92' Window Adjustment
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
From: Waterford MI
92' Window Adjustment
I replaced the weatherstriping on the entire car. Both side windows need adjusting, they need to tilt inward to close the gap on the Targa top & close the gap on Pillar A. Does anyone have any suggestions? The car is a 1992. Thanks in advance.
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 228
Likes: 1
From: Atlanta GA
You might want to check the plastic front window guide. It is attached to the glass on the bottom front and allow the window to follow a metal guide keeping it straight.
They were both broken on mine. The older ones have felt, the newer GM replacements are smooth.
http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....5AAHWF~Z5Z5Z52
-D
They were both broken on mine. The older ones have felt, the newer GM replacements are smooth.
http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....5AAHWF~Z5Z5Z52
-D
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,328
Likes: 15
From: Jacksonville FL
There are several adjustment point on the window. Sounds like you need to adjust the window regulator. Take the door panel off and you will see two screws close together along the top of the door. These have slots that move the window in and out. There are also two points that stop the window from going up any further. On the left where the door turns down near the top, there is a double slotted bracket inside the door that catches and aligns the window when it closes up. On the right there is a bracket the catches the stop on the window. It can be adjusted to let the window rise further or less. There are also fender washers/nuts that adjust (forward/back and angle) the window in the regulator bar itself but you have to remove the aluminum panel in the door to see these.
Its a long process, you hafta keep fiddling with it to get what you want. Mark the original positions to keep as a benchmark. I have mine about right now but I changed the window motor and regulator so I am starting at zero. I have spent about an hour so far with the adjustments.
Good luck!!
Its a long process, you hafta keep fiddling with it to get what you want. Mark the original positions to keep as a benchmark. I have mine about right now but I changed the window motor and regulator so I am starting at zero. I have spent about an hour so far with the adjustments.
Good luck!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,735
Likes: 412
From: WV
Here is a full procedure for adjusting the door and the window. If your doors are adjusted properly skip down to the window adjustment...Hope this helps..WW
Adjustment Procedure for a Corvette C4 Side Window
The first step in this process is to check the alignment of the door. Roll the window down. close the door. If it closes easily, move on to the glass adjustment described below. If it doesn't, first check to see if it is sagging by closing the door as far as possible WITHOUT latching and check the alignment of the belt molding at the rear of the door and the short piece of belt molding on the body in front of the rear wheel. They should be at the same height. My door was sagging by about 3/8".
To adjust the door you will need to remove the lower rocker vent panel (the piece behind the front wheel) to gain access to the lower door hinge bolts. Then loosen the bolts connecting the hinges to the body ONLY. Then get a helper or a floor jack with a piece of wood, open the door slightly, and raise the back of the door up so the belt molding on the back of the door is just slightly higher than the one on the car body. Retighten the hinge to body bolts, remove support and re-check to see if the door belt molding and body belt molding heights are level with each other. Once you get this correct, you can move on to adjusting how the door meets at the lower sill and "A" pillar. This is done by checking to see if the door is adjusted too far in or out at the top by first referencing how the top of the door lines up with the hood. My door was in about 3/16" further than the hood. I also noticed too much contact at the top front of the door when closing. (press door closed with outside door handle held up so you can really feel what is happening) By loosening all of the hinge to door bolts only, the door can be moved and checked for premature contact against the car body. Try to get the door to close without contacting any part of the body too soon (ideally you want the door to close flat on the body so you have even pressure along the weatherstripping, which on the door goes down the front of the door and along the bottom of the door sill) then tighten the bolts. Once you are satisfied with how the door closes, its time to move on to the glass.
Roll up the window and slowly close the door. Watch the weatherstrip while doing this. The weatherstrip should compress slightly but evenly along the "a" pillar and the roof. You can further check this by closing the door on a dollar bill and pulling the bill out. You should feel a slight resistance on the bill at any point. Another check is to turn the A/C or heat blower on high, close the door, and spray soapy water along the weatherstrip to see if it bubbles, indicating an air leak.
