Typical "rod locks" here, simply lever off the rod then slide the rod though the hole.
Images 0060 and 0061 skipped. these plugs are a nightmare if you have fat fingers like myself, not only that they are a very tight fit in a rather confined space, I recommend using a remote power supply once the regulator is out rather then connecting and disconnecting these plugs.
Image 0065.Four screws are required to remove the door trim, then it is a matter of prying the plastic retainers behind the trim to completely remove the trim from the door.
Image 0072.This is the housing for the steel gear that operates the entire rubbish set up, note hair like fragments, these are worn particles of steel and aluminium caused by lack of grease, this will of course expediate the demise of this already poor design.
Image 0073.As can be seen here the entire flexi cog is clogged with worn steel.
Image 0074.Flexi cog in its correct location.
Image 0075.Now you should be able to see the whole picture, this steel gear drives the flexible cable (cog) and pushes and pulls the window up and down.
Image 0076.these tabs need to be opened to release the elbow from the runner, please be careful here as the plastic is brittle and breaks easily....as I found out.
Image 0079.This is the business end of the cable, this is where part of the modifications will be made.
Image 0080.All I have done here is slide the cable back into the tube (runner), this is the only reason you need to remove the tabbed elbow as the cable once past this point simply refuses to go back in.
Image 0083.This image is showing where I broke the elbow at the tab, again take care here.
Image 0084.This is the culprit, for those who have already noticed what this is and said "OMG!" I agree whole heartedly, this for those who have not noticed is what connects the window to the flexi cog, note the serrated edges, these fit into the gaps of the cog and the cable simply goes up and down pushing or pulling the window along for the ride.........JOKE!.
Image 0086.This is simply showing the amount of nylon lost before the window fails, my regulator made no noise and gave no warning it was about to fail, glad it wasn't raining.
Image 0087.1/8 drill should be used, anything larger will weaken the structure, anything smaller will likely fail or be too thin to work with..
Image 0091.Drilling the hole central is critical, if you miss-align then the entire job is a waste of time, make sure you get this right, the job must be secure and a clear line of sight be available as you cannot do this on a pedestal drill press.
Image 0093.This section must be cut away to allow room for our nut and bolt replacement / improvement, I simply used my angle grinder.....I wasn't really lazy I had just forgotten where I had left my files ;)
Image 0094.Note that the bolt is dead center, this is a must, take your time with this job from start to finish, because we are not only dealing with being precise, but also we are dealing with brittle rubbish.
Image 0096.Cut away shown with bolt, washer and nut in place (test fit), now this is done it's time to move on to the guide and slide mechanism that wasn't present before, but will be when we are finished.
Image 0097.This is my not so portable power supply, but it sure beats hooking up those plugs for testing, most will not have anything like this, so I suggest using a car battery for bench testing.
Image 0099. I made this slide from mild steel from an old bracket I had lying about, it doesn't have to be pretty, just functional, make sure you test it for correct height before you do anything drastic.
Image 0100. I am using a allen key head bolt, this is not required, it was all I had that was the correct fit. Again most people probably wont have these lying about so a trip to your hobby store maybe required as this is a muffler bolt for a OS .46 model aircraft engine.
Image 0103. OK Now you should all see why it is critical to get the correct height of the slider right, one or two millimeters to high is OK, any higher and you will have binding issues.
Image 0105.Again I stress to take your time here, get your job level and straight, if you wreck this you MUST make another slider and supply another bolt.
Image 0107. I could not take images of the welding process due to the fact I work on my own, I decided to mig my project however for those who do not own a mig or have little experience with them I highly recommend brazing the two together, this will require two people though as you cannot "tack and go" with brazing.
Image 0108. OK almost done, run a few tests of the slider first, I actually opened the gap a little to make sure I would not have any binding, failing that it works as good as new only stronger and more reliable. The rest of the images speak for themselves, refitting of trim is the reverse of taking it off. Happy Jeeping, I hope this guide helps you save money and gives you the pleasure of saying "I did it myself". Terry Halmshaw.
