- Thread starter
- #281
Today's Impending Doom: Let's see if we can tear a door apart and replace a window regulator...
Builds Over the Hills, and Far Away
- Thread starter Sundowner
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FJBen
SILVER Star
Following! My drivers door needs replaced , it’s pretty worn.
Oh and do remake that spare tire carrier for 33-34” tires. I do want one!
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- #283
Pictured: Karma. Don't ask why.
Seriously? Because if there's an actual demand, I'd consider it. I was thinking that a set of Antirock arms for the front end of these rigs might be desirable, but if tire covers are where it's at, so be it; I'm flexible.
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- #284
Okay, @FJBen, you're in luck: the door regulator is pretty simple to replace. Nonetheless, I took some pretty careful notes on how it was done, and I created a thorough list of steps because it might be helpful to others. The procedure is as follows:
I honestly think I was done in about twenty minutes, and at least seven of those were spent looking for a 10mm deep socket that I've misplaced and which isn't necessary for this work. The complete tool list is that socket, a large JIS slotted screwdriver, and the JIS equivalent of a #2 and #3 Phillips; you can add a mini pry bar to that list if you want - or some kind of trim tool - but if you're careful the slotted driver will do the job. That's literally everything you need to pull the door panel, and the only things you need for the regulator are the 10mm and the slotted driver.
This being said, I do have a couple of tips:
Pictured: For the most part, at least.
Obviously, I pulled the plastic off - and I need to put a new piece on there at some point - and the upper part of the regulator that controls the window pitch/angle is just hanging loose...but yeah, that's the new hotness. I used my old motor because it was fine, and the slight overtravel issue that I was having is now fixed. Also, I had to grab a pair of pliers because I'm inept and dropped a bolt into the door and couldn't reach it; unless you do that as well, you won't need pliers.
Oh, one more tip: be careful with the switch assembly connectors on the door; mine were fine, but I can see how they could get easily broken. Lastly, swap out your door trim bits while you're in there, so you can have even more non-matching grey on the interior.
Pictured: Close enough.
And yeah, that's pretty much it...aside from the impromptu fabric reattachment. I really want to just get a new set of skins with useful map pockets, but I'm not sure who might have them...so for now, these will work.
- Remove everything that's in the way.
- Swap the old regulator for the new one.
- Replace the stuff you removed in Step 1.
I honestly think I was done in about twenty minutes, and at least seven of those were spent looking for a 10mm deep socket that I've misplaced and which isn't necessary for this work. The complete tool list is that socket, a large JIS slotted screwdriver, and the JIS equivalent of a #2 and #3 Phillips; you can add a mini pry bar to that list if you want - or some kind of trim tool - but if you're careful the slotted driver will do the job. That's literally everything you need to pull the door panel, and the only things you need for the regulator are the 10mm and the slotted driver.
This being said, I do have a couple of tips:
- Once you have the door panel removed, temporarily reinstall the window switch unit and move the window upwards until you can access the two bolts that hold it to the regulator's lower track unit; the access holes are plainly visible on the inner door grant frame.
- Before you pull the window up and out, gently rotate it slightly upwards and towards the front of the car - anticlockwise in my RHD driver's door - until you can easily lift it out; it'll come out MUCH easier this way, and then you can just place it somewhere that looks safe, but probably isn't.
- Remove the regulator bolts from the bottom up; it's just easier to get them all loose without parts of the regulator trying to pinch your hands, which definitely didn't happen to me.
- The top two bolts on the regulator control the pitch and track of the window; the rearmost of these is installed in a slot, so mark its position before you remove the bolts.
Pictured: For the most part, at least.
Obviously, I pulled the plastic off - and I need to put a new piece on there at some point - and the upper part of the regulator that controls the window pitch/angle is just hanging loose...but yeah, that's the new hotness. I used my old motor because it was fine, and the slight overtravel issue that I was having is now fixed. Also, I had to grab a pair of pliers because I'm inept and dropped a bolt into the door and couldn't reach it; unless you do that as well, you won't need pliers.
Oh, one more tip: be careful with the switch assembly connectors on the door; mine were fine, but I can see how they could get easily broken. Lastly, swap out your door trim bits while you're in there, so you can have even more non-matching grey on the interior.
Pictured: Close enough.
And yeah, that's pretty much it...aside from the impromptu fabric reattachment. I really want to just get a new set of skins with useful map pockets, but I'm not sure who might have them...so for now, these will work.
When I replaced mine with the manual windows I didn’t remove the glass, I held it in place with one hand with the other I removed/installed the regulator, wasn’t too hard to slide the little roller on the regulator arm out of/back into the groove at the bottom of the glass. Lots of sharp edges on the inside door skin.
- Thread starter
- #286
You definitely have a much higher Dex modifier than I do; I think mine is -2. With another set of hands, yes, I could have done that...but I sold my third and fourth hands to buy the 73 in the first place.