If you need to adjust the glass, remove the door panel. Before making any adjustments, first close the door with the window up and put a strip of masking tape on the outside of the glass next to and parallel with the outer door sill weatherstrip. Next, run another strip of tape on the sill weatherstrip itself butted up to the tape on the glass. This will give you a vertical reference of where your glass was when you started. Next, draw a vertical line across both pieces of tape at 2" intervals. This will give you a horizontal reference of the same. Once you roll the window down halfway to access the bolts, loosen them, and the glass slides around, you will not know where it was when you started unless you have these references. The shop manual suggests scribing around the washers for the bolts holding the glass, but I don't think it is nearly as accurate.
Roll the window down far enough to access the three bolts holding the glass in place. Move it where you think it needs to go. Retighten and check. It will take some trial and error to get it right, but it is well worth it. There is also a way to tilt the glass in or out; by loosening one 10mm bolt near the top rear of the door if you think that might help. Perform the leak test described above. When everything seems right, reinstall the lower vented rocker panel you removed to adjust the door and it is time to test drive before putting the door panel back on.
Before you test drive, grab a big heavy towel or blanket, get in the car and close the door. Tuck the edge of the blanket into the top of the doorsill and push the rest against the doorframe. This will silence the road and wind noise you would otherwise have with the door panel off. You should be able to hear any air leaks and correct them before putting the door panel back on this way.
One more tip: If you can't seem to eliminate all of the wind noise, try taping the seams between the windshield and the roof panel and the side of the windshield where it meets the "a" pillar. You might have a leaking windshield that was not installed properly or a top that needs adjustment and mistake that for side window noise.
The adjustment sounds more complex than it really is . I assume the door is not sagging and the hinges do not require adjustment. You first post indicates you just replaced the w'stripping on the door. There are two adustment that allow the door to fit the weatherstripping.
The first and easiest adjustment is the height or location where the window stops going up (and down). This location where the window stops can be modified by moving some stops. To determine if this is the adjustment that is needed, do the following:
1. let someone sit in the car and let the window down two or three inches from the top. Do this with the door open. Then close the door. Have the person in the car raise the window up until it stops. The main reference point is to check the read edge of the window to see if it is parallel to the edge of the roof of the car.....and the spacing from the glass to the roof should be about 5/8 inch measured perpendicular to the edge of the glass. Also, as the glass reaches its upper stopping point, did the upper edge of the glass change tilt (angle) as the stop is reached. If the alignment of the rear edge of the glass is good (5/8" spacing and parallel) and/or the angle changed, the upper stops need adjustment. These stops are accessable with the aluminum shield in the door. The front stop is in the front eged of the door and is a 10 mm hex bolt. The rear is located in the rear and is also a 10 mm hex bolt. The window motor works like this: the motor draws a certain amount of current when raising or lowering the window. When the glass encountered a stop, the current to the motor goes up and this trips an electrical switch in the motor and the motor stops. Sooooo, changing the stops changes the stopping point of the glass. Play with the position of both (upper) stops until you get the glass parallel to the top w'stripping AND to the rear roof panel.
The second adjustment is that the glass may be moved up, down, forward and to the rear by loosening TWO special fasteners that secure the glass to the mechanical arms. Unless your car has been wrecked, the glass changed or someone has screwed with the factory position, this adjustment is not necessary. This is a tough job and will take some time to complete, if this adjustment is needed. The aluminum panel must be removed to move the glass on the mecanical arms.
The adjustments that I made to my 89 were with the two upper stops. The glass went up correctly and when it reached the top, the glass tilted position and the edge was not parallel to the roof top. Getting the upper stops in the correct location to seal the window and not damage the upper rubber took some trial and error....but I did it!
Sorry this is so long.
Adjustment Procedure for a Corvette C4 Side Window
The first step in this process is to check the alignment of the door. Roll the window down. close the door. If it closes easily, move on to the glass adjustment described below. If it doesn't, first check to see if it is sagging by closing the door as far as possible WITHOUT latching and check the alignment of the belt molding at the rear of the door and the short piece of belt molding on the body in front of the rear wheel. They should be at the same height. My door was sagging by about 3/8".
