOPAR term but has become somewhat of a tradename anymore. First time I heard it many years ago, I thought the technician asking for it was BS-ing me but with a straight face he said something like "Whatsa matter, you never heard of cat-whiskers?" I hadn't. It was a lesson learned and remembered from an old-time mechanic. Now, if Eric's Aunt Hanna has a kitty-cat, perhaps... nah, never mind
Thanks guys! As a side-note: I happen to be in Portland, OR this week, and paid a visit to the Oregon Leather Company. Cool place, and I found what I was looking for: some good relatively thick leather to replace the dry-rotted cardboard that covered the service panels in the door. Completely forgot to pick up a piece that could replace the 'thing' that went between the lift channel and the gl***, but I'm here for a few days so I'll just stop back. Anyway, if for some strange reason anyone is ever looking for leather and lives in the Pac NW, look them up!
Hey all....just wanted to chime back in to say that I finished the door up last night. Thanks to everyone's help giving me input/insight when I needed it! Overall, between getting the parts in, getting the couple of things done by shops that I couldn't do myself (replacing vent window door gl*** & removing/re-riveting division bar gl*** run) and just wanting to take my time, the whole thing took me a lot longer than I originally anticipated. But I'm very happy with the end result: p***enger side door opens easily, closes tight and the window goes up and down like it should. Doesn't get any better than that! Now once I get the rest of my parts in, onto the suspension!
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