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Suburban Tailgate window help please...

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fuzzy03cls

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Hello,
I just joined. Been searching for a long time for a forum that would support my 87 Suburban. I'm big on forums & only have the Suburban for towing. My 1st Chevy BTW. I didn't think there was a forum for trucks this old.:bow:
My tailgate window track rotted into little pieces in my tailgate. I bought all replacement stuff from LMCtruck & replaced everything. However I'm not sure if the window track at the bottom of the window is on correctly or not. It was so rotted it was off the window when I opened the service panel. I have a service manual & put it on as it looks in the picture.
My problem is the window will only go up about 3/4 of the way. The window bows inward & if I push it out it will allow me to close the window. But it's very slow after the 3/4 point.
The window motor was replaced as well.
I'm posting a few pics of what I have.




I searched the net for pics to compare. Can someone please confirm if the bottom track is on correctly?
Also, I see the side tracks have some adjustably to them. Anyone know generally what adjustments should be used? Like the bottom set inward the top set outward, etc.
And Lastly I searched the site & came onto a post that said there was a safety switch I can bypass so I can open & close the window without the tailgate up & down. The post said it was on the drivers side. I looked at mine & didn't see anything. Can someone please give me a location & maybe a pic of what I should be looking for?
If anyone can please help I would appreciate it.

Thanks
 
First of all, we prefer to call them well-seasoned trucks, not "old".:haha:I'm not sure on the tracks, I'd have to go look at one of mine and compare to your pics. I think the safety switch is on the passenger side on mine. It kinda looks like a little wedge, but you can push it in flush. I'll try to get a look or pics of one of my 'burb tailgates, since I think I have the covers off one on my parts truck.:D BTW, welcome to CK5 and Chevy ownership!:waytogo:
 
I just looked at one of my parts trucks, but window is all the way down. You do have the roller in the middle, right? My tracks are all the way toward the rear, or outside, at the top edge. If this doesn't help any, post up and I'll try to put the window up a litttle to get a better look.:DGotta love that Florida rust, huh?
 
Well I was confused as to weather that bottom track was backwards. It looks like it could go on the window ether way. The 2 flaps where the bolts are in can either face the back of the tailgate or the front. See pic 4. Since my window bows inward I was thinking I have the bottom track backwards.
The little roller is in the middle.
Thanks for the help.
 
easy fix. take the tailgate off and find a parts burb with barn doors problem solve:wink1:

just messing im no help since my k5 has man windows.

welcome to ck5 tho. a $25 membership will set you free and empty your wallet for years to come......oh and allow for the search function
 
Ok I got it.
Not the track. The window motor is not getting enough juice to power the window fully up & down. A friend who's an electrical wiz took it apart & hooked up a battery direct to the motor & it worked fine. Went completely up & down straight.
He then connected the truck ground & that worked fine. Once he connected the trucks 12V+ back to the motor it had the same problem with slow up & down & stopping 3/4 of the way.
So he said I have to trace the 12v+ wire from the motor & see if there's a relay that's bad, or wire that is corroded.
He also found the safety switch & bypassed that by connecting the 2 ends together. It was on the passenger side.
So now to find a electrical diagram for the rear tailgate window motor...
Thanks for the help!
 
Glad you figured out why it wasn't going up all the way. The switches are notorious for burning contacts. I don't remember seeing any relays interrupting that circuit. It might save you some time to check the switch first. Good luck.
 
before messing with the electrical, try this

in all of the spots that the window runs, such as inside the gate and on the top, spray with silicone to help it move easier, you would be suprised how much it helps

also, check inside the gate, on both sides there are runs that the window rides on, they go top to bottom, and if you arent inside these, the window would go up, but wouldnt be able to get to the top also would be going up crooked if you will, so that you would have to push it and bow it like you said, you can see if its in the track with a flashlight

also, do you put the window up and down with the truck running or not?

i know with my burb, that window is pretty heavy, so going down is easy, its pushing it, but it takes alot of force to push it back up, try putting it back up when the truck is running

and as a warning, that wire you bypassed is fine, i did the same, but beware, now you can roll up the window with the gate down... and the only stop is the top, so you can open it too far and bend the track / smash the window

i hope i helped, ps, i was an automotive glass tech for 2 years
 
Yeah I did the silicone already. The side tracks were replaced & are new. Don't think the problem is the switch since the inside switch & the key switch both do the same thing. Truck running or not didn't matter. I have access to an alldata computer. I'll get the wiring diagram & see what's what.
 
The tailgate window only has 2 wires and they run along the drivers side frame rail, up the firewall and in thru the firewall just under the brake booster IIRC. There is a relay mounted on the firewall inside the cab right around or just above the go pedal.
 
Well, you inspired me to fix my rear window, so I took it apart. I think your tracks are backward after all. Here's a pic of mine as I took it apart. It seems the problem with mine was that the glass came part of the way off the track.:doah:

100_4741.JPG
 
fuzzy03cls said:
I can't see the pic
Click to expand...
Sorry, I hadn't noticed you're not a paying member.:doah:Anyway, looking into the tailgate the flange for the roller track is on the bottom(out) side of the piece that holds the glass. I just finished installing the glass back into mine, and it works great.
 
throttleissues
Thanks man. I reversed the track & the window is all good. I just need to adjust the side tracks. It rolls up & down fine but once I put the inner tailgate cover on(the interior plastic piece) there's too much window tension & it's hard to roll up & down. I'll mess with that over the weekend though.
 
Sorry for bringing up an old thread but I'm trying to find out how to bypass the safety switch in my suburban. This is the only thread that seemed to be close. All the other ones refer to blazers.

What 2 wires did you connect together? I have a 91 suburban and the safety switch is on the passenger side inside the body not on the tailgate and there is only one white switch.:confused:

Mahalo
 
KWA said:
Sorry for bringing up an old thread but I'm trying to find out how to bypass the safety switch in my suburban. This is the only thread that seemed to be close. All the other ones refer to blazers.

What 2 wires did you connect together? I have a 91 suburban and the safety switch is on the passenger side inside the body not on the tailgate and there is only one white switch.:confused:

Mahalo
Click to expand...

The switch on the body is for the dome lights. The safety switch is inside the tailgate, on the passenger side IIRC. Take the inside panel off, reach in there and unplug it. Then you can cut off the connector and splice the two wires together, or make a jumper wire to connect the two terminals.
 
Mahalo USSKoval

I don't know why I thought the inside cab switch was a safety switch:doah:. Got it working now.

Aloha
 
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