To adjust the door you will need to remove the lower rocker vent panel (the piece behind the front wheel) to gain access to the lower door hinge bolts. Then loosen the bolts connecting the hinges to the body ONLY. Then get a helper or a floor jack with a piece of wood, open the door slightly, and raise the back of the door up so the belt molding on the back of the door is just slightly higher than the one on the car body. Retighten the hinge to body bolts, remove support and re-check to see if the door belt molding and body belt molding heights are level with each other. Once you get this correct, you can move on to adjusting how the door meets at the lower sill and "A" pillar. This is done by checking to see if the door is adjusted too far in or out at the top by first referencing how the top of the door lines up with the hood. My door was in about 3/16" further than the hood. I also noticed too much contact at the top front of the door when closing. (press door closed with outside door handle held up so you can really feel what is happening) By loosening all of the hinge to door bolts only, the door can be moved and checked for premature contact against the car body. Try to get the door to close without contacting any part of the body too soon (ideally you want the door to close flat on the body so you have even pressure along the weatherstripping, which on the door goes down the front of the door and along the bottom of the door sill) then tighten the bolts. Once you are satisfied with how the door closes, its time to move on to the glass.
Roll up the window and slowly close the door. Watch the weatherstrip while doing this. The weatherstrip should compress slightly but evenly along the "a" pillar and the roof. You can further check this by closing the door on a dollar bill and pulling the bill out. You should feel a slight resistance on the bill at any point. Another check is to turn the A/C or heat blower on high, close the door, and spray soapy water along the weatherstrip to see if it bubbles, indicating an air leak.
If you need to adjust the glass, remove the door panel. Before making any adjustments, first close the door with the window up and put a strip of masking tape on the outside of the glass next to and parallel with the outer door sill weatherstrip. Next, run another strip of tape on the sill weatherstrip itself butted up to the tape on the glass. This will give you a vertical reference of where your glass was when you started. Next, draw a vertical line across both pieces of tape at 2" intervals. This will give you a horizontal reference of the same. Once you roll the window down halfway to access the bolts, loosen them, and the glass slides around, you will not know where it was when you started unless you have these references. The shop manual suggests scribing around the washers for the bolts holding the glass, but I don't think it is nearly as accurate.
Roll the window down far enough to access the three bolts holding the glass in place. Move it where you think it needs to go. Retighten and check. It will take some trial and error to get it right, but it is well worth it. There is also a way to tilt the glass in or out; by loosening one 10mm bolt near the top rear of the door if you think that might help. Perform the leak test described above. When everything seems right, reinstall the lower vented rocker panel you removed to adjust the door and it is time to test drive before putting the door panel back on.
Before you test drive, grab a big heavy towel or blanket, get in the car and close the door. Tuck the edge of the blanket into the top of the doorsill and push the rest against the doorframe. This will silence the road and wind noise you would otherwise have with the door panel off. You should be able to hear any air leaks and correct them before putting the door panel back on this way.
One more tip: If you can't seem to eliminate all of the wind noise, try taping the seams between the windshield and the roof panel and the side of the windshield where it meets the "a" pillar. You might have a leaking windshield that was not installed properly or a top that needs adjustment and mistake that for side window noise.
The adjustment sounds more complex than it really is . I assume the door is not sagging and the hinges do not require adjustment. You first post indicates you just replaced the w'stripping on the door. There are two adustment that allow the door to fit the weatherstripping.
