Window Mechanism Removal, Step-by-Step
Our Miata came with power windows, which are nice. However, not having glass inside the doors is better than having it — not only for a weight savings, but for safety reasons too. Because we have an open trailer, and the Miata sometimes stays outside overnight, it needs windows. So what it needs are windows that can be taken out easily!
I had heard of people who have made metal brackets that bolt to the window and hang them from the door sill. Another person wrote in a forum that he put a bolt through the channel the window slides in. This seemed like a good idea to me, so I went about trying to figure this out today.
Start by taking off the door panel (if it’s still on) and removing the 10mm and 14mm bolts that hold the various window parts on — the regulator, motor, two stops the white bumpers hit at the top of their travel, and the channel. You’ll need to remove the door latch (3x phillips screws) to remove a clip that holds the raise/lower cable to the door skin. There are a few 14mm nuts on the bottom of the door — remove them all. Also remove the screws that hold the window to the regulator mechanism. Toss out everything but the window and the shiny silver channel closest to the rearmost part of the door.
You should be able to remove the window now by pulling it up and out.
We’re going to focus now on the slider channel, which is the bright vertical piece in the photo below.
There is one 14mm nut holding it at the top and one at the bottom, on the underside of the door. Once you remove those nuts, you should be able to easily take it out.
So here’s the big idea — we’re going to replace the copper colored bolt that is welded to the top of the channel piece with a bolt whose head sits inside the channel. These are the parts we’ll use — they’re all parts I removed from the Miata in making it “Spec”! You’ll need to drill out the fancy washer so the bolt can go through it — I think it’s 5/16″.
It’ll be more clear later. Start off by cutting the copper-colored bolt off the channel. On one side, I just knocked it off with a hammer. On the other side of the car, I had to use a hacksaw.
After cutting the bolt off, drill a pilot hole in the center of where the bolt used to be. Well, it doesn’t have to be exact! If you’re off, try to err on the side of drilling it too high.
Then drill it out to 5/16″ (or whatever the diameter of the bolt is.
Ain’t it purdy?
Take the channel out of the vice and flip it over. Slip the fancy washer in the channel and center it over the hole.
Then slip the bolt through the hole.
Oops! This one is too big. No problem — just use some Channel Locks to persuade the channel to let the bolt through.
Voila! This is how it should look at this point.
Now back to the window. The red roller is what slides in the channel. The big washer and bolt head will prevent it from slipping down in the channel now. Using a torx wrench, loosen the bolt holding the red roller and adjust it as far to the bottom of the window as possible. Mine didn’t move much.
Now put the channel piece back in the door — the bolt you used will line up perfectly with the hole in the door. One 14mm nut at the top, one 14mm nut at the bottom. Easy! Now put the window in there, and it should stop nicely on the bolt head.
It’s almost like Mazda planned for this, since the window still seals up nicely when the door is shut.
Now taking out the windows is as easy as opening the door and yanking on it. Putting it back in is just as simple — just line it up with the channel near the A-pillar, slide it down, and get the red roller in the channel down to your new stop.