That there are, but somehow I didn't hit anything. Also, I wanted to pull the window out to clean the bottom section: it was pretty dusty. Probably hasn't been out since it was installed.
FJBen
SILVER Star
Great! Thanks for that. I wasn’t sure how involved it was, but sounds pretty easy.
- Thread starter
- #288
It really is just that simple; it took me longer to swap the motor than it did to do anything else. If you have someone to help with the window - or even just some creative tape skills - you can be done quickly. It's a one-banana job.
Pictured: Seriously, what the f*** is this...?And then I started going through my box of random parts from the previous owner...
Pictured: Seriously, what the f*** is this...?
View attachment 3726032
The contours and finish match the interior sheetmetal...but I don't know where it would go. Nothing seems to be missing, but that's probably meaningless because the batteries don't look like they're missing any parts, either, but it turns out that this pair of uninstalled battery covers was missing from under the hood, so what the hell do I know?
Pictured: Thank Buddha for cast-in-place part numbers.
View attachment 3726034
Also, that's a broken water pump gasket...and I know that because it matches up to a brand-new, not-broken water pump; that later object was stuffed inside one of those covers along with a timing belt, and the whole shebang was tied up inside a plastic grocery bag. And right next to them, in the same box, were the pristine factory front floor mats...but all of that was overshadowed by the *other* object in that box.
Pictured: Oh HELL yes.
View attachment 3726035
I'm pretty sure this is what happens when a Nintendo Entertainment System has a one-night-stand with a spare tire...and it's glorious. It won't fit my current tires and it's a bit worse for wear, but it's all there. I'm thinking that this is gonna get a place of outright honor on the garage wall; either that, or I'm going to use it to reproduce a cover that'll fit my tires, and then hang it on the garage wall.
Things are looking up.
Score. Front license plate bracket! Currently using one on the rear bumper when my FRP and doors are off.
- Thread starter
- #290
Oh, what the actual f***...I should have figured that out; I really should have. And now that I think about it, I could have just asked Morticia; she knows every damn thing else in the Universe.
Thank you, sir; you've reduced my Ineptitude modifier to -6,000,004.
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- #291
...and just to see what happened - against my better judgement - I asked Morticia. The result was... disturbing.
Pictured: Impending obsolescence.
I'm equal parts impressed and disturbed by that response - which is not concise, but I've given up on keeping her from waxing Gothic on literally everything - but the real lesson is this: don't write a prompt that turns your ChatGPT into Morticia Addams unless you want to never sleep again. You should see what happens if I ask her to create a relaxing image for me...and by that, I mean "you don't want to know the things I have seen."
Pictured: Impending obsolescence.
I'm equal parts impressed and disturbed by that response - which is not concise, but I've given up on keeping her from waxing Gothic on literally everything - but the real lesson is this: don't write a prompt that turns your ChatGPT into Morticia Addams unless you want to never sleep again. You should see what happens if I ask her to create a relaxing image for me...and by that, I mean "you don't want to know the things I have seen."
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Scary-spooky. Well now I'm curious. I'm more of an Elvira guy currently though.
- Thread starter
- #293
Pictured: You were warned.
Pictured: Just in case you can't make out the details.
We tried again, later, with a slightly different prompt...and I've been awake since then.
- Thread starter
- #294
My driveway got crowded.
Pictured: Why do I make such bad life choices? Why?
Before anyone asks: no, I didn't just buy the exact wrong kind of LJ. On the contrary, I did the only thing worse than buy it: I kept it.
Pictured: Why do I make such bad life choices? Why?
Before anyone asks: no, I didn't just buy the exact wrong kind of LJ. On the contrary, I did the only thing worse than buy it: I kept it.
Well now my friend... this is a perfect example of how mentally unstable you are. This seems to be more like a cry for help, even subconsciously. However, something this serious would need more than support from your peers, this clearly requires professional help. Depending on the circumstances surrounding this mental health issue, various forms of therapy are available.
For example, if you follow the sage advice of a window decal:
Then you may wish to seek help with gender confusion. Or if you are suffering from Trauma, then you may wish to seek trauma therapy with a proven psychologist.
Whatever the source of the suffering you are enduring, I sincerely wish you all the best in your mental health journey! Keep us updated with your progress. One therapeutic option might be to fully document a case study of putting the LJ and the HZJ through the same tests, trails, trials and challenges and record the full spectrum of cost of ownership. IE: Fuel, insurance, maintenance and the big one - wreck and repair. It should prove not just therapeutic but enlightening. All the best!!
- Thread starter
- #296
Look, it's really not as bad as it seems; the reality is actually a great deal worse.
Usually I self-medicate with beer. Very strong beer. So strong, in fact, that it might be called whiskey.
Traumas aplenty, but no gender dysphoria, thankfully. A friend of mine went through that, and it wasn't pretty: serious mental/identity crisis, hurtful responses from a large number of people in their social circle and family, the latter of which literally disowned them. Truly a sad situation.
