Window alignment

[Arquemann]

The front passenger window (no vent windows) on my '85 Grand Marquis is being a pain in the arse (again). As the window goes up, the front edge doesn't want to go to it's groove in the window seal, it sticks outwards of the window channel and smushes the window channel seal. Which obviously causes wind noise and damage to the seal.

Window channels are new-ish Metro WC3396, guide bushing seem intact and the dew wipes okayish. I dislike the Metro window channel as the lips don't come out of the channel, and I think it contributes to the issue.

Previously I have spaced out the bottom of the guide rod, the stud isn't long enough for further shimming. I've also gone to town bending at the window frame a couple times. It has been fine for the last year, but now it's being a PITA again.

The door might be tweaked in some way, but I really can't (or want to) get another door.
Any suggestions?

[Brown_Muscle]

Just to confirm, the window is pushing outwards, meaning towards the outside of the car, not towards the inside? There is a small rubber piece under the door panel that pushed the window outwards, and if it does its job right helps align the window with the channel. If the exterior door wipes are weak this piece can overpower them and push the window out. You can remove this piece (should be one sheet metal screw) and redrill the hole higher so it doesn't push outwards as far

[Arquemann]

Just to confirm, the window is pushing outwards, meaning towards the outside of the car, not towards the inside? There is a small rubber piece under the door panel that pushed the window outwards, and if it does its job right helps align the window with the channel. If the exterior door wipes are weak this piece can overpower them and push the window out. You can remove this piece (should be one sheet metal screw) and redrill the hole higher so it doesn't push outwards as far

Yeah, the glass is sticking outwards, out of the car.
Will have to check the rubber piece in question, it ought to be towards the front of the door, right?

When the window is almost all the way up, the rear edge of the glass is pressed against the inner lip of the window seal, but the front edge sticks out. The glass feels floppy. Also found out that if I try to shut the window at 55+ mph the positive pressure and floppiness causes to glass to stick out so much it hits the metal window frame.

As far as I've understood, the dew wipes aren't supposed to affect the glass alignment in a meaningful amount. The outer dew wipes on mine are original and hard, but they put good pressure on the glass, inner ones are softer.

[Brown_Muscle]

Correct it’s on the front edge. So that might be part of your problem. Bad dew wipes will definitely affect the alignment, the inner and outer should be squishing the window tightly. my window used to get sucked out at highway speed as well but new dew wipes fixed that.

[sly]

Do you still have the plastic guide that is between the window channel felt and the door frame that should be about 2/3 of the way up the angled front upright? I know on the 88 I had, those were kinda required to get the window into the front channel properly.

[Arquemann]

Do you still have the plastic guide that is between the window channel felt and the door frame that should be about 2/3 of the way up the angled front upright? I know on the 88 I had, those were kinda required to get the window into the front channel properly.

Driver side has it, I took it off the pass side window (the one in question) because the guide would chip the window glass. I have most likely misplaced it by now.

The guides are metal on mine and frankly they're so wide and useless that if the glass is misaligned enough to hit the guide, it'll smush the window seal regardless.

I've checked, the guide never touches the glass on my driver door.

[VicCrownVic]

+1 on those guides actually being metal. In the rust belt the metal rusts through the coating (paint, powder coat?) That's the only reason I know they are metal.

Marge has the same issue on the driver window, with small chip in the glass and everything. I'll have to take a look at the dew wipes. It does go into the slot after hitting the guide, so maybe the dew wipes would be enough. Tried bending the upper frame out but didn't get anywhere.

[sly]

Ah... that make sense. And yeah... if it's that far off, then something out of alignment in there. On the 88 I had it was just a little wobble/play in the mechanism that the window would lean out a little, but just bumping the guide would rock it back into position and not bind up on the window channel seal.

[Arquemann]

It's been pouring rain for the last two days, no chance to work outside, should ease up tomorrow.

The little guide on the window frame is kinda questionable in my eyes, atleast paired with the new wc3396 run channel weatherstrips. I want to try out another run channel.
With the current run channel there's a much smaller gap for the glass to slip into, and the small guide won't do that properly. Maybe it would if the case is just floppy glass/air pressure and not actual alignment issues.

Either way, something is out of whack in the door, or the door itself. This issues just decided to reappear out of nowhere again, so I don't know what's the cause exactly.

[WagonMan]

I guess I am lucky. I put vent windows in all three of my wagons. Makes the door glass glide nicely in the forward track. I have several window seals with the plastic coated guide for non vent window cars. The guide is about 7 inches down from the top of the door frame. WagonMan

[Arquemann]

I guess I am lucky. I put vent windows in all three of my wagons. Makes the door glass glide nicely in the forward track. I have several window seals with the plastic coated guide for non vent window cars. The guide is about 7 inches down from the top of the door frame. WagonMan

Vent window conversion would definitely fix my issue, hah! I've thought about that when a part-out car with vent windows pops up once in a while. Wouldn't mind power vent windows on mine. Usually find the flip-out ones though, with unobtanium seals.
Currently without the vent windows and the seals being seated properly, I can hear the rustle of the cassette deck at 55mph! I'd like to keep it that way.

If my Ford club buddies can't find one of those guides for me, would you be willing to send a couple guides in a padded envelope to Finland? Unless postage is bonkers of course...

[Arquemann]

Well, I found a probable cause for the issue, mainly because I can't really find anything else that's wrong.
The glass is being pushed out, because nothing is pushing it in.
I managed to get the glass sliding into the seal properly by spacing out the bottom of the guide rod, except the glass hits absolutely everything inside the door when lowered more than halfway. Would've been too easy a fix.

I'd say the outside dew wipe is the problem here, it's rock hard and brittle (whoops), there's barely any flex in it, and it doesn't really put any pressure on the glass. Also noticed that the dew wipe in question is also more compressed than the on the other doors.

With that conclusion, I ordered a new dew wipe. I'll do the outside one for now, the inner one seems fine. The RA listing says 2x 48", that's probably enough to do all 4 outer dew wipes if I get to it. Also threw in a window run channel to the same order. Might fit, might not, we'll see, I picked it purely from images and videos. It's a Fairchild F1001 ('80-'96 F-series).

Here's how the glass sits without dew wipes or the small guide block. Prettu much the same with the outer dew wipe in place.



Here's how compressed the natural position of the outer wipe is, also the inner door frame is kinda mangled for some reason...

[Brown_Muscle]

Yeah that's toast. The new dew wipes have a LOT more pressure than even NOS one's ive gotten. I think that will fix your issue

[Grand1]

Do you still have the plastic guide that is between the window channel felt and the door frame that should be about 2/3 of the way up the angled front upright? I know on the 88 I had, those were kinda required to get the window into the front channel properly.

Hey Sly, my 87 CV has those, replacing the rear pass glass . How you get those clips in the channel? The white clip....cant get it to set, they just move to the extreme end on each side.

[sly]

That, I don't know. I've never had those apart.