Side window cable fixings question

[alexblack13]

Hi All,
I hope you are all well.

Question. Has anyone re engineered those horrid cable fastners that go thro' the side window glass? The drilled items thro' which you pass the wire lift ropes. Those are a disaster waiting to happen in the way of exploding glass If so.. care to share it with me / us?

Thought I would ask 1st before launching into making a modified set which I hope will take all the strain OFF the glass when tightning.

Briefly, I intend to center drill thro' the bolts (I have some button headed 1/4'' dia in S/S) into the crossdrilled 3mm dia cable holes. Then tap the said hole with either 3 or 4 mm threads (still to decide) and use a grubscrew up the center to clamp the cables/ropes without any stress on the glass. A thin fibre washer under the button head, and same under a nylock half nut on the other side should be fine for fixing it to the glass with minimum torque.

Hopefully no more 'Boom' as the glass shatters into thousands of little bits!!

Wish me luck again. I just knew this job was going to be trouble.

Alex B....

[billwill]

I busted one glass long ago, but have been more careful since.

You have to be sure you have a good fibre washer in there.

The final twist of the bolt is what does the final tensioning of the wires by offsetting the entry into the bolt, so your system might not work.

There is very little clearance for trying new variations.

[alexblack13]

Hi Bill,
Thanks for that. I disagree though. I don't want to put any more tension into the cables by twisting the bolts. I think that is not a good idea.
I have checked the (Improved!) clearance and also the grip of the system using internal 4mm x 10 long grub screws. Superb. And now no stress on the glass. Using button head flanged allen screw type bolts also gives you a good grip of the bolt from the other side from the nut. You just use an allen key to hold the bolt whilst tightning the nut !! (and the grub screw. Which I fully tightened 1st)

I do have the correct combination of fibre and copper washers as per the manual, and appreciate their importance. Thanks.

I am delighted with the modification. And at 60 quid + per glass I am breathing a bit more easy also ....

To each there own.. Cheers mate.

Alex B....

[saildrive2001]

Alex, can you post a picture or two of your mods?

[alexblack13]

I will post a pic or two asap. I can scan in the sketch/drawing also which will I think be better.

As soon as...

Cheers guys...

Alex B....

[alexblack13]

Sketch of fixing.. Just a quick drawing mind. I have pulled like blazes on the cables during testing and I can't budge them.

Remember copper to the glass and fibre washer to the glass below the nut. You don't need much torque on the nut to clamp the fastner to the window at all. Gently does it. Tighten the grub fully before tightning the nut. Easy to hold the fastner. Allan cap screw.....

Alex B....

[alexblack13]

BTW... Anyone needing some 4 mm dia grubscrews? I have loads. Drop me an e with address and I will send you some. Same for the button headed allen caps. No stainless left though! Sorry. Self colour only (MS)
I could also be persuaded to drill and tap them on my machine if anyone has difficulty in doing this. I. E. No lathe etc..

Let me know..

Alex B

[lotusdelta]

Its definately a tricky fix as I can attest to having done it twice recently.

The best advise I recieved from this forum was to leave the window wire off one corner by the plastic roller , tighten the bolt holding the wire to the window being very carful.. if you slightly fray out the window wire it will help with preventing it from pulling thru, you can nip up the wire end with a dremel tool nice and neat..

.heres the advise part....pull the wire back out over the plastic pulley wheel to provide the tension you need .....this was a ton easier than trying to pull it all tight and tighten the nut......hope this helps
david
72 lotus elan sprint coupe

[alexblack13]

Every bit off advice helps fellas. All of it. With any luck we will arrive at the best method and it should also help cost wise.
Did you know.... These fixings from some of the suppliers are in excess of 10 gbp each!!!!! I just about ordered a set from my supplier (who has been brilliant all the way thro this project) at 50 gbp for the set of 4. !!!!!!! Gulp.
There has got to be a better system. I now think there is. Its producing them time wise as I now have been asked by more than a few to help. I do not wish to tread on anyones toes but I will supply these parts to all that have asked me as a favour + a small charge for costs etc. So... All you guys asking for some, bear with me. I am at the NEC for a few days starting next Sat' . I will start making some more on my return and send them off to you all.

