Dumb question time....88 Suburban tailgate

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bucket

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thanks for the replies. what is the best way to get the rusty channel off of the other glass, if anyone has done this before?

Mine have all just rusted out and fell off. But one was still partway attached and I just used a block of wood and a rubber mallet to knock it off the glass completely.
 

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Mine have all just rusted out and fell off. But one was still partway attached and I just used a block of wood and a rubber mallet to knock it off the glass completely.

X2

That has worked well for me before. I followed someone else's advice and used a heat gun for about 10 minutes along the channel to soften it up quite a bit first.

Elsewhere, the headed dowel pin and cotter pin should do the trick.
 

8888

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I had no idea how much broken glass a Suburban rear window could create or how many places it could go inside that door assembly, haha. I have "half a cardboard box for a 12 pack of beer in bottles" more than half full and I'm still fishing it out, using a thin flexible metal 18" scale. Seems to be stuck under the hinge box area.

Need to tackle separating the lower window frame from the cam plate on the side where it's not bent and still attached.

Disassembled the linkage/handle assembly to have a look at that. Looks like the lever rod from the handle isn't actuating the cross linkages properly, too much lost motion in the handle via the lever before the linkages start to move. Linkage rods might be bent but can't tell just yet.

Gotta say I love working on Oklahoma trucks versus my native Ohio trucks. Nothing but dirt and dust in the bottom of the tailgate instead of rust and all the bolts come loose instead of snap off.
 

bucket

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I like to suck up all the broken glass with a shop vac. It works well, and it sounds neat when it goes through the hose, lol.

The handle linkage pivot has a reverse thread adjustment bolt in it. With that bolt loose, you can move the rods to pull on the latches sooner, then tighten that bolt back up. Also, the arm on the back of the release handle might be bent causing slop.
 

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I like to suck up all the broken glass with a shop vac. It works well, and it sounds neat when it goes through the hose, lol.

The handle linkage pivot has a reverse thread adjustment bolt in it. With that bolt loose, you can move the rods to pull on the latches sooner, then tighten that bolt back up. Also, the arm on the back of the release handle might be bent causing slop.

thanks for the reply.

the glass seems to like to hide between the tailgate outer skin and the panel that holds the regulator. I think I'll need compressed air and safety glasses.
 

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made some progress today. took off the hinge covers and found they were packed with glass that was migrating down into the hinges every time i closed the tailgate and making a terrible sound. wrapped my fingers in duct tape sticky side out and removed 99% of that. I believe I have most all of the safety glass cubes out now.

i found that the left side of the release handle with the push rod was bent, also discovered the roller assembly reading window position has to be up for the release handle to work. looks like the release handle bends before the roller assembly allows the gate linkage to move so that explains the bent handle.

i still don't see the adjustment bolt and I've had the pivoting assembly out a few times. mine just has a flange on the push rod that hits the pivot linkage as best i can tell. might be a good place for a speed nut or something like that.

the tailgate will open via the release handle now if i manually pull the passenger side linkage rod slightly so it must be bent. I need one of the boys to do that, it's beyond my left handed only skills at the moment.

I found an electrical cable that had come loose from something inside the tailgate. It's on a coiled cord on the drivers side of the tailgate so it must move with the window? There's what appears to be a male spade lug on the end of the cable, haven't mated up that yin and yang yet. Anyone know what that is? i can post photos when the phone charges up.

need to figure out how to get the bottom window track/channel off the passenger side regulator cam, the drivers side is already bent enough that it came off. May try to loosen the hex nuts and just separate the cam guide plate from the channel. Not rusty, looks like it will come loose if I can get leverage on it.

ordered a bottom track/channel, rubber for the track/channel, and some other odds and ends from LMC. need to find the heat gun and get started on getting the replacement window's rusty track removed.
 

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I assume the usual cautions apply about power window regulators and springs cutting off fingers? I should drill a hole somewhere and insert a pin to lock everything in place?
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??? I have never messed with power windows, but may be soon since the parts truck I just bought has them. What do I need to watch out for?
 

bucket

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The adjustment bolt can be accessed with the swivel linkage bolted in place. It's a 7/16 headed bolt that will be facing you with the tailgate open.
 

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The adjustment bolt can be accessed with the swivel linkage bolted in place. It's a 7/16 headed bolt that will be facing you with the tailgate open.

I looked at that and based on the mark under the bolt head it hadn't ever moved so i looked elsewhere. thanks for the clarification.
 

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??? I have never messed with power windows, but may be soon since the parts truck I just bought has them. What do I need to watch out for?

there is a powerful spring in the power window regulator assembly that works with the motor assembly gear that can cause serious injury if you aren't careful. drilling a hole through the moving parts to insert a screw to pin them in place is a safety measure. i'm sure there is more detail on here or on the web to help you out more.
 

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I have removed the regulator and reinstalled without drilling, but it took a bit of arguing with it. Especially when trying to line it back up I used a ascrewdriver through some existing holes. The coiled wire is for defrost.
 

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there is a powerful spring in the power window regulator assembly that works with the motor assembly gear that can cause serious injury if you aren't careful. drilling a hole through the moving parts to insert a screw to pin them in place is a safety measure. i'm sure there is more detail on here or on the web to help you out more.
Thanks Joe, I had never heard anything about that before this thread. I will be pulling apart a door with power windows in the near future to fix a couple of dents.
 

8888

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I have removed the regulator and reinstalled without drilling, but it took a bit of arguing with it. Especially when trying to line it back up I used a ascrewdriver through some existing holes. The coiled wire is for defrost.

thanks on the coiled wire. i should have thought of that. i also need to look up window up versus down for regulator removal so i pin it at the right spot. now that i have the covers off, I can move it and watch the linkage, so it may be as obvious as the coiled wire once i look at it (truck is at the other house).
 

8888

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Thanks Joe, I had never heard anything about that before this thread. I will be pulling apart a door with power windows in the near future to fix a couple of dents.
.
i've got the same problem with my first gen Dodge Cummins truck. i knew when i bought it the power windows didn't work but it was what i wanted (single cab dually 5 speed manual 1 ton rust free southern truck) so i went for it. come to find out there were wood blocks zip tied to the inner door shell holding the window regulator in place in the up position in both doors. need to take all that apart and see what's going on in there without losing fingers, haha.


i believe the manual window regulators have springs too, btw
 

SDJunkMan

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.
i've got the same problem with my first gen Dodge Cummins truck. i knew when i bought it the power windows didn't work but it was what i wanted (single cab dually 5 speed manual 1 ton rust free southern truck) so i went for it. come to find out there were wood blocks zip tied to the inner door shell holding the window regulator in place in the up position in both doors. need to take all that apart and see what's going on in there without losing fingers, haha.


i believe the manual window regulators have springs too, btw
At least they used blocks in the doors instead of a couple of rolls of duct tape on the door :)
 

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