Crappy Part design Windows

[ViperGeorge]

Many years ago we were close to an actual solution to this problem.

If I recall correctly, folks with Plymouth Prowlers were suffering a similar fate when it came to window regulators. Same design, same end result.

There was someone out there that made a conversion to a totally different type of mechanism - one that got rid of the flexible tubing that breaks. It looked very similar to this type of regulator:

https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-CUH00...caAinzEALw_wcB

They started working on the same thing for Vipers, and at one point even had one installed and working in a Gen 3/4, minus one part: they couldn't get it to work with the smart glass/auto indexing (or whatever you call the function where the window drops when you open the door, and goes back up into the weather seal when you close it) feature. Without insights into how that's implemented in the BCM, the project was dead in the water.

I'm probably mixing up some details at this point, but I think the pertinent info is mostly accurate.

In my mind, there are three paths to a "fix":

1. Someone with engineering expertise, probably in conjunction with Prefix, needs to figure out how to make that other design work. Doug Shelby would be a great candidate for the engineering expertise, but he'd need access to the technical details of how the smart glass works. That's where I think Prefix would come in...otherwise, you'd need to find the engineer(s) that originally designed it.
2. Someone gets the aftermarket to agree to restart production for at least some period of time regularly to ensure there's enough supply.
3. Aftermarket repair kit

#1 is going to require a likely not insignificant investment in time and money. I'm sure someone out there like Doug would be willing to take this on as a labor of love, but that usually doesn't put food on the table. And it'd pretty much have to be a labor of love at this point since making aftermarket Viper parts isn't going to make anyone rich. Low production numbers gives you some exclusivity, but it comes at a price.

#2 doesn't really fix the problem since the design itself sucks, and I also worry about typical Viper parts price gouging. I vividly remember the days post-Gen 4 production when window regulators were over $1k for each side...that got fixed when the Gen 5 came out and the prices dropped substantially, but now that it's been out of production for 5 years, we're starting to see the same pattern again.

#3 is available now, but I've seen so many mixed reviews of either DIY kits or companies that provide this service that I don't consider it a true fix. But it's the fix we have at the moment.

My $0.00.

You correctly outline the issues with designing and building a replacement part. One thing the window regulator has going for it is that is used in all Gen 3/4 and 5 cars so there are more cars out there than for a Gen specific part. This may make it economically somewhat more viable.

I have also heard of the horror stories about getting a regulator fixed using one of the available kits. I would agree the kits are not a true fix, more of a bandaid if you can even get the kits to work. Maybe someone could offer a rebuild service where the core parts of the regulator are kept but the weak links are beefed up. I believe there was someone on here that posted about a company in AZ that did this. I don't know what his experience with the rebuilt part was though but this would be a more economical solution.

One thing is for sure. We need to figure out where replacement parts (not just window parts) are going to come from in the future. I for one have started to hoard parts where I can. Basic items like ball joints, A-arm bushings, ACR side sills, hoods, etc have been discontinued by FCA. There are still some of these parts out there but prices are going up. Other parts are on their way out, like control arms, steering racks, etc.