1955 driver side window will not roll up

[kenny1298]

Need advice and tips. How to proceed in freeing drivers side window in a ‘56. What to look for and what to avoid. Glass in car original and don’t want to break. Thanks

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[CraigM]

Power windows?

 

[Old Marine]

Need advice and tips. How to proceed in freeing drivers side window in a ‘56. What to look for and what to avoid. Glass in car original and don’t want to break. Thanks

If you are really handy with taking things apart and getting them back together correctly you may want to tackle this yourself. We just went through this same problem with our 55. I'm pretty handy with things like this, but it gave me a real challenge to get it back together. I ordered a new window regulator before I started and then the fun began. There are at least a dozen or more parts plus the window that have to be removed just to get the regulator out. My biggest problem was on reassembly and getting the window regulator rollers installed. Pay close attention to them because it is really easy to put then in incorrectly. If my hands had been much smaller it may not have been a problem, but I have hands like a farmer. I would recommend that you get a large easy to see exploded door parts illustration and study it plus have it handy during the whole procedure. Also, you will need one of those tools to remove the window and door handles and be careful that you don't mix up the wires on the seat switches when you take the door panels off. There are three retainer clips mounted to the seat switch bezel that hold it to the door panel. I searched online for a video or some instructions on this procedure but couldn't find any. I found it amazing just how many parts that are stuffed into those little doors on our T-Birds. I'm not so proud that I can't admit that I had to take the passenger side door panel off so I could see the relationship of all the parts to the actual window. Patience and a warm place to work on it are an absolute must because you will probably be really frustrated before you get it back to working condition.

 

[cokefirst]

You did not state if this is power or manual windows. I did power windows on my 1956 about 8 months ago. I had to take it apart and put it together 6 times before we got it to work properly. Mine had power windows, so I wanted to replace the window felts and the cat's whiskers on the door post. This required me to use a rivet took to install the cats whiskers in the door post. If you are going to do the whole job, I would suggest buying the rivets from Casco in Coshocton Ohio, Their rivets are brass, everyone else sells steel rivets and they are near impossible to set properly. In any case, if you are not going to go this route, the job is simpler. I would order new window rollers and get the plastic ones not the old school metal ones. They are going to be much easier to use. remove all the mechanism and the glass will pull out through the upper opening. once the glass is out. disassemble and remove the rear window track along with the regulator mechanism. Inspect the window mechanism and if it is just stiff, clean and regrease the gears. I use Mobil 1 synthetic grease. It is a red color and will not harden like the old white lithium grease that the factory used. The good thing was that I also did the other side and it went together the first time!

 

[Tom Alpers]

Never did it but my advice is to take lots of photos of everything before you start taking things apart.

 

[seatramp]

Had to do it to my 56 and it's not easy seeing where everything goes. My wife bought me a borescope camera off amazon for a birthday present and it is well worth the 30 dollars she spent. I was able to see where all the pieces went before taking it apart and saved me the headaches putting it back together. I use the scope now anywhere I need more visibility or just don't want to contort my body to a point i can see. Came in real handy rewiring the dash. Here's a link.

https://www.amazon.com/GOLDEGGS-Industrial-Inspection-Waterproof-Automotive/dp/B0CCTXZJLB?tag=thunderbirdforum-20

 

[My2ndFord]

I would add, check the door pillar for straightness. This has been written up in detail elsewhere. If you put new weatherstrip/channel in the pillar, the pillar needs to be straight. You can bend them slightly cold if the bend is small, but being pot metal, it can be risky. It's best to heat the pillar to bend it. I used a propane torch which can probably melt the pot metal if you overheat, but from my experience, if the pillar is hot enough to boil water, it's probably enough. I've straightened three, two cold and broke one. I heated the third and successfully straightened it. If you have the window and pillar out, you can readily test to assure the window will slide smoothly in the channel.