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DIY: Repair window pads

68K views 83 replies 59 participants last post by  dirtydevious 
#1 · (Edited)
I want to start off by saying that this is not a fix for the infamous window scratches. Over time the windows can still scratch. This is just a band aid for the problem. If probably maintained, you can prevent further scratching.

Is this how your windows look?

If you want to replace the pads, it will cost you $70 or more to do so. Heres how I repaired mine for a lot less.
Tools needed:
Flathead and Philips head screw driver
10mm socket/wrench
Scissors
Exacto knife
Materials need:
Faux fur
Super glue

Step 1:
First start by removing the door pannel. If you dont know how, in the image below, the yellow dots have screws behind plastic inserts, and the purple dots pop out. Once you have the pannel unscrewed and poped off, you have to pop off a small plastic peice that by the mirror. Then just lift the pannel up, and it should come off. You can leave the wires for the switches plugged in, and just let the pannel hang.


Step 2:
Once the pannel is off you will see the two inside pads and their brackets. There is one 10mm bolt you have to take out to remove the bracket, and then slide the pad out.


Step 3:
Now that the inside pads are out you have room to move the window to get to the outside pads. I have been told there are two inside and two outside pads, but there are actually three outside pads. On the sides of the pads are tabs that have to be pushed in to remove the pads. You have to slide your fingers between the window and the door to push the tabs in. The pads might be hard to remove, so a little pry from a flat head screw driver will help. It also helps to take off the weather stripping on the side of the door to get to one of the pads.



If you have fat fingers:
If you have trouble getting to the tabs to push them in you can remove the black strip along the top of the door. Remove the screw from the end of the strip. Then you have to pull up carefully on the strip to get the white tabs to pop off the door. I was able to get a few to pop off, but I didnt use much force so I wouldnt break them.



Continued in next post...
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Step 4:
Now that you have all the pads out, the fun starts. I found this faux fur at Walmart in the craft and fabric section for $3. Its 12in x 15in, and comes in white, brown, and black.

Cut some strips about 1.25 - 1.5 inches wide. It took me just over a foot of strips to do all the pads.

Now since the fur is so long, you have to trim it some. You can either use scissors or use buzz clippers like I chose to.



Step 5:
Start by removing the old pads from the brackets. I found it easy to use a knife to cut where they are attached to the plastic and then just pull the pad off. I cut along the green line in the pictures.



Step 6:
Now that the old pads are off, time to put the new ones on. Cut the fur to the proper size to cover the plastic. I used super glue to glue the fur on, and it seems to hold very well. Just becareful not to get any on the fur, it will harden and possibly aid in scratching the windows. I stared by glue at the bottom, and then working up from there. It doesnt take much glue.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Now that you have one pad completly glued, it should look something like this:



Now just do the rest of the pads the same way. Ten pads in total. Shouldnt take too long once you get the hang of it all.

Here are the driver's side pads before:

Here are the driver's side pads after:


Step 7:
Installation is the reverse of the removal.

Pictures of the pads installed:




Total cost: $5. $3 for the fur, $2 for a pack of super glue.
I recommend that once in a while you take out the pads to clean them. Or if the pads wear down (hopefully not too quickly), you will have plenty of extra fur to redo them.

I hope this helps some people. Since this isnt really a fix, just a cheap alternative I would like to find a fix. So keep an eye out if I do...
 
#5 ·
I got the part numbers from dealership and from them it was almost $90. You can buy the new pads from subaruparts.com for about $70 shipped. But thats just for four pads, which is what the parts guy said I needed. There are actually five pads, so it will be closer to $80 online and $100 from the dealer.
 
#12 ·
nice writeup, I was just talking with my freind about helping me do this earlier today.

PEOPLE!!! Even if you don't have scratches, you need to do this!!! They WILL come if you don't!

I have DEEP scratches on my windows. I went to the stealership and they quoted me ~$900 just to replace the 2 windows on my 01 coupe. Don't risk it!
 
#15 ·
dude thanks so much for posting this up. i just had my windows tinted saturday and i went to roll it down just a bit to test and low and behold it scrtached the tint. i'm gonna do this mod as soon as i get home from work so i can finally roll my windoes down!

i'll take pics and post up for the GD guys. thanks again man!
 
#20 ·
One thing, if you overtighten the new pads, you can feel them binding on the window and the window motor has to overcome it.

Go back an loosen them a little. You can tell you have then the right tightness basically right before they start to impeded the window movement. If you just tighten them all the way they WILL bind on the window.
 
#61 ·
just finished my drivers side...and yet i think i over tightened it a lil too much. i should have done what aqua cw done...wash the pads...but yeah..faux fur is impossible to find locally. even went to my local arts & craft store, just get the felt at walmart.

glw this guys...:)
 
#24 ·
At 100k miles, I was able to just scrub my stock pads with soap + water + brush and they came back out like new...

Did this on both of my RSs a few months ago.

-- Dave
 
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