Advice or WTB - Window regulator springs for front windows

Tim Parker

Tim Parker

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Has anyone found a good alternative? None OEM available - mine are 51 years old and don't hold the windows up properly. Looks something like this picture.
 

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I used an early e24 Karmann springs although not the same but very similar and with small modification I was able to make it work
I also had two that they were broken but now all the windows are working

I hope this info helps !
 
I would adopt spring from old BMW (in-line with Alejandro) as most of them are still strong enough to work.

In some cases it would be the best to buy another, used regulator for E9.
 
Tim, I cannot think these can wear out. They can crack, they can lose their fixation to the regulator (the pin it fixes to can spin). I have had both happen. Cracked, I was able to weld it, still going 8 years later. Spinning pin, deQ has a fix for it, it is on this forum somewhere.
 
bavbob said:
Tim, I cannot think these can wear out. They can crack, they can lose their fixation to the regulator (the pin it fixes to can spin). I have had both happen. Cracked, I was able to weld it, still going 8 years later. Spinning pin, deQ has a fix for it, it is on this forum somewhere.
Click to expand...
I should have mentioned that these were power windows but are now manual. Would the motor have kept the tension on the window? Or the spring?
 
Tim Parker said:
I should have mentioned that these were power windows but are now manual. Would the motor have kept the tension on the window? Or the spring?
Click to expand...

What I think you are asking is: "Would gravity cause my windows to fall down from the up position if the springs weren't present?". I'm not familiar with the manual regulators, but would guess that they too have a high ratio to allow the glass to drop. I can tell you that there is too much friction in the slides and regulator to allow the weight of the windows to spin the motor and I suspect the situation is the same with the manual crank. My coupe's (power) windows work the same with and without the springs. I suspect your manual ones would too.

I believe the springs were used because the early motors were so anemic - the theory was that when lowering the window, the power of the motor, assisted by gravity, was enough to overcome friction and also wind the spring. When called upon to raise them window, the system could add the recovered energy in the spring to augment the (minimal) power of the motor to fight gravity and friction. But in reality, the hysteresis of the system meant that you got a lot less energy out of the spring than you had put in.
 
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