alexb
May 6th, 2013, 10:40 PM
My rear window zipper recently broke and wouldn't open or shut so I snapped some pictures while repairing it. I have a 2005 Jeep Wrangler LJ but this should apply to any LJ or TJ and probably most zippered rear Jeep windows.
The problem: Super tough to pull the zipper. Hard enough that I fear ripping canvas. :) Also, gaps in the zipper after closing. I had no damage to zipper teeth (fortunately).
Here is a gap:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yMDyAFoC0c8/UWusJlyvBQI/AAAAAAAAVU4/HmhnkvnGVko/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_173847.jpg
And another pair of them:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PFQpNC1tLPY/UWusQoJWZ1I/AAAAAAAAVVQ/O8UC_qmV2H0/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_173905.jpg
Here are the supplies I used. They are two new zipper pulls for the rear window (From http://jeepit.com/zipper3.htm) and some Ziptech Zipper lubricant (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GKBEJA/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ayOUlxXYr4A/UWusGR3MYXI/AAAAAAAAVUs/mIZU1DC-sLY/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_173831.jpg
First I used the zip tech to make the zipper move at all so I could take off the old sliders. The stuff applies like chapstick and you just slide it over the zipper to lubricate it. Worked well and with some force, I could move the zipper again. Here is a shot of the zipper with the ziptech on it. It's the white stuff on the zipper.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Lpam4uV-D2s/UWusVMxo_dI/AAAAAAAAVVc/zKTGSeUvWK4/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_175320.jpg
Here you can see my old zipper pull. One side was spread further than the other which caused the trouble. The gap shown in the picture should not be that large.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZgVhtaI_tx4/UWushH8dyiI/AAAAAAAAVWA/zSzEZPqkKMw/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_175920.jpg
Now you find the zipper stop at the bottom right side of the rear window.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9gnhLK_aKoo/UWuspOdGpLI/AAAAAAAAVWY/TOAoozig3Rg/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_180347.jpg
Remove that with needle nose pliers.
Put the two new zipper pulls on and put them in the center of the rear window so they look like this:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Zzck-5qJqx0/UWusuLhfINI/AAAAAAAAVWk/EAz7DiWhmCQ/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_180734.jpg
Now put the new zipper stop back on. Here is a photo of the new zipper stop (black) and the old one (silver). I didn't like the way the new zipper stop worked so I redundantly added back both of them.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-x5y4qMWLIrY/UWusxMgtq3I/AAAAAAAAVWw/0DY2kecs5DQ/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_180834.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BuQ8O3E2PjE/UWus03xxalI/AAAAAAAAVW8/QM24fiuJEVM/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_182156.jpg
And now my rear window goes in and out much, much easier. The old zipper pulls were so bad that this probably saves me 10 minutes each time I put the window in or take it out.
There are the rope style pulls for the zippers to match the style that came from the factory. You just cut off the pulls on these zippers and add the ropes. I liked the classic zipper and the hole in the zipper is still large enough for me to slide a carabiner through to give me a better grip on the zipper when needed.
The problem: Super tough to pull the zipper. Hard enough that I fear ripping canvas. :) Also, gaps in the zipper after closing. I had no damage to zipper teeth (fortunately).
Here is a gap:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yMDyAFoC0c8/UWusJlyvBQI/AAAAAAAAVU4/HmhnkvnGVko/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_173847.jpg
And another pair of them:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PFQpNC1tLPY/UWusQoJWZ1I/AAAAAAAAVVQ/O8UC_qmV2H0/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_173905.jpg
Here are the supplies I used. They are two new zipper pulls for the rear window (From http://jeepit.com/zipper3.htm) and some Ziptech Zipper lubricant (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GKBEJA/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ayOUlxXYr4A/UWusGR3MYXI/AAAAAAAAVUs/mIZU1DC-sLY/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_173831.jpg
First I used the zip tech to make the zipper move at all so I could take off the old sliders. The stuff applies like chapstick and you just slide it over the zipper to lubricate it. Worked well and with some force, I could move the zipper again. Here is a shot of the zipper with the ziptech on it. It's the white stuff on the zipper.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Lpam4uV-D2s/UWusVMxo_dI/AAAAAAAAVVc/zKTGSeUvWK4/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_175320.jpg
Here you can see my old zipper pull. One side was spread further than the other which caused the trouble. The gap shown in the picture should not be that large.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZgVhtaI_tx4/UWushH8dyiI/AAAAAAAAVWA/zSzEZPqkKMw/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_175920.jpg
Now you find the zipper stop at the bottom right side of the rear window.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9gnhLK_aKoo/UWuspOdGpLI/AAAAAAAAVWY/TOAoozig3Rg/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_180347.jpg
Remove that with needle nose pliers.
Put the two new zipper pulls on and put them in the center of the rear window so they look like this:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Zzck-5qJqx0/UWusuLhfINI/AAAAAAAAVWk/EAz7DiWhmCQ/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_180734.jpg
Now put the new zipper stop back on. Here is a photo of the new zipper stop (black) and the old one (silver). I didn't like the way the new zipper stop worked so I redundantly added back both of them.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-x5y4qMWLIrY/UWusxMgtq3I/AAAAAAAAVWw/0DY2kecs5DQ/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_180834.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BuQ8O3E2PjE/UWus03xxalI/AAAAAAAAVW8/QM24fiuJEVM/w656-h492/IMG_20130414_182156.jpg
And now my rear window goes in and out much, much easier. The old zipper pulls were so bad that this probably saves me 10 minutes each time I put the window in or take it out.
There are the rope style pulls for the zippers to match the style that came from the factory. You just cut off the pulls on these zippers and add the ropes. I liked the classic zipper and the hole in the zipper is still large enough for me to slide a carabiner through to give me a better grip on the zipper when needed.