The first and easiest adjustment is the height or location where the window stops going up (and down). This location where the window stops can be modified by moving some stops. To determine if this is the adjustment that is needed, do the following:
1. let someone sit in the car and let the window down two or three inches from the top. Do this with the door open. Then close the door. Have the person in the car raise the window up until it stops. The main reference point is to check the read edge of the window to see if it is parallel to the edge of the roof of the car.....and the spacing from the glass to the roof should be about 5/8 inch measured perpendicular to the edge of the glass. Also, as the glass reaches its upper stopping point, did the upper edge of the glass change tilt (angle) as the stop is reached. If the alignment of the rear edge of the glass is good (5/8" spacing and parallel) and/or the angle changed, the upper stops need adjustment. These stops are accessable with the aluminum shield in the door. The front stop is in the front eged of the door and is a 10 mm hex bolt. The rear is located in the rear and is also a 10 mm hex bolt. The window motor works like this: the motor draws a certain amount of current when raising or lowering the window. When the glass encountered a stop, the current to the motor goes up and this trips an electrical switch in the motor and the motor stops. Sooooo, changing the stops changes the stopping point of the glass. Play with the position of both (upper) stops until you get the glass parallel to the top w'stripping AND to the rear roof panel.
The second adjustment is that the glass may be moved up, down, forward and to the rear by loosening TWO special fasteners that secure the glass to the mechanical arms. Unless your car has been wrecked, the glass changed or someone has screwed with the factory position, this adjustment is not necessary. This is a tough job and will take some time to complete, if this adjustment is needed. The aluminum panel must be removed to move the glass on the mecanical arms.
The adjustments that I made to my 89 were with the two upper stops. The glass went up correctly and when it reached the top, the glass tilted position and the edge was not parallel to the roof top. Getting the upper stops in the correct location to seal the window and not damage the upper rubber took some trial and error....but I did it!
Sorry this is so long.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 66
Likes: 2
From: Suffield, CT
I found this thread search for window leaks, are the fixes described here because of leaks?
My situation:
I have rainwater climbing up and over the top of the door windows and puddling in floor pan. This also occurs when washing. 1990 coupe, garage queen with 70K, weather stripping healthy, roof bolted firmly down and the glass seams to be snug, but maybe it needs to be tighter(?). I did replace the door weather seals, the door jamb rain channel just below windshield pillars.
Thanks,
Corbis
My situation:
I have rainwater climbing up and over the top of the door windows and puddling in floor pan. This also occurs when washing. 1990 coupe, garage queen with 70K, weather stripping healthy, roof bolted firmly down and the glass seams to be snug, but maybe it needs to be tighter(?). I did replace the door weather seals, the door jamb rain channel just below windshield pillars.
Thanks,
Corbis
Last edited by Corbis; Mar 30, 2010 at 05:53 PM.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 407
Likes: 0
From: Palm Coast Florida
My windows both need to go in at the top. They hit on the outside of the targa. Everything I do moves them out farther. I've loosened every bolt along the top of the door. I moved the front guide in all of the way. I moved the frame that holds the rear guide in all of the way. I moved all of the felt in all of the way. All this does is make the movement sloppy. Nothing pushes the window from the outside.
Last edited by Rathbone; May 2, 2010 at 08:57 PM.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 407
Likes: 0
From: Palm Coast Florida
I finally got the passenger window working like I wanted it to. I took a photo and I'll try to explain what I did in case anyone else is having the same problem. My windows both needed to tip in at the top. They were fine if I shut the door with the windows up, but if I ran the window up with the door closed they hit outside the channel, and sometimes outside the targa top.
As you may be able to see, I moved everything along the top of the door all of the way in. You can see the white circles where the paint is scuffed off - this is where the bolts were from the factory. The front and rear guide were moved inboard about half an inch from the factory setting. There is a bolt hidden behind the panel, located about where I placed the letter “D”. This is the rear window stop. I loosened this and tried a variety of different positions. None of this made any difference. It was a waste of 2 days of my life. You’re better off to take up smoking if you just want to take days off of your life.
Behind the bolt lettered “B” there’s a block covered by a piece of felt. the block is on the inside of the door, on the outside of the glass. I used to work for an automotive manufacturer and I kept a bunch of this automotive grade felt with an adhesive backing. I built this block up about 6mm thicker than stock by adding 3 or 4 layers of felt. This pushes the glass inboard at the correct location to meet my needs. I don’t know how long this will last once it starts getting wet and with the window rubbing against it while the window is in motion but it works. The window closes right every time. There is nothing in the design of this door that can push the window inboard.
