glueguy
glueguy GRM+ Memberand Reader
8/12/13 11:13 p.m.

I hate when a car punishes me for doing the right thing. I replaced the glass hatch struts on my 01 Suburban since they were pretty tired. The new ones were really strong - apparently too strong.

 photo 91a17cff-ac01-475f-ba76-051a3b14e9b4_zps49c84122.jpg

Any idea on how to replace this? Is it going to cost me a whole glass frame? I took a quick look and I can't tell how the hinge attaches to the glass side.

Kenny_McCormic
Kenny_McCormic SuperDork
8/12/13 11:16 p.m.

Looks like the hinge isn't serviceable I'd just buy the whole thing from a junkyard. Or JB weld the crap out of it and see how that goes.

mrwillie
mrwillie HalfDork
8/13/13 12:16 a.m.

Nothing to add, but the same thing happened to my sisters tahoe.

jpnovak
jpnovak New Reader
8/13/13 9:02 a.m.

This is such a common problem for this whole GM line. Had the same problem with our Tahoe. Epoxy for plastics will work for a month or two. Nursed that along for a year or so. Finally it just would not hold and I replaced the window. these are not easy to find at a junkyard with clean hinges. Most of them are broken. Expect high prices even at the junkyard.

At least replacement is about 5 min of work. Pull the circlips, slide the window out of the hinge and replace. Done.

dean1484
dean1484 GRM+ Memberand UberDork
8/13/13 9:46 a.m.

I would at least try some of the JB weld metal weld stuff. Remove the window goop up and clamp in place. Sets in 5 min and reaches full strength in 4 hours. Don't reinstall it for 12 hours. What do you have to loose. . .. Well except for the back glass.

Mazdax605
Mazdax605 SuperDork
8/13/13 11:12 a.m.

What year is the Suburban? I ask because I have an 04, and worry that maybe this is something I should be looking for on my truck.

motomoron
motomoron Dork
8/13/13 12:42 p.m.

In the 3rd world that would be fixed w/ a brazing torch, which is the correct way to go about it.

Adhesives won't work in a low-contact area/high bending load application like that.

Shooting it full of low-expanding 2-part urethane foam would help a lot.

glueguy
glueguy GRM+ Memberand Reader
8/13/13 10:51 p.m.
Mazdax605 wrote: What year is the Suburban? I ask because I have an 04, and worry that maybe this is something I should be looking for on my truck.

this one is a 2001, 150k miles. Here I thought I was being all cool replacing the struts to keep the thing from drooping after lifting it, and this is how it repays me.

jmthunderbirdturbo
jmthunderbirdturbo Reader
8/14/13 4:54 a.m.

only replace one strut at a time. every year, change ONE. i was told this by a GM tech long ago...this was his reason.

-J0N

glueguy
glueguy GRM+ Memberand Reader
8/30/13 3:29 p.m.

That's an interesting, and now handy tidbit. I figured better to replace in pairs so that it wouldn't move at different rates from one stiff and one soft. Guess I learned something and will never make that mistake again....

bgkast
bgkast GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
8/30/13 6:44 p.m.

In reply to motomoron:

Good luck doing that without thermally cracking the glass.

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