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Plexiglass rear window

Oh yea? I was just gunna run a weatherstriping peice kinda like Windows on the top of the tailgate, but I don't use the rear that much? Tow strap its mud sand toy but also my daily driver, so sooner or later my sub n amp and stereo will go in it but that's when everything else gets buttoned up, I need body mounts bad, out on the trail and I have like 6" suspension travel and 3-4" body travel off the frame its bad, had one body mount just fall out bushing and all know any complete kits that won't hurt my piggy bank?
 
I got mine from energy suspension. 100 bucks for the poly kit with new bolts and washers. Used a scissor jack between body and frame and did them one at a time. Wasn't too bad. Hardest ones were the ones under the radiator core support.
 
I keep seeing people mention screwing in the window to stay up. I'm assuming that means no-ones really tried to replace the rear window on a functioning tailgate like the electric roll-up? I replaced the motor in mine and its pretty weak. I know I need to probably clean and grease the track and the regulator but having a lighter window will certainly help and I figure I'll be in there doing it anyways so it would be worth it to use the original window as a template, cut a new window out with a router or jig saw out of Lexan, and then slide the original window under my bed for safe keeping.
 
The window has a slight curve to it so the plexiglass will take a little force to conform and it’ll get scratched badly due to dirt on the felt rubbing against it and probably be very hard to see out of.
 
You could convert the topper to lift glass: https://ck5.com/forums/threads/swapping-k5-to-truck-tailgate-and-lift-glass.334230/

20180714_173027-jpg.270779
 
I could also probably just take a heat gun to the Lexan while it was laying on the glass and shape it close to the original bend.. I wasn't sure if it had a curve to it or not.
 
rampage said:
The window has a slight curve to it so the plexiglass will take a little force to conform and it’ll get scratched badly due to dirt on the felt rubbing against it and probably be very hard to see out of.
Click to expand...
Exactly.
I did it and it is exactly what happened and I had to push the top in while I close it to fit in the top grove
 
Is it curved in both directions or just from top to bottom? Out of town right now or I would go check later today. I had not thought about that...
 
All paying members can see the pictures hosted on this site.
 
rpcraft said:
Is it curved in both directions or just from top to bottom? Out of town right now or I would go check later today. I had not thought about that...
Click to expand...
Both directions.
Very subtle curves but curves nonetheless
 
OK, see I was going to trim with a router and I guess what I could do is get the blank close to the size, then lay it in the glass and use a heat gun to shape it and once I am happy just run the router around it and then profile the edge and sand it smooth. Should pretty much handle the curvature and minimize scuffing.
 
Even the glass gets scratched, can’t imagine what plexus will do. The dirt on the outside and on the felt will scratch it badly. As for shaping it I think the heat gun will be a PITA. Once you get one spot hot enough the other will cool and it’ll end up all wavy. Now if you made some sort of oven that you could pump heat into and then lay it over the glass it might work.
 
As far as heat guns go I think you have a good point there but I do believe a properly shaped piece would be more resistant to scraping if your felts are in good shape. On the flip side I am about to start the process of making my own powder coat oven and I was thinking if making it a stand up unit (and large enough to do axles and motorcycle frames in) but I suppose if I build it right and put the controls in the right spot I could have it set up so it can either stand or lay down the oven and use some 1,x 2 (or thinner probably) strapping to make a buck based off the original window and then use that for heating the Lexan until it relaxes.

Does anyone even know if you can get a replacement glass for the rear window anymore? Might be something to think about for those that have no option. I know I used to wheel my old 77 and put a chain through the rear window (yeah I will be buying straps in the future, lol). Back then k5's were a little more plentiful in the salvage yards so it was easy to replace but I don't even want to think about trying to find one now. I know I could, I'd just rather avoid the expense...
 
Wow moment for me today. I took my back glass out to start figuring out the parts I need to fix it properly. The oddity of mine is that it will go up easier than it goes down. Turns out the gear on the regulator is trashed in some manner. I can try to take it apart and save myself 100 bucks on a regulator. We'll see about that in a bit. I know already that I need the side rails and I already bought the new inner and outer sash off ebay but man, that window is friggin heavy. I went to close the tailgate in the up position after the window was out and I slammed it so hard it was ridiculous. Needless to say I have cracks on the edge of my tailgate that need to be repaired. I wish I had gotten one of those new tailgates from LMC before they stopped selling them. Going to try and fit some 16 or 18 gauge strip in there, cut out the crack and then tack, fill, and weld it to patch the crack, but I think I am also going to drill some holes around it and then spot weld the outer skin to the metal underneath and then just redrill the holes for the trim pieces, because they are wallowed out pretty bad as well.

But I took a good look at the glass and of course it is curved slightly. Seems to really only be in one direction but I have not put the straight edge on it yet, but I think what I am going to is go ahead with the Lexan window piece down the road. I'll chime back in when I get to a point that might interest people further.
 
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