It may be better long term to find a delron shim of the correct thickness and adhering it to the inside of the door with some gorilla glue or something. Then you may want to cover that with some felt to keep it moving smoothly.
As you may be able to see, I moved everything along the top of the door all of the way in. You can see the white circles where the paint is scuffed off - this is where the bolts were from the factory. The front and rear guide were moved inboard about half an inch from the factory setting. There is a bolt hidden behind the panel, located about where I placed the letter “D”. This is the rear window stop. I loosened this and tried a variety of different positions. None of this made any difference. It was a waste of 2 days of my life. You’re better off to take up smoking if you just want to take days off of your life.
Behind the bolt lettered “B” there’s a block covered by a piece of felt. the block is on the inside of the door, on the outside of the glass. I used to work for an automotive manufacturer and I kept a bunch of this automotive grade felt with an adhesive backing. I built this block up about 6mm thicker than stock by adding 3 or 4 layers of felt. This pushes the glass inboard at the correct location to meet my needs. I don’t know how long this will last once it starts getting wet and with the window rubbing against it while the window is in motion but it works. The window closes right every time. There is nothing in the design of this door that can push the window inboard.
It may be better long term to find a delron shim of the correct thickness and adhering it to the inside of the door with some gorilla glue or something. Then you may want to cover that with some felt to keep it moving smoothly.
Last edited by Rathbone; May 2, 2010 at 09:16 PM.
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Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: North Texas
95 Window Tip-In and Scratches
Rathbone
I'm having problems with my drivers and pass side windows getting scratches on the outside of the window. These scratches are being caused by the felt covered bar on the outside of the window. I've looked at the felt and it seems to be OK, but it is now 17 years old, and it looks to be wearing out. This felt is the only source of the scratches on the outside of the window. I've adjusted the tip-in a little further in to reduce the scratching, but it still scratches.
My question is what is the type of automotive grade felt you used to recover the bar on the window? I need to recover these bars to keep from scratching.
I'm having problems with my drivers and pass side windows getting scratches on the outside of the window. These scratches are being caused by the felt covered bar on the outside of the window. I've looked at the felt and it seems to be OK, but it is now 17 years old, and it looks to be wearing out. This felt is the only source of the scratches on the outside of the window. I've adjusted the tip-in a little further in to reduce the scratching, but it still scratches.
My question is what is the type of automotive grade felt you used to recover the bar on the window? I need to recover these bars to keep from scratching.
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
On my 92 I moved the rear inside felt in toward center of car (loosened) This might be all you have to do. I also moved the front inside felt out toward outside of car (tightened) on mine. Stopped the scratching on the rear of the window and it still shuts right. Picked up new inside felts they called it anti rattle cushions from Wilcox (did not use though because the originals were still perfect) don't know if they carry the outside bar felt.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 407
Likes: 0
From: Palm Coast Florida
I used to work for a company that made parts from felt and 'non-woven' fabrics for Honda and a few other OEM's. I saved some scraps while I was working there for use around the house etc. To get a similar product you might have to get creative.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Portsmouth VA
Here is a full procedure for adjusting the door and the window. If your doors are adjusted properly skip down to the window adjustment...Hope this helps..WW
Adjustment Procedure for a Corvette C4 Side Window
The first step in this process is to check the alignment of the door. Roll the window down. close the door. If it closes easily, move on to the glass adjustment described below. If it doesn't, first check to see if it is sagging by closing the door as far as possible WITHOUT latching and check the alignment of the belt molding at the rear of the door and the short piece of belt molding on the body in front of the rear wheel. They should be at the same height. My door was sagging by about 3/8".
