Repro glass run channel super tight!

[greenbeam]

Hi all,
I'm fitting new 'DP51' glass run channels from Rick, but they are sooo tight in the channel on the back of the 1/4 windows*.

I've given the window channel and the weather strip a dose of silicon spray but it's so tight that it's peeling the rubber coating off the sides of the weather strip. I've wrecked one strip now, would like to know what I'm doing wrong before I wreck any more!

The window frame channel measures 12.5mm across internally, but the weather strip is a bit over 13.5.

Has anyone else had this issue?
Cheers,
Paul.

* Note - I've got them fitted into the lower front window channels fine, but they wont go into the upper chrome 1/4 window frames.

 

[DanR]

Paul,
I just did a couple windows in my SIV GT.

It can be a bit confusing, especially for the rear channels.

The "U" shaped channel will not fit into the channel for the rear support.

Use the roll for the rear channel Item DC50. It requires glue.

 

[DanR]

Paul, I think I misunderstood your original post, so, here's a few PICs of what I did to "enlarge the track for the glass.

Last PIC Has the replacement (bottom) channel in place. It too was too tight for my glass. I managed to enlarge the track clearance by utilizing the Quarter Window frame and fitting on the glass in my lap, wobbling it sideways a lot of times, back and forth and gently pressing it onto the glass until it slide freely.
Did the same for the other pieces that had replacement channel too tight.

1st PIC Show the bottom channel that secures the glass for movement up and down. If the channels are too tight they may cause the bottom piece to separate from the glass.
2nd thru 6th PICs are showing how I pressed the Qtr Window frame onto the glass and wobbled it until I had sufficient clearance.
7th PIC is the rear channel and support with the "glued" in DC50 materiel.
8th PIC is the Qtr Glass Frame. THe replacement channel has been "wobbled" out the allow clearance for the glass to travel fairly easy up and down.

Remember it goes in after the glass.......

 

[Tim R]

I've not seen it done quite like that before. On our cars the rubber strip is fitted to the chrome part of the quarter light and the bottom section hangs loose like a tail. Then when the chrome piece is put onto the lower track you push the tail into the track. That way you have one continuous piece from top to bottom, no edges to get caught and rucked up.
At the rear of the glass we use a smooth non-water absorbing material like a nylon seat belt or similar. This is pushed into the rear track and glued. It makes a nice smooth ride for the glass.

This video shows what we do (about 6 minutes in). We are trying to get every problem of this kind covered by a video showing how to resolve it on The Sunbeam Alpine Channel, I hope that it helps.

Tim R

 

[greenbeam]

Hi Tim, it seems you are using a different type of channel to the one that Sunbeam Specialties sells. Is that the flexible strip sold by Sunbeam Spares Company?
https://sunbeamcarparts.co.uk/seals-rubbers/door-glass-thin-flocked-channel-pair

How do you hold the flexible strip in the top section of the frame to stop it sliding up and down as the window passes through it?

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[greenbeam]

Hi Dan,
Thanks for the reply.
I cant get the strip into the chrome frame in the first instance. The felt lined U-channel is too wide to go into the chrome frame of the 1/4 window. It is tearing the rubber coating off the U-channel.

Did you have that problem?
Cheers,
Paul.

 

[DanR]

Paul, I did have that problem too. Messed one or two of the felt lined pieces.

Not sure exactly what I did??? Think the final solution was using a piece of steel plate a bit less than the thickness of the glass that was 4" x 24'" long, stuck it in the felt channel and squeezed it a bit in my vise. Working along its' base from end to end.

Then utilizing the same steel plate inside the felt piece, pressed the felt U channel piece into the Qtr window frame.

After that I took the window glass upon my lap and the Qtr window frame with the Felt U channel and started working it on to the glass, wobbling and rocking it until it was sliding freely. See the PIC's posted above of me "fitting the glass and the frames.

May not be perfect, but I did get mine installed and working smoothly.

 

[greenbeam]

Haha, that's what I've just done Dan! I've come back into the house to report success.

To close off this thread - if you bought DP51 glass run channel from Sunbeam Specialties, it fits nicely in the front lower glass channel, but might be too wide to fit in the upper chrome frame for the 1/4 window.

Solution is to 'narrow' the DP51 channel a little. I used some 4.5mm thick plywood slid into the DP51 and ***just*** nipped it up in the vice, working along the length. Do it a little bit at a time, try it in the channel and squeeze more if needed. It needs to be tight in the chrome frame.

I my case, the inner dimension of the chrome frame is 12.5mm (1/2"), but the DP51 was measuring over 13.5mm wide. So I needed to squeeze it by 1.0mm to get an interference fit.

Once the DP51 is in the chrome frame, as Dan says, you then need to work the 5mm window glass back and forth in the felt to open up the DP51 a little so the glass slides nicely in it. Much easier to do that before you fit it into the car!

The run channel available from the UK seems different construction, so may not need this 'fettling'.

Cheers,
Paul.

Paul, I did have that problem too. Messed one or two of the felt lined pieces.

Not sure exactly what I did??? Think the final solution was using a piece of steel plate a bit less than the thickness of the glass that was 4" x 24'" long, stuck it in the felt channel and squeezed it a bit in my vise. Working along its' base from end to end.

Then utilizing the same steel plate inside the felt piece, pressed the felt U channel piece into the Qtr window frame.

After that I took the window glass upon my lap and the Qtr window frame with the Felt U channel and started working it on to the glass, wobbling and rocking it until it was sliding freely. See the PIC's posted above of me "fitting the glass and the frames.

May not be perfect, but I did get mine installed and working smoothly.