Front door window track damage

[Just*Managing Member Find all posts View Profile Close Just*Managing]

Well this was weird. went to Ledge point for New Years. it was very windy; no surprise there but when one of the kids was getting out of the front passengers seat, the wind caught the door and swung it open very hard. Later when we tried to wind down the window there were terrible noises and it didn't go down easily, then I couldn't get it up and when we opened the door again it sounded like the glass cracked. I pulled all the panels off and it looks like the force of the wind pulled on the little black guide thing so hard that it pulled on some of the steel supports that hold the window track which is now bent & the window had popped out of the track. These tracks appear to be welded in. Does anyone know if this sort of thing can be fixed or do I need to order a whole new door? & if it can be fixed who does that sort of thing? Does it have to be Toyota or am I better off taking it to a panel beater? I expect it would be an insurance claim but I'm hoping it will cost less than my excess

[Madkore Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Madkore]

Re: Front door window track damage

Unfortunately I can't offer much advice, just my sympathy!

Sadly, I don't think you will get out of it cheaply...

[Just*Managing Member Find all posts View Profile Close Just*Managing]

Re: Front door window track damage

OK, so I thought I'd try & post a couple of pics. One is of the little black guide that caused the damage inside the door. I have bought a new one of these from a guy for $145-. I'm told Toyota dealers are up over $200- for this part but to be fair, I didn't bother ringing around Toyota dealers. The second pick is a bet hard to follow but it is looking up the door through the speaker hole at the window track and you can see how the black guide has pulled the track out of alighnment. I haven't had time to get it fixed yet although a Panel beater reckons he could fix it for about $150- if I bought the guide (he obviously new how much it was going to cost. So if i can get the whole thing done for $300- then i guess I've had a win & don't have to get the insurance company involved.

[ozchild Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close ozchild]

Re: Front door window track damage

Hi Just*Managing,

You'd never believe it, the same thing happened to me 4 days ago. I'm on Stockton Beach, it's blowin' a gale, I've positioned the limo so I can open the rear door without the wind ripping it off. I've gone to get out and all of a sudden the very thing I was trying to stop happening to the rear door, happens to the drivers door. The wind get's it and has it almost parallel to the front fender. No obvious damage, the door shuts fine, and that's when the trouble starts. The next time I've gone to get in, there's a bit of resistance at the half way open point. I just put it down to the wind, so I've put a tad more muscle into it, then bang!! Same outcome as your effort.
Like you, I pulled the door to pieces and couldn't believe what I saw. The window guide resembles a twisted bit of wrought iron fencing. What to do???
I did a little bit emergency metal bashing to enable the window to still operate but the black "door guide thingo" will have to stay out until I get a permenant fix 'cause it still interfears with the window guide when opening and shutting the door. I'm not sure whether the "door guide thingo" has bent, if it has that would certainly explain the interfearance problem. Let me know your outcome Just*Managing.

Cheers Mark

[Just*Managing Member Find all posts View Profile Close Just*Managing]

Re: Front door window track damage

Bugga,
The black guide should be available for just under $150- & as a cashie the panelbeater straightened it all up for me. So all good.

[ozchild Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close ozchild]

Re: Front door window track damage

I compared the door guide to the passenger side and was quite surprised at just how bent it's got. Whether or not it's entirely related to the other day, I'm not sure. Anyway, stuck it in the vice and did a bit of untwisting and unbending and got it to resemble it's original shape. Gotta be careful as the guides a plastic coated metal strap. Anyway, all good in that department. The window track is not perfect but I've been able to reshape it enough so that the window operates satisfactory. The door guide still only misses the track by a fairies fart though! I dare say that this will be a problem waiting to happen.
Did you get your window track replaced or repaired?

Cheers Mark

[tecsol Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close tecsol]

Revisiting this thread… as same thing happened to me in the last week:

• Winfow caught drivers door as opening and swung it open very fast
• RH Door check is slightly bent out of shape
• RH Door check hits the bent track (and makes a terrible noise when opening & closing door). (Part # 68610-60101)
• Window track is bent out of shape by the RH door “check”

What I have done:
• Swapped rear RH Door check with front. It still hits track, so problem is more with track than Door check.
• Tried to “beat the track into shape but it’s welded into the door!

Does anyone know how a panel beater accesses and then bends the track back into shape?

Pic attached showing inside door, when door opens & closes the Door Check hits the track (looking via speaker hole)