ĦMR.AWESOME!

iTrader: (2)

So I took out all the guts of my door today. As everyone with a 3rd gen has been at one time or another, I am annoyed with how slow the windows go up. So I am going to clean and lube all the guides and replace the motor. I noticed, however, that the regulator spring puts tension on the arm so as to help with the lowering of the window. This is counterintuitive to me. Would it not be best to help the motor raise the window? Is that even the correct orientation for the spring, or is mine on backwards?

So I be thinking, maybe I can take the spring off and put it on the other way. Perhaps that'll help the windows raise faster. But how oh how do I go about safely removing and installing a spiral wound spring? Any answers?

ĦMR.AWESOME!

iTrader: (2)

Well. That was easy. The spring's force is easily overcome by pulling on the long arm of the regulator. Upon discovering this, I decided to make a little jig out of wood to attach the regulator to. I locked the regulator from moving using some wire and unbolted the motor. Then, I marked where the bolt holes on the regulator were on to the wood, drilled the holes and inserted some long bolts through the regulator and wood. That held it still while I undid the wire and held on to the long arm to keep it from flying around. I slowly let the arm swing and the spring unwind until there was no more tension. It was only about a half turn. After that, the spring can just be lifted out.

I'm thinking I'm going to flip the spring around so that the force of the spring is helping, rather than hindering, the rise of the window. If anyone has any reason that this should not be done, please, speak now or forever hold your peace.

l_dis_travlr

This is intriguing.

Consider me as skeptible, but willing to wait for the results.
Keep as posted on the progress.

Motopsyco

yea, id like to know how it turns out too, Something I would have never thought of, probably cuz I figure they did it that way for a reason, but you never know.

ĦMR.AWESOME!

iTrader: (2)

So i took out the passenger side stuff as well. The passenger side spring was oriented the correct way. Go figure. It's funny 'cause my drivers side window motor would make this horrible croaking/groaning/dying noise when rolling the window up and my passenger side would do it when rolling down. It was whichever way the motor had to work against the spring. I disassembled everything, cut up my fingers, cleaned everything, unbolted the motors (except for one damn bolt that I had to grind off), took out the drivers spring and flipped it around the so it was the same as the passenger side (helping the window go up), put new motors on, lubed everything up and reinstalled it all in the car.

Gone are the horrid noises. Replaced with the cheerful whine of fresh motors pushing well-lubricated guides along well-lubricated rails all while being assisted by correctly oriented springs. Life is good.

The other fantastic thing is that while I was at it, I was able to get the adjustment of the window just right. I don't have to slam the doors anymore!

So, overall, this project kicked my a**, but it was well worth it.

I took some pics for your viewing pleasure. I took all the tension off the springs and stopped the regulator arm right where there was no more tension for both the drivers side (left) and passenger side (right) so you can really see the difference. The first pic is a close up of the difference between the orientation of the springs. The second shows how wrong the drivers side regulator is. The third is once I put the drivers spring the correct way.







Another thing I noticed is that the pin that the spring sits in/goes around, wasn't oriented the exact same on the drivers side as the passenger side. I guess it just depends on how the pin was turned when it was manufactured. This causes the spring on one side to provide more force than the spring on the other side when the regulator arms are in the exact same position. One spring is more twisted than the other. on my car, the difference is small, but it's there. Someone else's car may tell a different story.

Them be my findin's

l_dis_travlr

Well la-de-frickin'-da.
You get the award for the WEEK!

It's easy to see how a mistake like that could be made!
The question is, has it been like that since it left Ventura CA,
or did some other bozo serviceman create that later?

Mine doesn't sound that bad, but this is definitely a keeper
for reference when I crack my doors open.

ĦMR.AWESOME!

iTrader: (2)

My girl is actually Canadian, but yea who knows how long it's been that way. The guy who had it before me screwed up all sorts of stuff, but I doubt he would have the brain power to even get at the spring. Someone had previously replaced the window motors. It may have gotten messed up then. If sheet metal could talk...