Auto Windows

This was a hell of a process. I put in two different sets of actuators to get the windows to work. The first set used the existing LMTV crank hardware to roll up and down the windows and was all of $40 from Ebay.

Now I bought these because they allow you to roll the window up the entire distance. The LMTV windows are a long throw, so it’s hard to find a mechanism that can give you a fully opened window.

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Well, That didn’t work. So I bought some Autolok window actuators that would be about 5″ short of rolling down the window completely but came with a more powerful motor and eliminated the old window mechanism… and therefore, there is less power loss due to drag.

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SUPPLIES
These are some items you will need outside of metric sockets and screwdrivers.

• Home Door/Window shims
• 12v battery or live wire
• rivnut insert tool
• Autoloc window actuators
• Autolok Instructions
• PB Blaster or Goo Gone
• Precision cutting tool, either a dremel or mounted portaband

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REMOVAL
Taking out the the current mechanism is straight forward. Before you start take the window down half way to expose the bolts in the bottom of the window.

1. Remove the bolts from the bottom of the window. Push the window to the closed position and place two door/window shims between the window and the sill to keep it from falling back down into the door.
2. Remove the hand crank and the two bolts behind it.
3. Remove the two bolts holding the rest of the mechanism in.
4. Remove the entire mechanism
5. Take out the shims and bring the window down so you can gain access to the bottom bracket on the window
6. Spray the bottom bracket with pb blaster or goo gone.
7. Eat lunch or start on the other door
8. Take a small screwdriver and push it between the bottom of the window (not the side) and the bracket. Gently work off the bracket.
9. Put the window back at the top with the door/window shims

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MODIFICATION
The Autolok mechanism allows you to remove the motor and use it “remotely”. So it’s no longer on the bottom of the track but connected by a short piece of tube (see second image below). Here are the instructions for the Autolok remote motor attachment (Page 3). I’m not going to go through these step by step, but I will tell you there are a few things you will want to do in addition.

Limit the track at the bottom. You don’t want to push the slider off the track at the bottom. I cut a small piece of the track and bent it to almost a 90 degree angle as a stopper.

Before 6a (in the instructions) you are going to want to flair the end with a flair tool between the motor and the track. If you don’t do this it will push the tube off either the motor or track end. Be careful to open the tube if you crush it closed with the flair tool.

Place the motor back in and make sure the bracket that slides on the track is at the top.

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INSTALL
Pull your shims and bring the window down, You’re going to put in the new bottom bracket. Try to put it roughly in the same spot as the previous. I mounted it with the tension nuts on the back side because there was more room on that side of the door panel. Place your window back at the top with shims again.

I wanted to reuse at least one hole in the door to get this started.  I used the inside hole that held the previous track (1). I placed the track by feel… yeah, that’s the best I got. I had figure out roughly where the top two holes of the track would attach to the top two holes of the sliding bracket without putting eyes on it. Feel free to cut open the door, I don’t recommend it, but feel free.

Once the top hole is marked, pull the track and placed a rivnut in it while being cognizant of how it needed to clear the slider.

After putting one rivnut in put the the track back in screwed in the top and double checked the placement at the top. Pulled the track again and brought the bracket down to the center of the bracket by removing the motor from the metal retainer (leave the motor out). Put the track back in, attached it at the top then brought the window down (by removing the shims) to attach it to the track.

This allows two things.

1. Slide the window up to the top by hand to make sure it closes and that you are in the right portion of the bracket to make it happen.
2. Slide the window down to the bottom to see where window naturally wants to go. You can see where you can put a second screw into the slide and how far away from the attachment point it will be to keep it from binding.

The second hole was about 3/8’s to a 1/2 inch away from the inside door skin when the window is at the bottom of the track. Drill a pilot hole and made some spacers to allow for the track to keep that distance away from the door.

Take everything apart again, use your pilot hole to put in a second rivnut and spacer, once again, being careful not to get in the way of the slider. Put everything back in and attach the window… making sure the window slides freely. Assuming you’re good to go, pull it all again. If it’s binding you’ll need to troubleshoot your connection to the window.

Once you’re good to go, put the motor back in with the bracket in the center of the track where you can attach the window. Put all your bolts back in their respective locations. This would be a good time to put 12v to the motor and make sure you are able to move the window again without any binding. Finally, find the best place to install the “remote” motor. I used spacers and bought some longer bolts to drill through the inside of the door to attach the motor bracket. Wire everything up and make sure your switches and wiring are on the inside or outside of the track to avoid any potential issues.

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LOOKING BACK
You might be able to leave the motor connected to the bottom of the track and cut the top of the track to make it work. When you place the motor in the remote location you lose some distance on the track because the worm gear has to get shorter to reach the motor in it’s new position… this is something I didn’t realize till I cut it up and put it back together. Either way the window stops about 5 to 6 inches short of opening in entirety.

Good luck,
E