Whatever the source of the suffering you are enduring, I sincerely wish you all the best in your mental health journey! Keep us updated with your progress. One therapeutic option might be to fully document a case study of putting the LJ and the HZJ through the same tests, trails, trials and challenges and record the full spectrum of cost of ownership. IE: Fuel, insurance, maintenance and the big one - wreck and repair. It should prove not just therapeutic but enlightening. All the best!!
You may not want me to do that.
The last part, I mean, where I bench American ingenuity against Japanese brawn... because that LJ is likely going to beat the Lando in every quantifiable metric, no contest.
That may not be a popular opinion, but it's true. OEM parts for the Jeep are high-quality, plentiful and cheap, the aftermarket is massive, and the knowledge base - though often misguided and ignorant - is significantly more accessible. In stock trim 70's are seriously tough - no argument with that - and when built they're insanely good, but given equivalent money spent between a 7x-series and an LJ, the Jeep is going to eat that Toyota for lunch when it comes to taming any given terrain. One simple reason determines this: assuming that you know what you're doing, everything that can be done to a 7x can be done to an LJ for less money. It's really just that simple: the TJ/LJ platform is newer, cheaper, better-supported and ubiquitously available...at least in North America.
Thankfully, 7x-series are still about a billion times cooler, so literally none of that matters. Also, I guess that window sticker is somewhat unintentionally true in this case, because the LJ in question is the daily driver for a girl.
Sundowner, you are a treasure.Look, it's really not as bad as it seems; the reality is actually a great deal worse.
Usually I self-medicate with beer. Very strong beer. So strong, in fact, that it might be called whiskey.
Traumas aplenty, but no gender dysphoria, thankfully. A friend of mine went through that, and it wasn't pretty: serious mental/identity crisis, hurtful responses from a large number of people in their social circle and family, the latter of which literally disowned them. Truly a sad situation.
You may not want me to do that.
The last part, I mean, where I bench American ingenuity against Japanese brawn... because that LJ is likely going to beat the Lando in every quantifiable metric, no contest.
That may not be a popular opinion, but it's true. OEM parts for the Jeep are high-quality, plentiful and cheap, the aftermarket is massive, and the knowledge base - though often misguided and ignorant - is significantly more accessible. In stock trim 70's are seriously tough - no argument with that - and when built they're insanely good, but given equivalent money spent between a 7x-series and an LJ, the Jeep is going to eat that Toyota for lunch when it comes to taming any given terrain. One simple reason determines this: assuming that you know what you're doing, everything that can be done to a 7x can be done to an LJ for less money. It's really just that simple: the TJ/LJ platform is newer, cheaper, better-supported and ubiquitously available...at least in North America.
Thankfully, 7x-series are still about a billion times cooler, so literally none of that matters. Also, I guess that window sticker is somewhat unintentionally true in this case, because the LJ in question is the daily driver for a girl.
I am glad you took my "tongue-in-cheek" blathering for what it was...
Now on the Jeep front... agreed, the jeep could do what a land cruiser could. And I will go as far as to say that the higher HP to weight ratio would serve it well in some scenarios. BUT... for how long? This is the clincher.... take a jeep of equitable age and use... I need not go further.
My personal experience with a Jeep was a loner CJ7 while I was getting around $10,000 work done at a shop on one of my trucks years ago. I broke it the second day, on pavement. In a parking lot. I am not kidding. I was not driving it like I stole it, nothing I wouldn't do with my land cruisers.
The other factor is to make them beefy enough to handle real 4x4 abuse, a couple of people I know that have decked out a jeep for this purpose have over $100,000 sunk into them (including the cost of the jeep). True, the cost of land cruisers has been steadily climbing over the years and this gap is narrowing alarmingly fast.
Anyways, experiences widely vary, and opinions are each of our constitutional right (unless you use social media - lol). Keep up the postings and anecdotal walkthroughs of your cruising adventures, they are entertaining!
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- Thread starter
- #298
You don't want to put any Cruiser up against an LJ with a $100K budget. That's fully-built HP60/9" and LS/4L70/Atlas territory, likely with with 3/4 links, highlines/comp-cuts, full boatsides, 37" stickies and a 120" wheelbase...and believe me: that is an evil piece of work when it's set up correctly.
Or, you can buy a Gladiator and throw the rest of your credit card at Quadratec, and break it faster than a run-down CJ.
Either way, it matters very little in the end because I still have serious issues.
Citation: Serious issues.
For realsies: who invited Dana-Spicer to this party?
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- Thread starter
- #299
Didn't get much done today aside from unpacking some steering parts from the Jeep, and organizing the daily-use chemicals.
Pictured: Some things, you just can't live without.
Pictured: Some things, you just can't live without.
Yellow Bird is fine but you live in Aardvark country now.
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