window regulator replacement

["Walter Coe" <Whalt@xxxx>]

No one sent me any photos of a heavy duty window regulator installation, but
I was sent a photo of an OEM installation and also a copy of PJ Grady's
installation instructions in .pdf format.

Armed with this information, I installed a new heavy-duty window regulator
in Jim Sleeth's DeLorean today. I first installed it according to the PJ
Grady instructions, but I was not happy with the results. The problem
isn't obvious unless you really study why the window moves slower when
mostly open and faster when mostly closed as the regulator's tube flexes
about.

The crux of the problem is that the tab welded at the elbow in the regulator
tube is supposed to be bolted to the rear hole in the door handle support
bracket, but this puts the tube too close to the door skin where it can dent
the door from the inside. I have found such dents on several DeLoreans.
This location also puts the tube too far forward. When the window is near
the top of travel, this isn't very obvious because the glass carrier is at
the end of the tube where it doesn't take much force to flex the tube. But
when the window is near the bottom of travel, the glass carrier is closer to
the elbow where there isn't much room for forgiveness. The result is that
the tube flexes to line up with the window while it binds & slows down. It
also makes the window more prone to popping off the front track.

My fix was to install the window the way I just finished installing one in
my own DeLorean. I removed the inner part of the door handle bracket by
drilling out the spot welds. Then I made all new brackets from scratch.
This locates the tab on the elbow about 1cm further back, 1cm further toward
the center of the car and 1cm higher. This may not sound like much, but it
allows the window regulator tube to always line up with the studs on the
glass carrier assembly. Now the window moves up & down effortlessly.

Since I've seen the exact same problem on two DeLoreans, I tend to believe
that the problem lies in the design of the heavy-duty window regulator and
not due to my inability to follow instructions. I believe that the design
is faulty and that no amount of re-bending the tube will help enough. If it
is installed without substantial modifications then you risk damage to the
door skin, having the window pop off track and making the motor work much
harder than it needs to as the tube flexes & binds. What stumps me is why I
am the only one to notice this. Aren't there vendors out there who have
installed more of these than they can count? Are you guys just unobservant
or did I make a wasteful mistake on two cars now by making custom brackets?

For the rest of you, we took plenty of photos and will put a web page
together soon demonstrating the problem & the fix. Meanwhile, I would like
your comments.

Walt Tampa, FL