Quarter Window Glass: Service and Repair
Quarter Glass Replacement
NOTE:
- Wear eye protection when removing the glass with piano wire.
- Put on gloves to protect your hands.
- Use seat covers to avoid damaging any surfaces.
- The quarter glass clips and the molding clips will need replacement because they will be damaged during glass removal.
1. Remove the quarter pillar trim Service and Repair.
2. Remove the front seal (A) from the front edge of the quarter glass (B). If necessary, cut the seal with a utility knife.
3. From inside the vehicle, cut through the adhesive (A) of the quarter glass from the rear pillar area to the quarter pillar bottom area with a utility knife (B).
4. Push a piece of piano wire through the hole you made in step 3, and wrap each end around a piece of wood.
5. With a helper on the outside, pull the piano wire (A) back and forth in a sawing motion. Hold the piano wire as close to the quarter glass (B) as possible to prevent damage to the body, and carefully cut through the adhesive (C) in the front and upper straight areas and the front upper corner.
Cutting positions
6. Apply protective tape along the outside edge of the body. From pillar side the vehicle, detach the clips (A) and the front clips (B) of the quarter glass molding (C) with a clip remover.
7. While an assistant is holding the quarter glass (A), from inside the vehicle, detach the rear clips of the quarter glass molding (B) with a clip remover.
8. Carefully remove the quarter glass.
9. Scrape the original adhesive smooth to a thickness of about 2 mm (0.08 in) on the bonding surface around the entire quarter glass opening flange with a putty knife:
- Do not scrape down to the painted surface of the body; damaged paint will interfere with proper bonding.
- Remove the clips from the body.
10. Clean the body bonding surface with a sponge dampened with isopropyl alcohol. After cleaning, keep oil, grease, and water from getting on the surface.
11. Remove the quarter glass molding from the quarter glass. If the original quarter glass molding is to be reinstalled, replace the molding clips with new ones.
12. If the original quarter glass is to be reinstalled, scrape off all of the original adhesive and the damaged clips from the quarter glass with a putty knife. Clean the inside face and the edge of the quarter glass with isopropyl alcohol where new adhesive is to be applied. Make sure the bonding surface is kept free of water, oil, and grease.
13. Attach the clips (A) and the front seal (B) with adhesive tape to the inside face of the quarter glass (C) as shown. Before installing the front seal, apply primer to the inside face of the quarter glass:
- Be careful not to touch the glass where adhesive will be applied.
- Be sure to install the clips with their convex areas (D) upward.
14. Install the quarter glass molding (A).
1. Hold the molding up on the glass, and gently place the front hooks (B) of the molding to the middle edge of the glass first.
2. While keeping the front hooks in place on the glass, from the front to the rear, gradually hook the lower clips (C) and upper clips (D) of the molding to along the edges of the glass by sliding the molding forward.
3. Place the rear hooks (E) on the edge of the quarter glass.
4. Push the molding into place securely.
NOTE:
- Take care not to bend or damage the molding. Do not pull either end of the molding up or down, or its joints may be damaged.
- Be careful not to touch the glass where adhesive will be applied.
- Be sure the front seal contacts the upper and lower ends of the molding.
15. Apply a light coat of glass primer along the edge of the quarter glass (A) and the front seal (B) as shown, then lightly wipe it off with gauze or cheesecloth:
- Using the printed dots (C) on the quarter glass as a guide, apply the glass primer to the front and rear areas of the quarter glass.
- Do not apply body primer to the quarter glass, and do not get body and glass primer mixed up.
- Never touch the primed surfaces with your hands. If you do, the adhesive may not bond to the quarter glass properly, causing a leak after the quarter glass is installed.
- Keep water, dust, and abrasive materials away from the primed surfaces.
16. Carefully apply a light coat of body primer to any exposed paint or metal around the flange where new adhesive will be applied. Let the primer dry for at least 10 minutes:
- Do not apply body primer to any remaining original adhesive on the flange.
- Be careful not to mix up the body and glass primer applicators.
- Never touch the primed surfaces with your hands.
17. Cut a "V" in the end of the nozzle (A) on the adhesive cartridge as shown.
18. Put the cartridge in a caulking gun, and run a bead of adhesive (A) around the edge of the quarter glass (B) and along the front seal (C) as shown:
- Using the printed dots (D) on the quarter glass as a guide, apply the adhesive to the front and rear areas of the quarter glass.
- Apply the adhesive within 30 minutes after applying the glass primer. Make a slightly thicker bead at each corner.
19. Hold the quarter glass (A) with suction cups (B) over the opening, align it with the clips (C), and set it down on the adhesive. Lightly push on the quarter glass until its edges are fully seated on the adhesive all the way around.
NOTE: Do not open or close any of the doors for about an hour until the adhesive is dry.
20. Scrape or wipe the excess adhesive off with a putty knife or towel. To remove adhesive from a painted surface or the quarter glass, use a soft shop towel dampened with isopropyl alcohol.
21. After the adhesive has dried, spray water over the quarter glass and check for leaks. Mark the leaking areas, let the quarter glass dry, then seal with sealant. Let the vehicle stand for at least 4 hours after quarter glass installation. If the vehicle has to be used within the first 4 hours, it must be driven slowly.
22. Reinstall all removed parts.
NOTE: Advise the client not to do the following things for 2 to 3 days:
- Slam the doors with all the windows rolled up.
- Twist the body excessively (such as when going in and out of driveways at an angle or driving over rough, uneven roads).