To adjust the door you will need to remove the lower rocker vent panel (the piece behind the front wheel) to gain access to the lower door hinge bolts. Then loosen the bolts connecting the hinges to the body ONLY. Then get a helper or a floor jack with a piece of wood, open the door slightly, and raise the back of the door up so the belt molding on the back of the door is just slightly higher than the one on the car body. Retighten the hinge to body bolts, remove support and re-check to see if the door belt molding and body belt molding heights are level with each other. Once you get this correct, you can move on to adjusting how the door meets at the lower sill and "A" pillar. This is done by checking to see if the door is adjusted too far in or out at the top by first referencing how the top of the door lines up with the hood. My door was in about 3/16" further than the hood. I also noticed too much contact at the top front of the door when closing. (press door closed with outside door handle held up so you can really feel what is happening) By loosening all of the hinge to door bolts only, the door can be moved and checked for premature contact against the car body. Try to get the door to close without contacting any part of the body too soon (ideally you want the door to close flat on the body so you have even pressure along the weatherstripping, which on the door goes down the front of the door and along the bottom of the door sill) then tighten the bolts. Once you are satisfied with how the door closes, its time to move on to the glass.
Roll up the window and slowly close the door. Watch the weatherstrip while doing this. The weatherstrip should compress slightly but evenly along the "a" pillar and the roof. You can further check this by closing the door on a dollar bill and pulling the bill out. You should feel a slight resistance on the bill at any point. Another check is to turn the A/C or heat blower on high, close the door, and spray soapy water along the weatherstrip to see if it bubbles, indicating an air leak.
If you need to adjust the glass, remove the door panel. Before making any adjustments, first close the door with the window up and put a strip of masking tape on the outside of the glass next to and parallel with the outer door sill weatherstrip. Next, run another strip of tape on the sill weatherstrip itself butted up to the tape on the glass. This will give you a vertical reference of where your glass was when you started. Next, draw a vertical line across both pieces of tape at 2" intervals. This will give you a horizontal reference of the same. Once you roll the window down halfway to access the bolts, loosen them, and the glass slides around, you will not know where it was when you started unless you have these references. The shop manual suggests scribing around the washers for the bolts holding the glass, but I don't think it is nearly as accurate.
Roll the window down far enough to access the three bolts holding the glass in place. Move it where you think it needs to go. Retighten and check. It will take some trial and error to get it right, but it is well worth it. There is also a way to tilt the glass in or out; by loosening one 10mm bolt near the top rear of the door if you think that might help. Perform the leak test described above. When everything seems right, reinstall the lower vented rocker panel you removed to adjust the door and it is time to test drive before putting the door panel back on.
Before you test drive, grab a big heavy towel or blanket, get in the car and close the door. Tuck the edge of the blanket into the top of the doorsill and push the rest against the doorframe. This will silence the road and wind noise you would otherwise have with the door panel off. You should be able to hear any air leaks and correct them before putting the door panel back on this way.
One more tip: If you can't seem to eliminate all of the wind noise, try taping the seams between the windshield and the roof panel and the side of the windshield where it meets the "a" pillar. You might have a leaking windshield that was not installed properly or a top that needs adjustment and mistake that for side window noise.
The adjustment sounds more complex than it really is . I assume the door is not sagging and the hinges do not require adjustment. You first post indicates you just replaced the w'stripping on the door. There are two adustment that allow the door to fit the weatherstripping.
The first and easiest adjustment is the height or location where the window stops going up (and down). This location where the window stops can be modified by moving some stops. To determine if this is the adjustment that is needed, do the following:
1. let someone sit in the car and let the window down two or three inches from the top. Do this with the door open. Then close the door. Have the person in the car raise the window up until it stops. The main reference point is to check the read edge of the window to see if it is parallel to the edge of the roof of the car.....and the spacing from the glass to the roof should be about 5/8 inch measured perpendicular to the edge of the glass. Also, as the glass reaches its upper stopping point, did the upper edge of the glass change tilt (angle) as the stop is reached. If the alignment of the rear edge of the glass is good (5/8" spacing and parallel) and/or the angle changed, the upper stops need adjustment. These stops are accessable with the aluminum shield in the door. The front stop is in the front eged of the door and is a 10 mm hex bolt. The rear is located in the rear and is also a 10 mm hex bolt. The window motor works like this: the motor draws a certain amount of current when raising or lowering the window. When the glass encountered a stop, the current to the motor goes up and this trips an electrical switch in the motor and the motor stops. Sooooo, changing the stops changes the stopping point of the glass. Play with the position of both (upper) stops until you get the glass parallel to the top w'stripping AND to the rear roof panel.
