QuestionQUESTION: i was wondering if you could tell me where i could get a good priced window or door for 97 jeep cherokee sport? my passenger side window is broken. Its a 2dr cherokee, 4.0.
thanks
heather
ANSWER: Hi Heather,
I've found a great resource close to where I live for glass, body trim, body parts, etc. at a local "self service" wrecking yard. You take your tool kit out with you into the yard and take the parts you need yourself. If you've got a similar set up where you live you'll probably find the best deal on your window there. If you aren't handy with doing stuff like that, call on a friend who is, if you can.
It's worth asking anyway. There are also a number of aftermarket stores who specialize in body parts for foreign and domestic models but be careful. Yeah, the stuff is substantially cheaper than going to the dealer or an auto glass shop but in my experience it's usually very low quality material.
Hope this is helpful,
Kenji
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: thank you for your help, i did find a place that has one but i have to go take it out. i was wondering if you could tell me how to take out the window? never done it before.
thanks,
heather
AnswerHi again Heather,
First of all I think it's awesome you're going to go do it yourself. Lots of people would be afraid to do it. Here's how: Remove the arm rest on the door panel, two philips head screws secure it under where you lay your arm if you're riding shotgun. The arm rest is still attached at the top so swing it up toward the top of the door and pull it out. There are three a small phillips head screws securing the trim panel at the handle, remove three screws and slide the trim piece off of the handle. Unplug switches if power window equipped and remove it. Okay, the handle has two small metal rods connected to it. One operates the latch the other the lock. Detach the rods by pulling the little plastic piece snapped onto the rod off, and lifting the rod out of it's socket. Take a screw driver and pry the window crank (handle)off. Keep the crank handy, you're going to roll down the window with it after you remove the panel if your donor jeep doesn't have power windows. The door panel itself is attached to the door with these little ribbed plastic things that push into holes in the sheet metal behind the panel so work your fingers or a flat blade screw driver under the panel and gently start lifting the panel, releasing the fasteners from the holes. Those little fasteners get brittle as they age and some may break. No big, save all the good ones and take them with you in case you break some taking off your panel! Be careful especially when you pull the panel on your own door because it's made of pressed board and you can break the area around the fasteners if you aren't careful then the fasteners wont attach to the back of your panel very well leaving it loose, not good. The panel is off now right? Good! Stay with me, you can do this. Lower the window now and pull out of the door the rubber channels the window slides in on the sides. After you do this the glass kind of rattles around in the metal channel right? Now you're going to loosen that metal channel. Follow the channel down into the door, you'll find a "torx" head screw take it out. A torx head screw looks like a star. If you don't have any torx head screw drivers sometimes you can use an allen wrench but you'll need to bring the whole set to match the size of the star shape. Now remove the wing window. There are two phillips head screws above the frame, on the diagonal side of the wing window. Take them out, tilt the wing window frame back into the big window opening and pull it out. You're almost there. There's a hole in the bottom of the window with a stud and nut. Remove the nut and washer then tilt the glass to detach it from the stud and pull the window out of the door from the top. You're done! Follow these directions backward to put the window in your jeep. You're going to be a pro when you're done. I know it's alot, I hope this helps you. Let me know how it goes okay?
