1st Gen Window Replacement

[Imp558]

Finally fixed the Drivers front window in the Regal!

What happened was the front guide had broken, allowing the front of the window to drop and pulling the back guide out of the channel.

I went to a local window place and took my spare window hoping they had a generic guide I could glue onto the window and he just helped me put my spare in right there in the parking lot.

I can't go over how to remove a window from the tracks, because mine was already loose in the door. To pull it out we pushed the front down and rolled the rear up and out.

 

First remove the door panel, then plug the window switch back in so you can cycle the window regulator all the way down.

This black metal piece here didn't have to come off, but it took one person to hold the weatherstripping back while the new glass went in. He says one person can do this if you take the inside weatherstripping off.

 

On my window the front guide was missing a chunk on one side, the guide is mounted to the underside and less than an inch of it is in the track so it really could have been engineered better.

 

The Rear guide sits up high and kept pulling off, I thought it was the problem until I got it it on with the right adhesive. Epoxy and crazy glue failed miserably, but Gorilla Glue turned out to be the ticket. If you have to glue one on just be sure to clean the guide and glass thoroughly with something like Acetone or Alcohol first.

 

The window regulator has but one arm, and a wheel that goes into a track secured to the bottom of the window, when the window is being held linear in the front and rear tracks this wheel's range is limited so it doesn't extend out either end.

 

 

My apologies for not having action photos, it happened so fast. The rest will be all text but at least we see all the parts above.

 

Take the new window and insert the front of it straight down into the door, the bottom of the window will be facing toward the rear of the car.

Once it's about 1/4 of the way in start to render it to the correct orientation, being carful not to damage the weatherstripping inside or out.

Once the window is inside the door in the right position line up the rear guide in the track and push the window firmly straight back until it pops into place.

At this time we need to start thinking about that roller on the regulator, once the front guide is in the regulator arm won't be able to get to the end of the track on the bottom of the window.

 

Lower the regulator (Via Switch) all the way down if you haven't already.

Now tip the glass down a tad in the front and play with it some and you'll be able to get the wheel started in the FRONT OF THE TRACK, it will sit on the exposed upper edge there.

Now run the regulator up a few inches and you should be able to snap the front guide into the front track just like the rear one did. This takes a little effort and you'll have to feel it inside the door.

I lubed mine while I was working on it, petroleum jelly seems to work fine, maybe somebody else knows what the correct window track grease is.

[j_mezz]

I had to swap out my front window a while back but it still goes up and down slower than it used to. The front track mounts into 2 oblong holes allowing for some fine tuning of it's placement and angle, how did you you determine where to lock it in?

 

Maybe I just need to grease that track.

[Imp558]

I didn't adjust the 2 front track bolts, both windows were the same. if yours is running slow I bet it's the weatherstripping dragging. I noticed before when I was doing body work that the windows were faster with the outside weatherstripping removed. Maybe silicone?

[Antmann1992]

Noob question inbound. Is there a way to check this without taking the door panel apart? Driver sides stuck its either motor broke or this

[Imp558]

Sound?

[Antmann1992]

Like the motor clicking? It was for like a day but now nothing

[Imp558]

Have to pull the door panel, and then see what it does. If it quit working it either fryed the motor, switch or popped a fuse. I believe the fuse would make other windows not work. You do need to find the obstruction/bind before you replace the bad motor or switch though. I'd jump past the switch and see if the motor still makes noise. I think there is a plastic ladder piece the motor moves, but didn't get into that on mine, could be the clicking.