The second adjustment is that the glass may be moved up, down, forward and to the rear by loosening TWO special fasteners that secure the glass to the mechanical arms. Unless your car has been wrecked, the glass changed or someone has screwed with the factory position, this adjustment is not necessary. This is a tough job and will take some time to complete, if this adjustment is needed. The aluminum panel must be removed to move the glass on the mecanical arms.
The adjustments that I made to my 89 were with the two upper stops. The glass went up correctly and when it reached the top, the glass tilted position and the edge was not parallel to the roof top. Getting the upper stops in the correct location to seal the window and not damage the upper rubber took some trial and error....but I did it!
Sorry this is so long.
Adjustment Procedure for a Corvette C4 Side Window
The first step in this process is to check the alignment of the door. Roll the window down. close the door. If it closes easily, move on to the glass adjustment described below. If it doesn't, first check to see if it is sagging by closing the door as far as possible WITHOUT latching and check the alignment of the belt molding at the rear of the door and the short piece of belt molding on the body in front of the rear wheel. They should be at the same height. My door was sagging by about 3/8".
To adjust the door you will need to remove the lower rocker vent panel (the piece behind the front wheel) to gain access to the lower door hinge bolts. Then loosen the bolts connecting the hinges to the body ONLY. Then get a helper or a floor jack with a piece of wood, open the door slightly, and raise the back of the door up so the belt molding on the back of the door is just slightly higher than the one on the car body. Retighten the hinge to body bolts, remove support and re-check to see if the door belt molding and body belt molding heights are level with each other. Once you get this correct, you can move on to adjusting how the door meets at the lower sill and "A" pillar. This is done by checking to see if the door is adjusted too far in or out at the top by first referencing how the top of the door lines up with the hood. My door was in about 3/16" further than the hood. I also noticed too much contact at the top front of the door when closing. (press door closed with outside door handle held up so you can really feel what is happening) By loosening all of the hinge to door bolts only, the door can be moved and checked for premature contact against the car body. Try to get the door to close without contacting any part of the body too soon (ideally you want the door to close flat on the body so you have even pressure along the weatherstripping, which on the door goes down the front of the door and along the bottom of the door sill) then tighten the bolts. Once you are satisfied with how the door closes, its time to move on to the glass.
Roll up the window and slowly close the door. Watch the weatherstrip while doing this. The weatherstrip should compress slightly but evenly along the "a" pillar and the roof. You can further check this by closing the door on a dollar bill and pulling the bill out. You should feel a slight resistance on the bill at any point. Another check is to turn the A/C or heat blower on high, close the door, and spray soapy water along the weatherstrip to see if it bubbles, indicating an air leak.
If you need to adjust the glass, remove the door panel. Before making any adjustments, first close the door with the window up and put a strip of masking tape on the outside of the glass next to and parallel with the outer door sill weatherstrip. Next, run another strip of tape on the sill weatherstrip itself butted up to the tape on the glass. This will give you a vertical reference of where your glass was when you started. Next, draw a vertical line across both pieces of tape at 2" intervals. This will give you a horizontal reference of the same. Once you roll the window down halfway to access the bolts, loosen them, and the glass slides around, you will not know where it was when you started unless you have these references. The shop manual suggests scribing around the washers for the bolts holding the glass, but I don't think it is nearly as accurate.
Roll the window down far enough to access the three bolts holding the glass in place. Move it where you think it needs to go. Retighten and check. It will take some trial and error to get it right, but it is well worth it. There is also a way to tilt the glass in or out; by loosening one 10mm bolt near the top rear of the door if you think that might help. Perform the leak test described above. When everything seems right, reinstall the lower vented rocker panel you removed to adjust the door and it is time to test drive before putting the door panel back on.
