How to: 1992 Power Window Bushing Replacement

[geemoney]

Well, it turns out that the window relay was the cause of the window motor running properly in the up direction but only lowering half an inch at a time in the down direction. What are the odds that the relay would fail right after I pulled the motor apart and reassembled it?

I never noticed the plastic donut like piece when reassembling the motor. I'm tempted to take the old motor apart just to see if I missed it before I return the old motor for my core deposit refund. I knew that there had to be an easier way to put that thing back together!

Thanks to everyone, especially mehedgec, for all the helpful information.

 

[Tony H]

Just got done doing my 2 rear doors as well. The write up was excellent and really did help. One small note when putting the new bushings in place. Instead of holding the bushings to the gear when putting them in I placed the bushings in the plastic gear and pushed the metal gear on top of them, using my fingers to slighty push the bushings out of the way so that the gear would slide in. Worked like a charm on both sides. Either way works fine, but thought I might give a different option that might make the fix a little easier

.

I just did a Front motor. But my rear windows have cables, Pulling the Motor out of this cable assembly works the same for the rears? I would think that it would throw off the Cabling somehow.

 

[Tony H]

Just got done doing my 2 rear doors as well. The write up was excellent and really did help. One small note when putting the new bushings in place. Instead of holding the bushings to the gear when putting them in I placed the bushings in the plastic gear and pushed the metal gear on top of them, using my fingers to slighty push the bushings out of the way so that the gear would slide in. Worked like a charm on both sides. Either way works fine, but thought I might give a different option that might make the fix a little easier

.

just did a Front motor. But my rear windows have cables, did yours? Pulling the Motor out of this cable assembly works the same for the rears? I would think that it would throw off the Cabling somehow

 

[bigjoeblue]

I did my passanger side on my 91 eddie B last month with a set of bushings off ebay and they were a little tight going back in,but they worked,today the driver side went out,and i picked up a set at autozone for 7.99,they fit perfect.Instead of drilling out the dimple,i just used a pair of aviation shears and cut from one of the other holes to the dimple and bent the metal back.When done i just folded the metal back.Very simple if you dont want to drill.I had it completed in a half hour.

 

[ragiannini333]

The members are outstanding individuals. I've found answers and examples to three problems, 3 for 3 so far! Thanks

 

[hotsauce]

my passenger front and both rear went out about the same week!

did the passenger front in about an hour since i did drivers front a while back.
this time i DID NOT DRILL THE 3 RIVETS!! WOOHOO!!
and i did not feel the need to pull the motor casing.

so now, for the rears with the cables, do i just pull the motors and replace the same 3 nylon plugs?

 

[Tbars4]

...I honestly can not answer that but this might help for the rear window's with cables..
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=248065&highlight=cables

 

[hotsauce]

.

thanks for input.
i read that and others last night.

from the pics in that thread, it appears that the motor will have the same 3 nylon plugs. ill go with that and try to take it out and do the same thing with it.
ill take pics and put them on a new thread for others who hae done it before.

 

[Tony H]

my passenger front and both rear went out about the same week!

did the passenger front in about an hour since i did drivers front a while back.
this time i DID NOT DRILL THE 3 RIVETS!! WOOHOO!!
and i did not feel the need to pull the motor casing.

so now, for the rears with the cables, do i just pull the motors and replace the same 3 nylon plugs?

The motor assembly for the Cable type windows is the same 'three ball' type.
But the Plastic housing that the cable attaches to is screwed on to the Motor. So I think you have to drill out the three rivets and unscrew the plastic houing befor getting the motor free from the door. I'll look at teh Cable Motor I have again to see. There is definitely an additional Bracket .. I think it was put on the door with the three rivets

 

[jd4242]

so i see back on page one or two that 7/16" ball bearings where used any update on those?did they work and not damage anything else?still working?anyone else use or try ball bearings?i like that idea way more than plastic again.ive done two about a year or two ago and now my other two are bad and one of the ones i replace is acting like its going bad(driver door get used alot)

 

[Tony H]

so i see back on page one or two that 7/16" ball bearings where used any update on those?did they work and not damage anything else?still working?anyone else use or try ball bearings?i like that idea way more than plastic again.ive done two about a year or two ago and now my other two are bad and one of the ones i replace is acting like its going bad(driver door get used alot)

Here's my understanding of this Nylon Ball stuff. The main reason these 'soft' balls are between the Turning motor and the window linkage is to soften what would be a hard stop when the window bottoms out or tops out as you roll the windows up and down. Shock absorbers
If you are careful, and let go of the Button BEFORE the window hits the top or hits the bottom , I bet these bearing will last forever. As far as going to Steel. No problem so long as you try to Stop before bottoming out or topping out.. With the steel Balls in place of the nylon, the next weak point will be on the plastic Gears at the motor. Without the sacrificial nylon balls to take the brunt of the Hard Stop, you could strip the other plastic gears if you are the type that holds the Button 'til the window slams up and/or down.

 

[jd4242]

That's exactly what I was thinking to that's why I was wondering if they lasted or damaged anything else.I have no ac and have remote controlled windows so my windows get used a lot!!

 

[YBCold]

is this thread a sticky? should be IMO.

 

[YBCold]

right now im working on my aunts regulator(s) on her 89 town car. the motor looks huge compared to the one on the 91. i remember when i did the regulator on my 91 i just used a vice grip but my regulator would only slip at certain positions. i think my aunts might just snap?

so how do i secure the regulator so that it doesnt snap and cut my fingers off when i remove the motor???

 

[Anime]

Keep the window up all the way and you can remove the motor without worrying about the regulator. The spring tension and regulator is only an issue if the window is down, even a bit.


Also, I just wound up doing the passenger side window, about a year after the driver's.
After having to take off the motor housing to get all the bits of the old plastic plugs out, I'd say this job is worth doing BEFORE the bushings break apart. It saves a hour of cleanup and the hassle of reassembling the motor, so you just swap out plugs and you're done.

If you've got an older Explorer, and the bushings haven't gone yet, do this BEFORE they go to save yourself some hassle.

 

[kbsmith_48]

on my 94 explorer sport the driver side window rolled down fine but it will not roll back up can i still do it with the window down

 

[Anime]

on my 94 explorer sport the driver side window rolled down fine but it will not roll back up can i still do it with the window down

NO.

Don't even try it. The regulator will violently spring upwards the moment you start to pull the motor out, and you could very likely lose your hand or part of it.

What you CAN do is remove the door panel, then use your hand to push upwards on the window glass while using the switch to try and get the window up, and once you get enough of it sticking up into the window opening, grab the top of the glass, and pull up while still using the switch to make it go up. Finish getting it up the rest of the way by using your hand on the inside of the glass and pushing up, still using the switch as well. Once the window is FULLY in the up position, you can remove the motor safely and easily.

It may take some time, and will probably make cleanup that much more difficult since every time you try and get the window up a little bit more, whatever is left of the bushings is being disintegrated.

It's worth keeping your hand and fingers, though.

 

[finnfisher]

on my 94 explorer sport the driver side window rolled down fine but it will not roll back up can i still do it with the window down

With the switch pressed, I had to use two hands on each side of window to push the window up till its closed then proceed with the motor removal.

 

[kbsmith_48]

Thank y'all glad I didn't stat on it yesterday would not have been fun to lose a hand if I can't find the bushings what else can I use

 

[notorioustcd]

Very helpful! Thank you. Bushings were $7.99 at Autozone.