New U Window channel installation help!

I am attempting to install new U channel for my side windows. The doors are completely apart and off the car. I am finding it quite difficult to get the window to slide freely up and down in the channel. The two side channels have a slight radius (bow) to them, which seems to exceed the arc of the window itself. The window wants to ride out of the channel as it rises.

In addition, the window is too tight in the new channel. I have attempted to gently widen the channel with a smooth 10 mm wrench wedged into the channel, but this has helped little.

Will silicone spray gum the felt channel? Has anyone experience in making this work?

Help is greatly appreciated.

Jim S.

 

Jim,
I replaced channels about 12 years ago. Found that both front and rear steel channels had a kink at the top of the doors. These force the fuzzy chanels to have the same kink. Window is flat. Looks like the steel channels were welded in place first and then the top was bent until top of door matched body. Original felt was very loose. Window followed a curved path going up and down. Felt gave. New felt does not.

I bent the lower part of channels into a smooth curve and straightened the top section to keep door/body fit good. A little bit is all that's needed. Glass can go along a large radius but not past a sharp kink. Biggest problem for me was in rear channels. Lubrication of felt does no good, attracts dirt, makes sliding harder. Probably better to cut and re-weld lower end but more complicated.

Wish Ferrari had made windows with a slight curve. That way window could have gone all the way down. As it is, body tucks in below the beltline and a straight channel can only go down so far. Good luck. Let us know what you do and how it comes out.

John

 

Just had my mechanic come over to replace the original channels on my car. One side so far works smoothly, the other side goes down easily but shows resistance going up. The mechanic tried to realign the forward frame with some pacjing wasjers, but there is still some difficulty. The problem might be that rivets on the window channel stand proud a bit more than on the other window and puch the felt channel out.

The good thing is that the mechanic worked on the other Dino's windows a few months earlier so had some experience. That car was a GTS and so was easier to work on than on my GT. Only three Dinos in the whole country.

I got my channels from DinoParts but perhaps could have used those for Japanese and other makes.

The recommendation on the Lotus chat list for recalcitrant Elise windows is a dry silicone spray. It worked on my Elise and I used it on the Dino as well.

 

Thank you John and Andy. I understand all of the input, and have addressed the issues you raise. I guess it will take a bit more elbow grease and careful attention to get them working correctly.

I'll post a solution if I find one.

Thanks.

Jim S.

 

I did this a few years back and purchased the window channel insert from T Rutlands. I pressed it in and chased the channel insert by the technique described above; pressing it in at every inch of the way using a broad flat head positioned perpendicular to the metal channel reinforcing. The result was that the window moved very slowly and I was concerned about motor wear from the resistance.
I then applied liberal amounts of Tri-flow onto the felt portion and channel end which helped but still resulted in the window still being slower than original.

So I cheated.
The Channel insert should span the whole vertical length of the chrome U Channel, about half of which is inside the door. I removed the bottom portion of the U channel insert but not enough to cause interference with the window ends and still provide guidance for travel. Window goes up faster than before now.