How to replace door window and door latch?

[MarcDeSoto]

I just bought a new door glass for the driver side door on my 1948 DeSoto 3-window coupe.   The glass looks good and I got it from the Ebay glass seller for $45.  The pic they show in the ad is not shaped like my door window, but that is just a generic photo, not the glass you will get. The door is hard to open because the rotary lock gets stuck and the outside door handle sags down.  Does this mean I need a new door latch assembly?  also the window won't roll down and I saw that one of the window wheels or rollers broke off and was at the bottom of the door.   I have looked for repair instructions for car doors and can't find anything.  does anyone know where I can find the parts as well as the instructions for replacement?  Thanks, Marc.

Edited September 7, 2017 by MarcDeSoto

[MarcDeSoto]

Looks like I found the place that gives the right info for my problem.  The 41 Plymouth door is very similar to my 48 DeSoto door.  Thank God for Youtube.  You can't find this info anywhere, not even on sites like this! 

 

[Redmond49]

He makes it look so easy with all those beautifully finished clean parts!

 

[Dartgame]

Cool deal. I will be doing this myself soon. Remarkably the 41 is very similar to my 52's glass channels and so forth.

[MarcDeSoto]

The video above is good, but doesn't show how to remove the glass from your door or how to attach, or detach, the window regulator arms to the window frame.  I just removed my window from the door, so I can tell you the window channel frame is connected to the regulator with two spring clips that are located behind the discs that roll in the regulator.  I was able to remove them with a slot screwdriver, but it took some work to do it.  Then you pull the window up with the wheel assy. coming out first through that wide spot that the video talks about.  Then you pull the window all the up so you can slant the other end wheel out of that same wide spot too.  Now I have the window out, but don't know how to remove the glass from the frame.  A friend told me to get a dremel tool and grind it out.  I don't know if there is a better way?  

[DonaldSmith]

The smartass reply to removing the glass - very carefully.  

Carefully run a snap knife along the channel on both sides? run a non-metallic pry bwtween the glass and the bottom of the channel?    

I removed the quarter window from the frame years ago.  Gradually.

[JOHN EDGE]

Just repaired the drivers  door latch on my 52 Plymouth suburban for closing properly and sometimes coming unlatch while driving.  Common problem drivers doors.  Hard to find parts for drivers door  plenty of passenger stuff so I finally found a drivers side rear nos latch and cut the two rivet heads off and bent the 3 tabs on the nos one and did the same on the bad one and transferred the spring and star wheel and pop rivet the two I cut off and bent back the tabs and the door close like a dream and stay  think you'll find a drivers rear parts easier

 

[MarcDeSoto]

"The smartass reply to removing the glass - very carefully. "  That's very true Donald and the hole in the palm of my hand right now proves it!  I was hammering a sharpened screw driver to cut out the rubber tape from the channel so I could get the glass out.  Suddenly, the screwdriver slipped and went into my left palm about 1/4" deep!  Ouch!!!  Now, Donald I have another smartass answer to this.  Don't try to take the glass out of the bottom channel.  Buy new window channels.  They already have the roller wheels on them.  Andy Bernbaum may have them for $125 a pair, but I have to call to verify that he has the right ones for a 1948 DeSoto.   

[DonaldSmith]

I feel your pain. 

Then, one could take the stuff to a glass shop, but where's the bragging rights in that?.