Driver Window Shattered, How to Replace?

[Jm3]

Came back from the SF auto show to find that someone chucked a spark plug at my driver side window on my 93 Ranger. Glass is everywhere. Somehow they didn't steal the digital camera/gps in the glovebox or any of the stuff in the bed.

My windows are manual and not powered. Can anyone direct me to a DIY on how to replace the glass and take the door apart? I don't want to shell out $160 for some mobile repair guy to come fix it.

Thanks guys!

 

[Mark_88]

If you're going to DIY just go to a junkyard and, while removing the window from a "slightly used vehicle", you get to make mistakes while learning...I haven't removed one from that year of Ranger but I've done enough of them to know that it's really simple in most cases...

Essentially, you remove the door panel (either by screws, plugs or snaps), take off the arm rest and window winder (usually just pops off and unscrews with a torx driver) and any other trim pieces (sometimes it's all one piece) then undo the winding hardware from the inside of the door...usually screwed in place...but if you don't need the winding mechanism just roll down the window, and pry up on the glass (check that it's not otherwise secured to the winding mechanism first so you don't break the glass)...

Once all the glass is loose you can simply lift it up and out through the top of the door...just angle it slightly in or out (in is usually better because the glass often curves inward)...just angle it slightly...the glass is not usually fastened to the winding mechanism other than pressed into a slot or two...sometimes a mild glue is used to secure it, but they come out with a few tugs...

 

[superdave1984]

I had to change the passenger glass in my 87. It's not too bad but don't get in any hurry. The directions in my Haynes book weren't very good. I ended up drilling out the centers of the big plastic washer looking things that hold the window in. They are snapped together with metal rivets or something. Anyway I drilled them out and replaced with small bolts. After that the alignment is the only tricky part. I had to loosen the bolts that hold the track and then roll the window all the way up and tighten them down. Yours may be different form mine.

 

[metalmacguyver]

I prefer to grind off the rivets that hold the glass to the crank mechanism. I just pulled 2 windows yesterday for some one.


It helps to remove the weather stripping on the bottom edge of the window opening on the outside. It simply pops up as it it held by a few clips.