Tensioning the cables. Thanks for all the tips and help I am sure they all have their merits and will all work fine. I also came up with a method..

I used a rubber motorcycle elastic 'bungie'. The cables I bought from Susan Millar are great. They give enough length to allow the following. Thread the ropes round the pulleys and thro the fastner bolts as normal. I am assuming you have the position of the glass and cable on the winder drum correct and you only now need tension and to secure the cables to the fastners and the fastners to the glass. Clamp the bottom cable 'tail' to the bottom plate of the window frame with a set of vice grips and a small block of hardwood cut to fit into the frame. Another small block on top onto which you place the cable and grip the whole lot with the vice grips.
That should be the bottom cable firmly held to the bottom plate.
On the top cable end(needs to be about 150mm long) Form a loop using an electrical cable connector (Comes in a strip.Know what I mean?) And hook onto this loop the end of the bungie. Pull it tight. Secure the bungie to the top of the window frame.Wrap it round a few times then hook the other end onto the cable loop also which will give even more tension IF you need it. Dont go nuts!! You do not require silly tension here. Enough to do the job only fellas. That should be it. The cables will be nice and tight. Check the glass position. Tighten the side with the one cable thro it 1st. Fully tighten the (In my case) Grub screw using an allen key in the button head on the other side of the fastner to hold the screw whilst tightning the grub. 'Nip up' the fastner to the glass via the nylock nut. Easy tiger!! Then check the other side, and when happy fully tighten the grub locking the cables up solid. You can 'hang off' this, give it a good tighten. You are not stressing the glass. When you are happy, tighten the fastner to window nylock nut, G E N T L Y... It does not require to be very tight. Remove the bungie and test up and down limits etc (BY Hand) for correct adjustment BEFORE trimming off the excess wire rope/cables.

Clear as mud eh! Works though!!

Have fun..


Alex B....

[billwill]

Sounds like a god improvement. Above I only meant it would be difficult, not impossible

As I have to replace a drivers window cable at the moment, I'd love to have a set too, if you can do a set for me.

[alexblack13]

Hi All/Bill,
Just back from our bi yearly trade exhibition at the NEC Birmingham. Hoarse, tired and my feet are killing me. I am taking a few days off so I should be able to spend some time in the workshop producing some fastners for all who have asked. Bear with me till I get them off to you. Those of you who have asked please send me an e mail to let me know your address, ( Bill?) and whether or not you can do the center drilling and tapping of the hole for the grub screw. If you can't do this, I will machine them for you.

OK... As I say, bear with me. The couple of guys who have sent me addresses and said send caps and grubs, I will try and get them off to you by the weekend.


Have fun ..

[billwill]

I can drill & tap, though in a drill stand not a lathe as my lathe is out of action.

email billwill2005 at datahighways.co.uk (this is an old address which the spammers already discovered so I don't mind putting it on this public website, but I still monitor it)

[alexblack13]

Hi,
Couple of pic's of the fastnes I have made and used. Don't tighten the grub too much, enough is enough eh. Don,t go balistic. The 10 mm long grubs have a fair depth of hex for the allen.You can get a good torque on them so don't go nuts. You can do a test on some spare cables 1st.Check out the grip on the cables.I could not move them.

Cheers....

Alex B....

[bast0n]

Alex - you would not help save the life of a pensioner with an S3 S/E 1966 in need of just the mod you have so cleverly made up? I don't have the equipment to do it myself but will happily pay the going rate for a set. Happy motoring, and not too slowly either!! David B

[Frank Howard]

Alex,

Ever consider manufacturing those little plastic wheels that the cables run through in aluminum? I think they're available already, but spendy.