Manual rear window?

[RobTav63]

kinf of a stupid banal question, but after seeing some listings, I’m curious - I’ve never had a manual rear window (always lucky enough to have a working electric one - even at its worst, I got it up and down with a little manipulation), but you guys with manual rear windows, are you just crawling over your seats to get back there and roll the damn thing down? When I think about all the crazy shit I haul around, and how much of it camps out back there for weeks at a time, I can’t even imagine it. I’d sooner rivet a piano hinge and make a hatch.

 

[imiceman44]

kinf of a stupid banal question, but after seeing some listings, I’m curious - I’ve never had a manual rear window (always lucky enough to have a working electric one - even at its worst, I got it up and down with a little manipulation), but you guys with manual rear windows, are you just crawling over your seats to get back there and roll the damn thing down? When I think about all the crazy shit I haul around, and how much of it camps out back there for weeks at a time, I can’t even imagine it. I’d sooner rivet a piano hinge and make a hatch.

The crank is on the outside.
Still a pain...

 

[RobTav63]

The crank is on the outside.
Still a pain...

So it locks?

 

[imiceman44]

So it locks?

Yes.
I will see if I can find one on my shelf and get you a few pics of how it works.
It's a crappy design.

 

[ZooMad75]

Yes.
I will see if I can find one on my shelf and get you a few pics of how it works.
It's a crappy design.

I ditched the electric one in my 91 and swapped in the manual regulator and crank from my 75. Honestly, they are both crappy setups. Wiring/switches fail on the electric and cranks break on the manuals. However, most issues on either are usually directly related to the regulators in either setup being poorly lubricated. If the rollers are dry in either, they drag a bunch. That's what leads to the crank breaking on a manual and the motor frying itself and the wiring/switches in the electric.

Key point here, lube your stuff. With either setup, lubrication goes a long way.

Personally, I wanted to eliminate the complexity since a previous owner hacked my wiring to bits. I can crank my setup down or up with 2 fingers. If the electric frags out you will be climbing over the seat, removing the panel and using a drill to chuck up the cable and wind it down or up that way. The thought of that being done with a weekend or week's worth of camping gear out back was not something I wanted to deal with.

The ironic thing is I've got to pull the gate off completely to run the camper.

 

[RobTav63]

Zoo, 100% on lubing the regulators. I was having drag issues with my lectric, and got in a bind a few times trying to get music gear in and out - once, couldn’t get it out at a gig - another time, couldn’t get it closed during a downpour. After the latter incident I decided to tinker with it. Greased it up with bike-chain grease and never had an issue again. Motor was still tired, but always opened and closed without binding.

 

[JT88K5]

After replacing the sweeps and weatherstrip, I hosed those down with silicon spray. I hit it 2 or 3 times a year. Window runs twice as fast. Particularly when putting it down. That’s a lot of glass to move, any drag that can be eliminated helps.

 

[nbrown2500]

I gutted my electric rear window and installed a manual setup. After three times up and down it broke. They are both crappy designs. I welded a socket on to the regulator and use a 3/8 ratchet. I cut the back off the handle to clear the socket while still retaining the tumbler to "lock" the back. And yes all hardware in the tailgate is new.