BenWA's 2005+ Power Sliding Rear Window Quick Install Kit

Gotcha. I guess I was meaning that the "principle" is the same, meaning that there still needs to be one shorter and one longer cable, there needs to be secured anchors for the cable to pivot on, etc. I realize the hidden setup is using different materials/design.

That makes sense. I had tested the regulator assembly and had it pulled all the way to one side (I have to set up the Ridgeline gig again to see which side) but understand the need for appropriate cable and cable housing lengths and position on the spool.

I am thinking that the ferule that has the two holes in it (like the one you showed in your original write up) should be strong enough. I was going to loop the cable into and then back out of the ferule, then crimp (I have the correct crimpers). I have used these before and had pretty good luck.

I knew there was tension pulling both ways on the final setup, but did not realize how much. I finally cut the cable notches in the ends of the nylon plastic pull-pull window bracket that I fabbed. The bracket was made from a cutting board made out of High Density Polypropylene and is SUPER strong. I am still a little concerned about it as well, but I tested it this morning using a cable installed in both ends of the bracket and pulled on it until the spring was fully compressed on the Ridgeline motor assembly and it worked like a champ. I was hoping to get one of your pull-pull brackets (if you have any left) to use instead and save this as a "back-up".
Anyway, thank you so much for all the info. I think I understand the assembly and function much better now.
Thanks again,
Ken

 

First off, big thanks to BenWa and all of the work he put into this. Sharing this info hoping it might help the DIYers out there. This is posted for ideas/concepts only as it is installed on a Nissan Frontier. So I had to figure out a lot of things because the install was obviously different on the Frontier. Tacomas have the option of a much more stealth install because the center portion of your windows drop about 1" below the channel allowing for more mounting options and elimination of the stock Ridgeline channel.

This mod is not as popular on frontiers because Crew Cabs don't have a sliding rear window option. Only the Access Cabs have rear sliders. I now use my rear window everytime I get into the truck whereas I never opened my rear window before the mod. Attached is a link to a thread on CF that I started when I was working on the mod. Hope it helps. Thanks again to BenWa for the inspiration.

http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f9/power-sliding-rear-window-mod-84424/index2.html

 

These are a series of video clips that I put together a while back for the Access Cab full hidden kit/Double Cab semi-hidden kit. The videos are each a few seconds long, and go by quick -- so you may need to rewatch them a few times or pause to read the caption. This version utilizes the Ridgeline regulator with the aluminum track removed, and the die cast cable ends clipped off. New cable housing are required of lengths that are different from the Ridgeline regulator. I used teflon-lined bicycle brake cable housing.

The most important part of doing this install is to ensure that the set screws in the pull-pull bracket are TIGHT. I have had a number of occasions where the cables pulled out of the pull-pull bracket because the set screws weren't tight enough. This is BAD because the cables will become jammed inside the regulator case. The other important part is to sufficiently removed all the cable slack from the system by doing an interative de-slacking process as described in the video clips. The tensioning springs on the regulator unit must be completely compressed at all times to keep tension and to prevent risk of the cables becoming unwound/jammed inside the regulator case.

Let me reiterate: I support folks who try to do this mod on their own, but the one thing I ask is that you please don't try to replicate my ideas as a means to start selling these types of kits for profit. There is a lot of intellectual property here and I hope that you all can be respectful of the many, many hours of hard work and thought that I put into this.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1juKAQOem80

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNCKgap5jEc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcpdovrs2BY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ4kDJX4r1g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wfn780VFfE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnti9xHUoO8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeJHybN6V0Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe4_N7ruknw

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K2rIorbwpI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G8Uvqe4joU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn1rqYE_Tmo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Uaq-igjns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjThPMY7Occ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXRBXRdbla0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ay20_wHiD0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-WUQkBy94M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwYHyUmj7w0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN0yxgwmUfo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdZ1SOqayUo

 

Badass. Now I can improve the current set up that I have now. Thanks again BenWa

Question: what would you recommend in preventing the cut end of the cable from fraying? I tried soldering the tip, but solder wouldn't even stick to it.

