How stiff are window slider blocks supposed to be??

KyDave · Post by **KyDave** » 17 Oct 2020, 11:21

The rear lifting arm of the my drivers side window regulator bent and popped out its slider block. Now I have a good used mechanism and several new Chinese(?) slider blocks that an Ebay vendor supposedly sells a bunch of. They look correct but are not Volvo. As a test fit, I squeezed one onto a regulator ball stud using channel locks and it's too tight to rotate by hand. With some lithium grease it's turn-able with the channel locks. Is that normal? Is Volvo OEM any different?

Thanks! Dave

Post by **SuperHerman** » 17 Oct 2020, 13:18

I think you know the answer. If you have a difficult time turning it the window motor will have the same issue. It shouldn't be butter easy, but it shouldn't be you need a channel lock and serious force. Window motors are pretty big and have some serious gears - they can crank out some torque (nice pun).

Were it me I would use the channel lock and turn it for a few minutes with the grease and see how it feels. It should get easier by the end. Then install it, but don't put the door card on and see how it behaves. The fuse should protect the system, but you will know. If you see or hear it is straining stop - you don't want to ruin the plastic gears in the motor. You can take it apart and maybe hit friction points with a light file.

KyDave · Post by **KyDave** » 17 Oct 2020, 16:24

It's back together electrically and seems to work fine. I compared the new blocks to the remaining Volvo part and the friction torque is similar although the new parts have some plastic flash. Tomorrow we'll decide whether to use pop rivets or bolts for the door assembly and fit the replacement plastic panel rivets.

I've done Honda, Toyota, Mazda, and Dodge trucks and this was by far the most difficult door assembly I've encountered. As to the sliders, you never know what the designer thinks is "tight enough".

Post by **SuperHerman** » 17 Oct 2020, 19:47

Rivets or bolts. If the locations are not terribly difficult to drill out rivets - they are much easier and cleaner. If you fear you may be back in there in short order bolts are the way to go. Sounds like you have a good handle on the situation.

The worse regulators I have worked on are BMW - the easiest was Land Rover. To be honest none are fun as there just is no room to work in and plastic fittings always seem to break.

Post by **chrism** » 17 Oct 2020, 21:54

I found the aftermarket ones to have smaller holes so I drilled them out just a bit.

Note how the OE part slides further down on the tapered punch. The last photo shows difference in hole diameters before drilling out the aftermarket one.

Post by **cn90** » 18 Oct 2020, 10:19

This is the part I don't understand...
With Volvo Genuine part so cheap (can't remember but around $6/each), why would anyone play with Chinese parts?

Here is a Volvo dealer pricing at $6.21:
https://www.volvopartswebstore.com/prod ... 09416.html

Of course I have used different ebay parts before, but it is always a pain...

Post by **chrism** » 18 Oct 2020, 10:41

cn90 wrote: ↑18 Oct 2020, 10:19 This is the part I don't understand...
With Volvo Genuine part so cheap (can't remember but around $6/each), why would anyone play with Chinese parts?

Here is a Volvo dealer pricing at $6.21:
https://www.volvopartswebstore.com/prod ... 09416.html

Of course I have used different ebay parts before, but it is always a pain...

The problem with me was that I could buy about four of them online for the same $6 (or maybe even less back then) and to look at them online they looked identical. So once again my cheapness led me down an aggravating path. The devil is in (hidden) details.

Post by **cn90** » 18 Oct 2020, 11:06

Actually, I don't mind saving money as long as you know ahead and drill the holes bigger before installation...

Post by **chrism** » 18 Oct 2020, 13:33

cn90 wrote: ↑18 Oct 2020, 11:06 Actually, I don't mind saving money as long as you know ahead and drill the holes bigger before installation...

Oh, also....
The original clips are better quality and better fit than the aftermarket ones so I re-used the original ones.

Herb Goltz · Post by **Herb Goltz** » 18 Oct 2020, 20:34

Just did the window slider blocks on my '04 XC-70 last week. Bought the cheap ones at Rock Auto, as I was ordering other stuff anyway. No luck with the URO parts ones. They kept popping off the ball joint.

Went to the dealer and got genuine parts. Talked to a tech there, he said not to take the clips off the blocks. Line up the ball joint and squeeze it in using channel locks. It makes an audible pop when it goes in.

Getting the clips in was the worst part before-- got a little lithium grease on those clips and ended up dropping them inside the door. Had to fish them out with a magnet!