Lubricating window tracks

[Dan Babb]

My windows don't roll down smoothly...they are actually pretty hard to get down.

When I take off the door panel, is there something I can lube the window tracks with to help them slide easier?

I'm sure there are other parts that need to be lubricated, but not sure what to use on the window tracks (the tracks have some type of cloth material lining them).

I'm trying to avoid having to replace everything (sticking to a tight budget).

[Norm's Coupe]

My coupe windows were like that when I first bought the car in 1995. All I did was spray some good penetrating oil (not WD40) on the gears and wheels. Freed them up real nice. Haven't had to touch them since. I would not put anything in the tracks. You should be able to see the gears in the window cranks without removing them. Just spray them and work them until they free up.

[Dan Babb]

Excellent...thanks for the info.

[Young Ed]

Spray white lithium grease works well

[MBF]

Also check your window channels to make sure that there isn't something binding as the glass travels down the groove.

[1949P17BC]

Having just completed this project. If you are not removing to clean. I would spray with brake cleaner to clean as much as possible, spray with lithium grease on the gears and cranks, I also applied grease to lower portion of the window channels

[Phil Martin]

I put grease on the frame that attaches to bottom ogf glass where the arms slide in the frame.

[lugnut123]

I sprayed a dry silicon lube to the tracks where the glass slides. It drys and isn't sticky so the dust won't stick. All the gears and bottom slides lube with oil or lite grease.

[grey beard]

My window channel runs were completely shot. In order to paint the doors properly, I felt this stuff had to be outa' there. So I completely stripped the innards out of both doors - latch mechanisms and all.

Glad I did, in hindsight. The driver's side of course gets the most wear, and the latch was so badly worn that the latch piece that slides in and out would go behind the mechanism on which it rides. I had to replace this latch assembvly. Only source is parts trucks. LOL. All the channel runs were replaced after I was finished painting (roiler painting) and this is a good exercise in learning window adjustments.

The glass run at the front of the door window - vent window type door - is adjustable fore and aft. This adjustment is critical to getting the main glass front edge to mate up well with the vent window glass, which has almost no adjstment. Also, with the door trim removed you can see a regulator adjustment that is a slotted screw with a nut behind it in about the center of things. This is the regulator adjustment to tilt the glass fore and aft at the top, as it slides up and down. Both of these adjustments are pretty critical if you want happy window operation. The shop manual sez almost zero about this stuff - ya just gotta' figger it out for yerseff.

As has been mentioned above in this post, lube up the regulator arm rollers that move in the two slots at the bottom of the glass. Once everything is installed and adjusted, I was able to get mine to go up and down a lot happier by spraying a lot of silicone on the fuzzy rubber channel runs. You can't get too much grease on this stuff - helps to keep the bottom of the door sheetmetal from rusting too.

[Dan Babb]

I gave up on trying to get the oil filter in tonight, so I figured I'd go work on something different and try to get the windows working better.

No luck...the freaking truck hates me today!

I can't get the stupid pins out of the window & door handle. I can see them clearly and was able to get a small screwdriver on the head of the pins...they won't budge. I don't know what a previous owner used for pins, but beating on them with one of those small eyeglass screwdrivers (that's now broken) and a hammer didn't move them a bit.

Thought I'd drill it out....nope...drill bit snapped.

Ever have one of those days?

[grey beard]

Dan,

I pry the escushion rings away with a wide flat screwdriver at 3 o'clock to the pins, so I have a clear shot at them, then I poke them part way out with an allen wrench. Once started out, I can grab them with a needle nose pliers. Works for me. Give it a try. Of course, if someone put weatherstrip sealer on the pins, you'll need a punch and a hammer.

Good Luck

[Reg Evans]

I've never had a problem driving the pins out with an 8 penny nail or an ice pick. I've made numerious replacement pins with part of a nail too. Man....you are having a bad day.