Cheap vs OEM, why do they fail ?
anyone know which window regulator is the best brand? my oem rear right one snapped again :crybaby2: and i changed it last week with a brand new oem(no warranty because i used a shop discount
) anyone know which regulator is the best?
also what kind of grease are we suppose to use on them?
I am glad you asked this question and started the thread. I am about to buy my second regulator for the same door/window. WHen I first compared the generic device to the OEM, I couldn't see any differences at all.
The OEM was a snapped cable. The wires were all frayed and it wasn't obvious what caused the snap. I couldn't find any wear/rub points which I expected to find with a wire cable snapping. If it locks itself up, the overload sensor should turn the window motor off.
My cheap generic failed after about a year....I heard a grind, then it got stuck part way tried to pull it up, push it down. It was stuck. Pulled the door panel and looked, the cable had slipped off the lower idler pulley. I can't explain why it wouldn't pull up....then I removed and pulled the cable keeper housing apart. Inside, the cable was twisted and folded over. My guess is as the cable came off the idler wheel, it changed the take up tension.
My question is...why do they fail ...and why would generic fail if same as OEM.
The design problem I see is the wire wrap around the idler. It barely covers 1/4 of the radius and when the carriage bottoms or tops, the angle is even less, maybe 1/5 or less is on the wheel. I wonder if as the tension changes direction, note the spring loaded cable guards, there is enough slack for the cable to slip off the idler ?
It just doesn't make sense to me to keep putting the same part back in which is just as likely to fail in short order without trying some sort of modifications. Maybe lubing the window tracks will allow the glass to move more smoothly up / down but it is hard for me to visualize that causing the problem.
I hear OEM fail, I hear generic fail , that almost tells me it is the window / door contributing to the failure...or just a lousy design which a couple simple mods might prevent future failures.
I wonder if a deeper groove (larger diameter outer on the outer rim) would help prevent cables from jumping out ?
I know I am going to install the bumper which prevents the traveler (and the window) from going full bottom. This will stop the window with about 6in of glass in the door. Not much I can do about the top side. It's got to go all the way up.!!! Maybe that is where sticking on a larger diameter flange or something will help keep wires on track.
