I replaced my window guides today, so I thought I would do a quick write up about how I did it because I could not find any information on how it's done.
The window guides are the little felted rubber inserts in the door that keep the window glass aligned and sliding up and down in the window. I replaced mine as they had started to crack in one spot.
These, and door seals were NLA but no longer, so time to order. They are about $60 ea.
Overall it's pretty easy, takes about 90 minutes for both sides.
Step 1 - take off your door trims. No detail here, other places can tell you how this is done.
Step 2 - Unbolt the lower window guides, front and rear. These zinc plated metal guides are located in the door by a 10mm hex bolt. You need to undo these bolts, pull down gently on the guide to unclip it from the window frame. Once done, you then manouvuer it out of the door openings and pull the the rubber window guide out as you go. Sounds like a lot of work, is easy.
Pull the guides out and clean them
Now you have the window up, the lower metal guides removed and the lower half of the rubber guides free inside the door.
Step 3 - Carefully lower the window all the way. Window has no guide inside the door now, so take it easy. I can't see how it can break but you never know your luck.
Window glass is now inside the door skin
Step 4 - take a pick and pull the old rubber guide out of the door frame. I pulled the top down first and then pulled it up and out of the door.
You now have a door with the window down and no guides in place. Take a moment to clean that door frame of all the built up gunk where the guide sat
Now is installation of new guides
Step 5 - install the new guide, starting in the top corner of the door frame. I sprayed a little Armor-All on the backside of the rubber to make it a little easier to install. Take a trim tool and poke the guide rubber into the frame, making sure its seated nicely. Once corner is done, work around the rest of the seal. Work abuot half way down and leave enough slack so you can poke the guide back inside the door. You want to make sure that when you insert the guide into the door that one side of the guide is on each side of the window glass.
Do this for both sides of the guide. You now have the top half of the new rubber guides installed, the window down and the lower half of the new rubber guides hanging loose in the door,
Step 6 - Wind up the window, carefully. Again, when you wind it up make sure that you have the window pane captured by the rubber guide, so that when it rolls up the pane is captured by the two sides of the rubber guide.
You now have window up, seated in the new rubber guide and the lower half of the new guides need to be inserted into the metal guides
Step 7 - Use a little Armor All or mold release again to make this a little easier. Start with either metal guide and begin to reinstall it. You will see at the top of each there is a little retaining clip at the top. This is to keep everything together and if you feel up inside the door where it fits you will feel where it needs to go.
Partially install the rubber guide at the top of the metal guide. Hold the bottom of the rubber guide and slide the metal guide upwards, into the door, and towards where the mating clip meets its location.
Once in, reinstall the 10mm hex bolt loosely and push the rest of the rubber guide into the metal guide.
Do this for the other side.
Wind the window down check the tension of the metal guides (you don't want the window pane to be loose) and tighten up the bolts.
[img][/img]
aaaand job done.
The window guides are the little felted rubber inserts in the door that keep the window glass aligned and sliding up and down in the window. I replaced mine as they had started to crack in one spot.
These, and door seals were NLA but no longer, so time to order. They are about $60 ea.
Overall it's pretty easy, takes about 90 minutes for both sides.
Step 1 - take off your door trims. No detail here, other places can tell you how this is done.
Step 2 - Unbolt the lower window guides, front and rear. These zinc plated metal guides are located in the door by a 10mm hex bolt. You need to undo these bolts, pull down gently on the guide to unclip it from the window frame. Once done, you then manouvuer it out of the door openings and pull the the rubber window guide out as you go. Sounds like a lot of work, is easy.
Pull the guides out and clean them
Now you have the window up, the lower metal guides removed and the lower half of the rubber guides free inside the door.
Step 3 - Carefully lower the window all the way. Window has no guide inside the door now, so take it easy. I can't see how it can break but you never know your luck.
Window glass is now inside the door skin
Step 4 - take a pick and pull the old rubber guide out of the door frame. I pulled the top down first and then pulled it up and out of the door.
You now have a door with the window down and no guides in place. Take a moment to clean that door frame of all the built up gunk where the guide sat
Now is installation of new guides
Step 5 - install the new guide, starting in the top corner of the door frame. I sprayed a little Armor-All on the backside of the rubber to make it a little easier to install. Take a trim tool and poke the guide rubber into the frame, making sure its seated nicely. Once corner is done, work around the rest of the seal. Work abuot half way down and leave enough slack so you can poke the guide back inside the door. You want to make sure that when you insert the guide into the door that one side of the guide is on each side of the window glass.
Do this for both sides of the guide. You now have the top half of the new rubber guides installed, the window down and the lower half of the new rubber guides hanging loose in the door,
Step 6 - Wind up the window, carefully. Again, when you wind it up make sure that you have the window pane captured by the rubber guide, so that when it rolls up the pane is captured by the two sides of the rubber guide.
You now have window up, seated in the new rubber guide and the lower half of the new guides need to be inserted into the metal guides
Step 7 - Use a little Armor All or mold release again to make this a little easier. Start with either metal guide and begin to reinstall it. You will see at the top of each there is a little retaining clip at the top. This is to keep everything together and if you feel up inside the door where it fits you will feel where it needs to go.
Partially install the rubber guide at the top of the metal guide. Hold the bottom of the rubber guide and slide the metal guide upwards, into the door, and towards where the mating clip meets its location.
Once in, reinstall the 10mm hex bolt loosely and push the rest of the rubber guide into the metal guide.
Do this for the other side.
Wind the window down check the tension of the metal guides (you don't want the window pane to be loose) and tighten up the bolts.
[img][/img]
aaaand job done.
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