How Manual Windows Work
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,729
Likes: 132
From: Toronto, Canada
How Manual Windows Work
Anyone remember those old school manual crank windows? Well they still exist on some economy cars.
I took one apart to see just how it works.
Manual crank windows are a cheaper and simpler alternative to powered windows.
They work best on small cars, where the driver can actually reach around to all four doors and crank up each window in case his passengers forget to wind it up.
So instead of taking the regulator out of the door, I take the door skin off the door to demonstrate how it works in motion:
Essentially its a 4 bar mechanism, that works with a giant pivot sun gear turned by the crank and two sliders at the top and bottom ends.
Here's the regulator removed from the vehicle. Notice the torsional spring to give you mechanical advantage when winding up that heavy window.
Finally, have a look at the gear reduction where the crank joins to the sun gear. This gives you a torque multiplication making it much easier:
Now the question is...should I bother rolling these windows down or just use the A/C?
I took one apart to see just how it works.
Manual crank windows are a cheaper and simpler alternative to powered windows.
They work best on small cars, where the driver can actually reach around to all four doors and crank up each window in case his passengers forget to wind it up.
So instead of taking the regulator out of the door, I take the door skin off the door to demonstrate how it works in motion:
Essentially its a 4 bar mechanism, that works with a giant pivot sun gear turned by the crank and two sliders at the top and bottom ends.
Here's the regulator removed from the vehicle. Notice the torsional spring to give you mechanical advantage when winding up that heavy window.
Finally, have a look at the gear reduction where the crank joins to the sun gear. This gives you a torque multiplication making it much easier:
Now the question is...should I bother rolling these windows down or just use the A/C?
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 4,592
Likes: 31
From: TN
Shows you the difference between GM and Toyota quality wise. What year is that Corolla??? Late 90's???? I remember a friend had an early 90's Buick Skylark(the body style before the ugly beak nose one), anyways he was having problems with the crank window on the driver's side, it felt like the crank was slipping or stripped out, it would sometimes grab and move the window up, other times it would slip and freewheel.
Take the door apart, biggest POS design I ever saw. there was a gear on the window crank, and one on the scissor lift thingy that moved the glass up and down. The part connecting it was not a metal chain, but the damn flimseyist POS plastic chain I ever saw. It was literally like a 1 or 2mm thick piece of pliable plastic with holes punched in it for the gears to grab, the plastic felt like that cheap *** vinyl plastic used for a makeup bag. The reason it was having problems is that the plastic holes had gotten bigger as the car aged, thus they slipped on the sproket.
Take the door apart, biggest POS design I ever saw. there was a gear on the window crank, and one on the scissor lift thingy that moved the glass up and down. The part connecting it was not a metal chain, but the damn flimseyist POS plastic chain I ever saw. It was literally like a 1 or 2mm thick piece of pliable plastic with holes punched in it for the gears to grab, the plastic felt like that cheap *** vinyl plastic used for a makeup bag. The reason it was having problems is that the plastic holes had gotten bigger as the car aged, thus they slipped on the sproket.
Yeah, my kids were fascinated when I showed on my friend's daily before my he decided to retrofit them with power windows.
I agree with Hoovey......do the GS next on power windows
I agree with Hoovey......do the GS next on power windows
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