Does anyone have any tips for making the sliding-rear-window operate easier? On my Dakota, a basic cleaning of the window(s) will smooth out the action and it just gets stickier as the window gets dirtier. But on the Ram, the window is tough to open regardless of whether it's clean or dirty.<br><br>Thanks<br>

 

Well it looks like no answers coming forward for you so I will help you out.<br><br> I have installed a few hundred sliders in my day so I guess I qualify as expert on this one. One thing that I would like to know is this. Was that slider Dealer or aftermarket installed? or was it an item of original option? If it was an item of original option has it ever been replaced?<br><br> It sounds to me (with the limited amount of info provided) that your window is in a bind. This happens!<br><br> Put a small amount of white lithium grease in the bottom of the track and the top of the track with a q tip (do not spray it) so you do not have smear on the glass. Work the window back and forth repeatedly and see if this helps. If this does not help try putting some on the sweeps but this will, unfortunately, get some on the glass. If this doesn't work, you have a binding install and there is nothing left but to remove and re-install the slider which, no doubt will result in the replacement of the slider.<br> <br> When it is soaking wet with glass cleaner will it not slide easier?<br><br>James

 

Thanks for the reply JCL123, the window is a factory item, not aftermarket. I'll give the grease a try and see if that helps at all. If it turns out that it is a &quot;binding install&quot;, I will live with it. I'm not about to fork out the $$$ to have it replaced. <br><br>Russ

 

CTD99, I would NOT use the lithium. It may collect dirt. I would clean as well as possible, and then spray with silicone spray. It works wonders and does not collect grit.

 

I have a '99 also I have had the truck for over a year and still havent opened the window ;D I tryed once and it was a pain in the butt Guess i will just leave it closed.

 

A good grqde of sylicone spray, its made for it.

 

Clean out all that grease and make sure it is ALL gone and then spray with &quot;Slideall&quot; or the like....its a DRY teflon spray and is only wet when first sprayed. I use it on locks, nailguns...anything you want to slide without attracting dirt. Grease is a short term fix.<br><br>Michael

 

When I service my truck, I service the slider with silicone it does get some on the glass but that's not a problem. <br><br>Whiskey

 

would grafite work?

 

Most of the lubricants mentioned so far will work under normal circumstances.<br> <br>The Original Post gave me the impression that the slider was in a &quot;tweaked&quot; state before or during original installation causing the bind that was resulting in the hard operation he was experiencing. This can occur one of two ways...<br>A) The Bottom and/or top track is rolled enough to cause a &quot;pinch&quot; against the glass or....<br>B) The slider is bent East/West enough to cause the bind.<br><br>This is why I asked if it would slide easy enough when it was drenched with glass cleaner. If it slid when it was in a drenched condition then a good teflon or lithium would serve as a long term lubricant for it. If it did not slide easy when it was drenched then there is not much that will help short of removal.<br><br>This notion of don't use lithium as it will attract grit is a little overblown. True lithium, graphite, and axle grease etc will retain grit but a sliding window uses water management not water seal in its mechanism. Water is allowed to flow into the slider channel and then flows right back out through &quot;weep&quot; holes provided by design.<br><br>My technic or reccomendation was to use a Q-Tip to apply a thin layer of this substance and not apply gobs of it. Any grit that you get from this technic or from any other can be cleaned out from simple drenching anually. These new sliders are much tighter than their predecesors and dont allow much large particulate anyway so it is really a non issue.<br><br>Furthermore if you want the weatherstrip to live long term you will give it a good dressing annually at minimum.<br><br>Of note also: I don't spray anything as I don't want it smearing all over the glass all the time. You can in fact spray all you want if the smear is not a problem for you. A little on the top and botton sweeps.. not much peril! Get it on the verticle sweep and you have smear top to bottom of the sliding window!!!<br><br><br>

 

Well, I wish I could give you all an update, but I still haven't touched the thing. :-[ With the temp approaching triple digits lately, I have very little motivation to leave the comfort of an air-conditioned house. Thanks for all the suggestions though! I'll get around to it eventually...