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rear window options

8

86blazerboy

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kingston, canada
Alright guys, I'm tired of my rear window crapping out on me, and I'm tired of pulling the F***ing thing apart to fix it all the time. I run a custom soft top in the summers that slants back so I don't even use it 90% of the time anyway. What are some options for covering that big hole in the back of my hardtop that are:

A: transparent (like a window)

B: inexpensive (I have other things that are more of a priority right now, like new floors)

C: Simple

D: Weatherproof

Shoot me some ideas guys, this thing is starting to really ruin the enjoyment I get out of this truck.
 
86blazerboy said:
Alright guys, I'm tired of my rear window crapping out on me, and I'm tired of pulling the F***ing thing apart to fix it all the time. I run a custom soft top in the summers that slants back so I don't even use it 90% of the time anyway. What are some options for covering that big hole in the back of my hardtop that are:

A: transparent (like a window)

B: inexpensive (I have other things that are more of a priority right now, like new floors)

C: Simple

D: Weatherproof

Shoot me some ideas guys, this thing is starting to really ruin the enjoyment I get out of this truck.
Click to expand...

What I did was get a piece of 1/4" Lexan that I cut to the right shape, screwed on a piece of angle aluminum at the bottom and put a latch on it to hold it in the grove, it was pretty much a fixed window that I could remove, and the tailgate was still functionnal without a widow in it.
You could even use a truck tail gate to make it easier.
I was going to put a seal at the bottom of the aluminum piece but ended up scraping the truck before the wintertime, but figured out how and what to use once I got another truck.
 
I can meet all 4 of those requirements with leaving the window up in the winter.

That's not much help I'm sure.
 
I'm not quite clear on what exactly you are trying to do. Are you saying you have a stock K5 tailgate with the glass in it, and the glass keeps getting messed up so it won't come back up?

I presume you have jumped the two wires to the safety switch, correct?

What problems do you have? Maybe we can help you make it be more reliable. My tailgate glass works all the time... :dunno:
 
Ya I've tried that it only comes up about half way most of the time, I think my motor might be kaput. If i could get that thing to work all the time I might think about not taking a hammer to the thing. it could also just be the environment up here though (was -31*C today) so I dunno I'm just fed up with dealing with the thing, seems like everytime I try to fix it, it gets worse and worse.
 
86blazerboy said:
Ya I've tried that it only comes up about half way most of the time, I think my motor might be kaput. If i could get that thing to work all the time I might think about not taking a hammer to the thing. it could also just be the environment up here though (was -31*C today) so I dunno I'm just fed up with dealing with the thing, seems like everytime I try to fix it, it gets worse and worse.
Click to expand...

sounds to me its either a bad motor or the mechanical regulator part is binding causeing more load on the motor and tripping the thermal saftey device causeing it to stop operating untill it cools off or a combination of the 2. i would at least dissasemble the tailgate and get to the regulator and motor and operate the window and see if the motor gets really hot. if i remember correctly theres a bi-metal contact in the motor when it gets hot pulls away and breaks the circut. if the motor is worn out it could have a short in the windings and cause it to get hot i dont recall if that power window system is fused or has a circut breaker in the fuse block.
 
Here are the issues I have seen with my tailgates:

1. The cable is not lubricated properly. Remove it, get some 3-in-1 oil, squirt it into the shaft while turning it slowly. Do this until it drips out the other end.

2. Motor is shot. That's easy, two bolts. (NOTE: My motors have ALWAYS worked, it has always been something else!)

3. Grease has gummed up. Again, easy to fix. Get some WD-40 and spray it on the arms, then use paper towels to wipe everything off - front AND back. Move the window up/down a little, get the spots you missed. Then get some black moly grease and coat all the parts that touch and slide on each other. Remember to do the wheels which sit in the sash - they are hard to get to so you may want to use some spray white lithium grease to get in there.

Some people say to use carb cleaner, but if you do not have a great breeze do NOT use that without ventilation. Those fumes have caused me permanent sinus issues and headaches, etc. It is NOT WORTH IT!

4. Be sure the cable is routed properly from the motor to the gear. It should go down to the bottom of the tailgate, UNDERNEATH the strip of metal that is at the bottom edge of the tailgate (it's just barely big enough to pass the cable through), and then back up to the gear.

5. Are all the bolts which hold the gearbox assembly present and tight? Mine were loose and would not allow me to fully close the window because it allowed the gearbox to pull away from the arm at about 1/2 of the way up and would just spin.

6. Are the arm bolts tightened down properly and making contact with the gear the entire time? Again, tighten them down accordingly.

7. The safety switch is bad. I just jump the two wires that go to the left latch with one of those blue press-on wire tap do-dads. Simple and cheap.

All in all, the glass window will be a far better choice and will last a lot longer than anything you can come up with. Yes, it takes a little maintenance, but once you get it working it should be solid.
 
i've got a pickup tailgate.. and i'll do a lexan window for the hardtop, couple hinges at the top... like you'd see on a pickup topper..

but it's WAY down my list, the softtop will be on 90% of the time....
 
If your soft top has a rail that goes across the top over the tailgate, just buy some canvas and some flexible plastic like convertible rear windows have. Make a hole, wew the window into the canvas, and then put a strip of velcro across the top and bottom. Wrap the new window in a loop around the frame at the top and back to itself where the second side of the velcro is. On the bottom, put the velcro on the edge of the tailgate. Easy to build, easy to get in and out of, and easy to install and remove.
 
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