 

I dipped the ends in 2-part epoxy with good results, or you could burn off the grease with a soldering iron, then use flux and solder.

 

Thank you

 

Thanks! Only part I still need to figure out is your cable anchor brackets. I think I got everything else under control.

 

Awesome BenWA. Thanks for posting the videos.

 

WOW! What do you say after seeing ALL of that work that Ben put into this project and then sharing it with the rest of us!?!?! That was INCREDIBLY generous Ben. Man, I sure would like to see you make a go of building the kits, but totally understand the time, money and dedication that it would take. It is just amazing to me to go back and look at the original mod and how it evolved into this product of yours over time. Thank you SO much for sharing all of this info with us, it is MUCH appreciated!
One thing that FINALLY hit me was your emphasis on keeping the cables loaded. After seeing the inside of the regulator and the spool assembly, I can only imagine what would happen if one of the ends came off! The inside of the assembly would look like backlash on a fishing reel!!!
Thanks again for all of your effort, hard work and generosity.
Ken

 

Ben, I feel bad even asking any more questions, but the video did raise a couple for me:

1) In regards to the tie straps that held the tension on the cable, how/where exactly did you install those? You have thoroughly frightened me about the slack on the line.
2) You mentioned that if after the installation, you test the window operation by just moving it 2"-3" at a time and the tension on the springs is uneven that you should adjust tension on the driver side. There is no need to adjust on the passenger side or is it a matter of just getting the window pull/pull piece "centered" in the travel of the regulator?
Sorry for the stupid questions. I just still cannot believe that this product is not marketable? Compared to the cost of a CR Laurence window + installation!?!? This product wins hand down. Anyway, I am anxiously awaiting my bracket and thanks to you am looking forward to this install (I was dreading it for a while).
Ken

 

No worries Ken, I know how hard you have been working on and thinking about this mod. To answer the questions:

1) The zip ties were just used to keep the springs compressed during the install -- basically they acted a spare pair of hands to keep the springs compressed fully, which helped with keeping the amount of initial slack to minimum. I simply wrapped a couple of zip ties around the blue plastic plunger things and then around part of the regulator spool case to keep the springs compressed (hard to explain, and I don't have any pix). The zip ties did slip off occasionally, which was annoying, but it wasn't too much trouble to slip them back on to compress the springs.

2) Since the anchor block on the drivers side is the only one that can be slid along the window frame to virtually any arbitrary location so long as the slack is removed from the cables, that is the block that you will have to adjust. When you adjust that drivers side block, allowing the sliding window pane and pull-pull bracket to adjust freely, it will de-slack the whole kit n kaboodle. This might sound confusing but it will make more sense when you actually do it in practice.

It is IMPERATIVE that the springs are compressed fully before any power is applied to the regulator. If that regulator is operated with slack in the system it will royally f up the cable spool -- your analogy of a tangled fishing reel was a good one.

 

All bracket orders have been mailed out via USPS first class mail.

I would recommend painting the brackets black on the top and rear-facing sufaces prior to installation, for optimal stealth.

 

Got the pull/pull bracket in today. Man I gotta say this thing is flawless.

 

Nice to let us in behind the curtain to see the great and powerful OZ. Thank You for sharing

 

I guess I missed out in this. Are there any left?

 

Pull-pull brackets? Yes, I have probably 5 or 6 left. I do not have any of the anchor bracket blocks. You would have to fab those yourself based on pics and info provided earlier in this thread.

 

Cool!

To clarify for those who ordered brackets, the set screws are the bottom edge, so you would want to paint the opposite edge, and then the face that is machined out. I would recommend Krylon primer and semi-flat black.

 

How much do you want for one of those?

 

$25 shipped. PM for PayPal info.