Window crank / door handle disassembly

[steelandcanvas]

My door latch is sticky, window cranks a little stiff. How difficult is it to remove these items from the door and clean and lubricate and re-install? The procedure seems straight forward, but I'd like to see who has done this before I attempt it.

 

[WillWagner]

You can actually do it without removing the crank mechanisim. Remove the panel at the bottom, scoop up some grease with your finger and smear it on the gears and latch from the inside...I have long arms

 

[acetomatoco]

and spray silicone in the channels of the window runner and white grease on the latch mechanism... the cans with the red nozzle extension are great for this job... while you are in the door, vacuum out all the crud in the bottom and spray rust preventive (preventative is not a word) goo in there making sure the drain holes are kept open...

 

[doghead]

preventative is not a word

preventive or preventative

The words are often used interchangeably to denote whatever prevents something else happening or occurring, especially when it is undesirable. However, preventative is often applied to an actual object, especially in noun form, while preventive is mostly reserved for an abstract concept, and remains an adjective: Preventive medicine regards vitamin C as an effective preventative against colds.


© From the Hutchinson Encyclopaedia.

pre·ven·ta·tive (prĭ-vĕn'tə-tĭv)
adj. & n.
Variant of preventive.

 

[maddawg308]

Yeah, make sure you do any greasing of the gears in the door assembly through the bottom access panel. I learned the hard way this weekend, DO NOT TAKE THE WHOLE INSIDE DOOR PANEL OFF, it will make reassembling everything a real pain in the you know what!

 

[sailor2000]

Re: RE: Window crank / door handle disassembly

Yeah, make sure you do any greasing of the gears in the door assembly through the bottom access panel. I learned the hard way this weekend, DO NOT TAKE THE WHOLE INSIDE DOOR PANEL OFF, it will make reassembling everything a real pain in the you know what!

Ummm.. I only see one access panel on the inside of the door.... I am confused (which is less and less unusual as the years pass)....

 

[acetomatoco]

RE: Re: RE: Window crank / door handle disassembly

The six little sheetmetal self tapping phillips head screws remove the only interior access panel on M Series (REO) style truck doors... Preventatively preventing preventive maintenance from being prepared prematurely by pereambulating protruding producers of preventive maintenance..

 

[houdel]

RE: Re: RE: Window crank / door handle disassembly

To reiterate, preventively, DO NOT remove the door latch or window crank mechanisms unless they are completely FUBAR. I am a fairly small guy, 5'-9", 160 lbs. My drivers side door latch WAS fubar and I had to R&R it. In a stroke of dim brilliance, I thought removing the window crank mechanism (technically known as the window regulator) would make the R&R of the door latch easier. WRONG! Do NOT undertake any task which requires jamming your forearms through the door access hole and trying to remove, repair or replace anything inside the door unless that item is totally inoperative. The window regulator is powered by a coil spring and will strike like a rattlesnake with no notice. Unless you are a 90 lb weakling, there is no way to get your forearms up inside the door without slicing them to ribbons on all the razor sharp braces and reinforcements that are welded inside the door. Squirt lubricant up, down and sideways, crank the window up and down and lubricate every moving part you can see, but take components out only if absolutely necessary! The TM procedure makes replacing those parts look like a walk in the park, in reality is is more like a low crawl over razor edged barbed wire!

 

[MikeON]

My passenger side window comes down by itself, from the engine vibration. It cranks very easy both directions.

I did remove the window regulator and tried to tighten up the spring by 1/2 turn, but the spring would then wind up tight before the regulator could be cranked to the fully open position. You are right - it is a royal pain to get the regulator in and out.

I'm thinking that replacing the weather stripping on the window will help. Anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[devilman96]

Disassembling the whole door is made much easier by taking it off of the truck... It’s a pain but it makes getting the window reg and latching assy back in MUCH easier with it laid flat..

Grease will help the reg and latch assembly but using it on the window runs (weather stripping channel that the window actually sits in) is a bad deal. These are coated with a petroleum based rubber and the grease dissolves this coating making it sticky, over time this removes the coating and felt with it leaving the window assembly loose in the track. (MikeON this sounds like your issue)....

At the same time while the window is loose in the track... due to the excess slop the window tends to bind up from being pushed out of square while cranking the window regulator up and down... This also tears up the regulators over time.

Replacing 20-30 year old window runs will usually buy you a lot of trouble free operation... Even still these things will never be a Cadillac.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Devilman, Do you stock those "window runs"? Can't remember seeing them on your site.

 

[houdel]

If you really feel you gotta do something, then replace the door channels and weatherstrips. But as devilman96 points out, do NOT lube any of this stuff. The system was designed to operate properly (to 1950s standards) without lube. Start squirting some lube on these rubber parts, the rubber will dissolve, and you will be worse off than when you started! As stated, you do NOT have a 2007 Cadillac! You have what is basically a 1950 gofer truck. Keep that in mind, treat the truck accordingly, and it will perform as well as any 1950 vehicle can be expected to perform! DON'T expect to be driving a 2007 AMG, it ain't gonna happen unless you have a money tree in you back yard. Live with what you got! Yes, you CAN make a few improvements, but it will NEVER be as smooth as your new mini van!

 

[devilman96]

Devilman, Do you stock those "window runs"? Can't remember seeing them on your site.

Yeah they are a new listing as of two weeks ago…

http://odiron.com/store/index.php?cPath=4_56_92

When I rebuilt my truck last year I was really frustrated when trying to find all of the weather stripping parts, I think it took over 8 weeks and 3 different suppliers to get everything I needed. The window runs I ended up with were surplus parts and I’ve never been happy with them as they were sticky from rubber decomposition when I bought them… Being that I now sell parts these (and all of the weather stripping on the truck) were a personal pet peeve for me..... So...

After a few months of effort I am now listing all of the weather stripping on the truck with the exceptions of the rear window seals for hard tops. All of the parts are new production… No surplus!!!!

I am working on putting together weather stripping kits and am breaking the truck up into sections for this, Windshield, RH Door, LH Door, etc. It will take another week or two in order to get the kits set up but all of the parts are currently listed, in stock and available to ship.

 

[JDToumanian]

Unless you are a 90 lb weakling, there is no way to get your forearms up inside the door without slicing them to ribbons on all the razor sharp braces and reinforcements that are welded inside the door.

I think you're jealous, Lee. You wish you had skinny little arms that can reach all the way up there like mine!

 

[houdel]

I think you're jealous, Lee. You wish you had skinny little arms that can reach all the way up there like mine!

JT, I think YOU are jealous that at age 61 I still have forearms like Paul Bunyan and buns of steel!

 

[devilman96]

Careful... Clinto is gonna get exctied again! LMFAO!

 

[zak]

Lee I feel your pain as I just had to replace the glass,runs and locks in my doors as they were broken and rusted out. Only the window regulators still worked. The skin on my arms lost the battle. As a side note I spent my youth( 40+ years ago) every summer camping and 4 wheeling on the tower line between Luther and Chase. And hunting still in the fall from our cabin on the line south of Luther.

 

[houdel]

As a side note I spent my youth.... 4 wheeling on the tower line between Luther and Chase.

I've had the Deuce up those very same trails. Keep hoping to round a bend or crest a hill and find an ATV coming at me from the opposite direction just to see the panic in their eyes!