Floppy Subaru pillarless windows got you down? Let's replace the guides and straighten them out!
Is there anything more embarrassing than meeting up at a car meet and closing your door only to suffer through an endless stream of floppy window jokes from your friends? …Or maybe that’s only me? Below is a quick video showing how to check for worn out stabilizers.
The pillarless design while sleek and cool has a few drawbacks and one of those is the way the glass is held in the door. Instead of having a window high support it utilizes a couple of stabilizers in the top of the half doors. This causes these supports to wear and degrade, after some time you will lose the soft felt that once protected it. Then you can get unsightly scratches on your windows. If your windows are scratch free but your glass is wiggling let’s go ahead and fix it before it becomes a new issue that consumes you!
If you look closely at the driver’s side window you see two solid streaks up the window. Those aren’t reflections but scratches from the worn out window stabilizers. Replace them before this becomes your reality!
Timeframe
The timeframe for this install should be around 45 minutes for your first go around. It can be tough figuring out the right technique but after you have the other sides should go much faster.
Tools
Your everyday hand tools should be more than capable of getting this job down. There are only a few clips and screws to undo. So here is the list to check off before beginning. We are looking to have a phillips screwdriver, with a few trim tools and a pocket screwdriver.
Parts
We will only need a couple of parts to get this job completed. Those two parts would be the inner and outer window supports, make sure to check for specific fitment on your model.
Part numbers shown above, check your fitment before ordering! I think one of these one not correct for my application but it seemed to work out.
How to
I find it easiest to have the window rolled down, this gains you the most access to the supports which will still sit below the window. The next task up will be removing the inner mirror cover, this plastic cover makes it slightly more difficult to remove the door card. You will only need a non marring trim tool. It is only held in place by three tabs and rubber mounting holes. Now you can follow up this removal by using your plastic trim tools to undo the inner door handle surround. This is one of those pieces that loves to crack and break, so take your time making sure you understand how the tabs hold it in place.
You can start with a soft pry tool and remove this triangle piece.
You may now remove the door handle surround.
Your next step would be accessing the screw that holds the inner door grab panel that also houses your window and lock switch. Once that screw is removed you can pulled the trim panel out and then release the two connectors that keep it adhered to the door via wires. You can now set that safely aside.
This screw needs to come out to remove the door card.
You can now pivot this trim piece out and find the connectors on the bottom,
These two need to be removed.
One step closer to removing the door panel.
With all those trim pieces removed you can now find a place on the lower door card to slide a trim tool in and help get your fingers underneath. I use my knee against the lower portion of the door to keep it from moving while I pull on the door card to remove the clips that snap it in place. Keep working your way around the door card till it is free and now you will want to lift it up and out from the door. Find a safe place to set it so it doesn’t get scratched or damaged.
You can use a plastic trim tool as a wedge and once you are able to slide your hands under you can pull the card away from the clips.
After the clips have been freed you will want to pull up on the door card to free it up.
Having these pieces removed you will find the inner window support at the top of the door, there will be two of them. Removing these will allow you to get true culprit of wobblily window.
You can remove both of the inner window supports now to gain more access past the window where the failed stabilizers reside.
There is one of them. It should have felt on top of it to protect the window surface.
Now that they are removed you can pull the window closer to the door and see inside at the failed component, the outer window stabilizer. To remove them we only need to push in the outer clips that are visible on each of them. I use a trim tool to push in on the clips and release them from the door. Then you can hold it with your other free hand and release the other side and you should now be holding your failed part. If you are unlucky and it falls into your door you can remove the door speaker or weather seal to allow yourself access to remove it.
A little up close shot here. There are two tabs on the side of the stabilizer that hold it in place. Pressing in towards the stabilizer will release the tension and you can pull it towards the window.
It should come out somewhat like this.
Another good visual of the stabilizer being removed.
One the left is the new fresh unit and on the right is old unit that was definitely overdue.
More comparison shots.
After you have removed both sides you can get ready to install stabilizers, the first stabilizer will be the easiest as you can get it in place and press it in by pushing the window into the stabilizer. If you have two people you might be able to slide both in place and attempt to snap them in at the same time but that is something I haven’t been able to try. Otherwise the next one will have be installed by using you hand to fish one side of the clip in and then holding it in place and then using your other hand with a trim tool to pop the other clip in.
Here is what it should look like once it installed.
And the second stabilizer is installed.
If you wanted to add new other stabilizers this would be the time. I went ahead and replaced these too seeing as they were 20 years old. You will notice the mounting holes are slotted so you can apply a certain amount of pressure to the window. I was able to see the marking from where they were first installed and placed them back in that same position.
If you want to make it a complete job you can go ahead and replace these inner stabilizers. Not completely worn out but might as well while you are in there.
There is quite a bit of adjustability within these.
I placed mine tight enough that there wasn’t any dragging/binding when rolling it up or down.
You can now install you window switches and check for smooth operation. If everything is working as intended you can now reverse your door disassembly and put it all back together.
Testing it all before putting the door card back in.
And that is is it. You can now think about which will be the next to fail or go ahead and switch them all out.
All done!
Congrats! You have completed at least one window by now, hopefully the rest don’t need replacement. But if they do it shouldn’t be that much harder to replace the rest.