Before you test drive, grab a big heavy towel or blanket, get in the car and close the door. Tuck the edge of the blanket into the top of the doorsill and push the rest against the doorframe. This will silence the road and wind noise you would otherwise have with the door panel off. You should be able to hear any air leaks and correct them before putting the door panel back on this way.
One more tip: If you can't seem to eliminate all of the wind noise, try taping the seams between the windshield and the roof panel and the side of the windshield where it meets the "a" pillar. You might have a leaking windshield that was not installed properly or a top that needs adjustment and mistake that for side window noise.
The adjustment sounds more complex than it really is . I assume the door is not sagging and the hinges do not require adjustment. You first post indicates you just replaced the w'stripping on the door. There are two adustment that allow the door to fit the weatherstripping.
The first and easiest adjustment is the height or location where the window stops going up (and down). This location where the window stops can be modified by moving some stops. To determine if this is the adjustment that is needed, do the following:
1. let someone sit in the car and let the window down two or three inches from the top. Do this with the door open. Then close the door. Have the person in the car raise the window up until it stops. The main reference point is to check the read edge of the window to see if it is parallel to the edge of the roof of the car.....and the spacing from the glass to the roof should be about 5/8 inch measured perpendicular to the edge of the glass. Also, as the glass reaches its upper stopping point, did the upper edge of the glass change tilt (angle) as the stop is reached. If the alignment of the rear edge of the glass is good (5/8" spacing and parallel) and/or the angle changed, the upper stops need adjustment. These stops are accessable with the aluminum shield in the door. The front stop is in the front eged of the door and is a 10 mm hex bolt. The rear is located in the rear and is also a 10 mm hex bolt. The window motor works like this: the motor draws a certain amount of current when raising or lowering the window. When the glass encountered a stop, the current to the motor goes up and this trips an electrical switch in the motor and the motor stops. Sooooo, changing the stops changes the stopping point of the glass. Play with the position of both (upper) stops until you get the glass parallel to the top w'stripping AND to the rear roof panel.
The second adjustment is that the glass may be moved up, down, forward and to the rear by loosening TWO special fasteners that secure the glass to the mechanical arms. Unless your car has been wrecked, the glass changed or someone has screwed with the factory position, this adjustment is not necessary. This is a tough job and will take some time to complete, if this adjustment is needed. The aluminum panel must be removed to move the glass on the mecanical arms.
The adjustments that I made to my 89 were with the two upper stops. The glass went up correctly and when it reached the top, the glass tilted position and the edge was not parallel to the roof top. Getting the upper stops in the correct location to seal the window and not damage the upper rubber took some trial and error....but I did it!
Sorry this is so long.
Is this referring to the top 10mm regulator bolt closest to the rear of the door on? I had to replace the entire regulator and the angle at the top is what I’m struggling with.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 429
Likes: 18
From: Slinger Wisconsin
WW7... would most of these instructions apply to a 1985 also???? My ribbon broke so I decided to up grade to scissors type. Window down door closes perfectly...window up very front corner hits weather strip on "A" pillar and will not allow door to close????
Sorry for hi-jacking thread but just too much knowledge here to ignore it.
P.S. I've probably got about 30-40 wasted hours into to it.
Sorry for hi-jacking thread but just too much knowledge here to ignore it.
P.S. I've probably got about 30-40 wasted hours into to it.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Portsmouth VA
WW7... would most of these instructions apply to a 1985 also???? My ribbon broke so I decided to up grade to scissors type. Window down door closes perfectly...window up very front corner hits weather strip on "A" pillar and will not allow door to close????
Sorry for hi-jacking thread but just too much knowledge here to ignore it.
P.S. I've probably got about 30-40 wasted hours into to it.
Sorry for hi-jacking thread but just too much knowledge here to ignore it.
P.S. I've probably got about 30-40 wasted hours into to it.
Last edited by rmytych; Aug 15, 2018 at 01:33 PM.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2023
Posts: 21
Likes: 2
From: Waikiki, HI
Did you ever find a fix for this problem? I replaced my regulator with the scissor style and am about to go crazy fidgeting with these bolts inside the door panel.
