I've been trying to find a new back glass or slider for Ol' RAE. I've tried a back glass out of a 86 reg cab, and a 91 reg cab and both were too big, as in too tall by 1.5" to 2". The slider I have in there right now leaks like a sieve and doesn't lock.

I was thinking since the crew cab was basically unchanged from the mid 70's on up to 85, maybe they were still using the earlier 70's back glass?

 

Interesting. I've got a solid back window in mine. So took a slider from a 93 and was going to put it in......one day. I thought they were all the same? Guess I'll have to do some more digging around the junk yards to come up with an older split back.
Is there a change in the regular cabs to extra cab trucks?

 

I will need to check, but I am all but certain that the openings are all the same 73-93. Did you personally remove your replacement from the 86? I am wondering if there was a mixup somewhere.

 

Never had any troubles before everyone I have pulled fit back in place .

 

Yup pulled both rear windows myself. I had the information that the back windows were the same from 73-93 too so I didn't think twice about pulling the old one out. Then spent several hours trying to get the 86 window to go in. I eventually realized the size difference and then had to fight to get the old window back in with the 26 year old dry and hard rubber gasket.

I pulled the 91 myself too, held it up to the back of the cab...no go. The back glass is approx the same size as the window AND gasket that are currently in place.

 

This may be a dumb question 'cause I don't know beans about glass, but is it possible to have the glass cut to size?

 

My '72 crew has a smaller rear glass. They are out there, but rare.

 

So you think that there was a different, smaller rear window available as well? I was wondering if the earlier pre-80 trucks in general had the smaller window, and the bigger window actually was utilized after 1980?

Anyone have a pre-80 truck they could measure?

 

If I went flat glass with no slider...I'm sure I could get one cut.

 

According to my Hollander Interchange Guide - 49th edition 1983
Rear Glass, Dodge D&W Series:
72-79 Hollander# 3789 is the same size 15" x 56" as the 80-83 Hollander# 4553 but the thickness differs. So if the size changed it was in later years than 1983 [where my interchange book ends].

 

I believe '86 was the break point on the backglass size differences, as with a good number of other things in that mid-'80s era.
So it's more or less '86-up, and '85 down.

I better shut up now, or this'll get very long.

Mark.

 

Thanks Mark, I appreciate the info. Helps me narrow down what trucks to look at.

 

Bummer, i was just getting ready to pull my 91 to put in the crew.

 

Get out the tape measure and double check, if you wouldn't mind and post up your results. I'm going to do it this Saturday as well.

 

I know for certain that all the '72 trucks had a different rear window than the '73+ regular cabs. A buddy has a '72 3/4 ton camper special.

The crew cab itself is an amalgamation of essentially two different cabs, so I would be surprised, but not shocked, if the window opening is different. It's possible that the crew cab just kept the '72 rear window.

I'd measure mine but I just loaded the '82 up with car parts for storage until I have time to finish the projects in line before the truck...