QuestionQUESTION: I am replacing the front door glass on a 1998 Ford Expedition. For epoxying the glass to the brackets, how do I position the brackets properly on the glass? Thanks.
ANSWER: Hi Ken,
Your question is a bit confusing. Why do you need to re-glue the mounting brackets? The replacement glass (used or new) should come with the brackets attached. Please tell me more about what you are trying to accomplish.
Thanks, Ben .... the power window guy.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: OK, I screwed up! The brackets pulled loose from the glass because the window was iced up. I took the brackets out to clean them, and cleaned the glass, but I didn't mark where the brackets re-attach. I did this to BOTH sides, so I don't have a reference.
AnswerHi Ken,
You have created a difficult situation. The best solution is to get the measurements off a new or used piece of glass. If you can't find someone nice enough to give you that information, you can always take off your passenger door panel, take the measurements from the passenger glass and then transfer them (in reverse) to your driver door glass.
If all else fails, here is how I would approach determining the proper location.
1. Clean the glass brackets (I use a drill bit) and adjust the opening width so the brackets slide on to the glass without too much pressure, but will stay attached to the glass without falling off. Don't get them too tight: you want to be able move them fairly easily.
2. With the glass in the door about five or six inches down, put the brackets on the glass (no glue yet) in approximately the position you think they belong. (NOTE: the left bracket has the stud on the left side. The right hand bracket has the stud on the right side.) Raise the glass all the way up and keep it up with a rubber door stop or piece of tape.
3. Slowly move the window regulator up until the lifting channel is within a few inches from the top. You can get a pretty good idea of how far left/right the lifting channel should be positioned by referencing the access holes in the door shell.
4. Lower the glass so that the brackets meet the lifting channel.
5. Adjust the location of the brackets so that the studs on the brackets align with the holes in the lifting channel. Pull the lifting channel toward you so that you can lower the glass another inch or so and then slid the lifting channel over the studs.
6. Here is the hard part. You need to slowly lower the regulator while someone puts downward pressure on the glass so the brackets don't pull off. Since your switch has "auto down" it is really difficult to do. Practice using the switch first before you do steps 2, 3, 4, & 5.
7. Once you have lowered the window at three quarters of the way down, raise the glass back up until it reaches a few inches from the top. At this point the mounting brackets and the lifting channel should have slid left or right into their correct positions.
8. Make the appropriate marks on the glass to locate the brackets.
9. Now you can pull the glass out, install the brackets with epoxy and then reassemble everything once the epoxy is dry.
Good luck with your project. Let me know if you need more help.
Ben .... the power window guy.
