Nasty wind up windows

Hi All,
Just wondering if anyone else needs SuperHuman strength to wind their front windows up and down on a Mk3?

I think I have narrowed it down to the seal in which the window sits (within the doorframe ) as it rises and falls,
has anyone else has experience of this please?

Many thanks in anticipation,
Regards
Mac

mac1776 wrote:Hi All,
Just wondering if anyone else needs SuperHuman strength to wind their front windows up and down on a Mk3?

I think I have narrowed it down to the seal in which the window sits (within the doorframe ) as it rises and falls,
has anyone else has experience of this please?

Many thanks in anticipation,
Regards
Mac

Oh yes!!!! My windows went up and down a treat, but since we took the little blighters out and re-skinned the doors... can I move them? 2 inches and that's yer lot!!! Super human powers are indeed required, and whilst not a problem for me... ahem.... I managed to snapped my lovely original bakelite door handle clean in half (cue Big Al for emergency replacement), so I too think it is down to new seals. On a positive note I no longer have a whistling boiling kettle noise at above 30 mph!!! Can't have everything I guess!!!!

If anyone knows how to rectify the window issue, I'd love to know!

Jase

I think the answer is that the new skin has been put over the old one which should have been removed?
This would make the cill wider and the inside edge closer to the glass.

Mines a MK2 as some of you know with sliders. I had the doors reskinned professionally
When I tried to fit the chrome strip on the door it was too wide for the clips, ended up sticking them on with clear window sealant! 2 years on ,still there!

I'm guessing on the winding wimdows the chrome strip has been forced against the glass by this extra layer.
This being the case then you'll just have to flex the biceps!

My studio 2 windows were tight so I cleaned the rubber strip and siliconed it, removed the door panel and greased the mechanism, then polished the glass. It seemed to do the trick. Had to do it regularly though, a bit of a pain (if you pardon the pun !) Get it?

Is it possible to widen the aperture with disc pad separator tool? Bit drastic I suppose but may be a solution because one day the glass is gonna be pulled out of the runner and believe me they are buggers to sort out

Just my opinon,I'm sometimes wrong!

I use moggy 1000 winder handles. They may not be original but they are Chrome and hard as nails :-)

TONYELF wrote:I think the answer is that the new skin has been put over the old one which should have been removed?

No, Tony, old door skins were removed and disposed of.

Jase

I am talking about the top cill right across. A lot of people leave it on and hook the new one over it.
Does that make sense now?

TONYELF wrote:I am talking about the top cill right across. A lot of people leave it on and hook the new one over it.
Does that make sense now?

Yeah, that makes sense. But my doorskins were stripped right back.

believe it or not, the answer may be rivetting! by this i mean the rivets that hold the clips for the external chrome around the window frame - these protrude into the channel in which the "slidey window channel" sits, compressing it in slightly and thus making the window harder to pull up and down as you get increased friction between channel and glass, and this occurs because the original factory rivets (with very small heads to minimise intrusion) have been replaced with longer standard rivets, which have bigger heads that mushroom inside the door frame and compress the sliding channel against the glass. if it winds easily on the last bit when the glass is clear of the upper frame section then this may be the reason. i always leave the original trim clips attached to the doors if i can to avoid this happening, but have also used some short head rivets which hopefully will do the trick. sorry for the long-winded answer - if anyone with a modicum of technical knowledge would like to edit this and use more appropriate technical terms please do......

Big_Al_Smith wrote:believe it or not, the answer may be rivetting! by this i mean the rivets that hold the clips for the external chrome around the window frame - these protrude into the channel in which the "slidey window channel" sits, compressing it in slightly and thus making the window harder to pull up and down as you get increased friction between channel and glass, and this occurs because the original factory rivets (with very small heads to minimise intrusion) have been replaced with longer standard rivets, which have bigger heads that mushroom inside the door frame and compress the sliding channel against the glass. if it winds easily on the last bit when the glass is clear of the upper frame section then this may be the reason. i always leave the original trim clips attached to the doors if i can to avoid this happening, but have also used some short head rivets which hopefully will do the trick. sorry for the long-winded answer - if anyone with a modicum of technical knowledge would like to edit this and use more appropriate technical terms please do......

Makes sense but doesn't apply to mine as it has a winder. Window (when fully down) just won't rise up from the door under normal arm strength. Before it even gets to the frame trim rivets

Jase

discoman41 wrote:

Big_Al_Smith wrote:believe it or not, the answer may be rivetting! by this i mean the rivets that hold the clips for the external chrome around the window frame - these protrude into the channel in which the "slidey window channel" sits, compressing it in slightly and thus making the window harder to pull up and down as you get increased friction between channel and glass, and this occurs because the original factory rivets (with very small heads to minimise intrusion) have been replaced with longer standard rivets, which have bigger heads that mushroom inside the door frame and compress the sliding channel against the glass. if it winds easily on the last bit when the glass is clear of the upper frame section then this may be the reason. i always leave the original trim clips attached to the doors if i can to avoid this happening, but have also used some short head rivets which hopefully will do the trick. sorry for the long-winded answer - if anyone with a modicum of technical knowledge would like to edit this and use more appropriate technical terms please do......

Makes sense but doesn't apply to mine as it has a winder. Window (when fully down) just won't rise up from the door under normal arm strength. Before it even gets to the frame trim rivets

Jase

And you have greased the runner inside?
Another point. On my Studio 2 I never wound the window right down,always left about 2" of glass showing, it seemed to make the winding up a bit easier. Not comfortable for resting your arm on though!

Guys, thanks for the replies, I have now opted for the Moggy Minors' apparently stronger winders, I think this will help no end. ( I hope !!!)
Many thanks again,
Regards
Mac

That may help to separate the glass from it's groove( if it's forced) then you will have a problem!

My Mini has become difficult to wind the drivers window up & down. I found that the brackets that hold the glass to the mechanism have corroded badly, which allows the glass to move and tilt so that it doesn't go up level, if you get my drift. The net result of this was to make the winder jump a tooth and until I fixed that, I couldn't even shut the window fully! Been careful since...

So new clamp brackets are on my shopping list now. Along with a new suspension, an engine & exhaust, and new stainless bumpers as the winter weather has already killed the brand new chrome ones I put on last year... there's always something!

mac1776 wrote:Guys, thanks for the replies, I have now opted for the Moggy Minors' apparently stronger winders, I think this will help no end. ( I hope !!!)
Many thanks again,
Regards
Mac

very good idea, my very own jvg has a moggy handle on the driver's side (all metal and nigh on impossible to break!) as that's the side that has had a replacement door/ channel/ rivets etc. nearside is all original and works perfectly as mr. issigonis intended!