2nd Gen 4runner solid-to-vent window conversion: How-to Guide

[Red Leader]

Hey guys,

A while back when I was shopping for 4runners I took a look at one and it had vent windows. Was told it was a pretty rare feature. I ended up not buying that one and found another one (my baby). I forgot about the vent windows. Fast forward to a week ago. I was in the junkyard looking for a rear tire carrier swing off a 90-91 and lo-and-behold, I found a 4runner that had vent windows.

Not knowing anything about them, I decided to snag them and do a conversion.


So, what is the difference between a solid window and a vent window?


Here is a solid window 4runner -

And here is a vent window 4runner -

So why a vent window conversion? I found a lot of reasons.

-rare
-different
-fun to learn something about the vehicle
-cheap change
-better airflow

That last one is probably the biggest reason for me. Before I purchased my 4runner, it had had an A/C delete, so honestly getting some higher airflow through vent windows sounded very practical to me and very desirable.


Now, what are some possible negatives to the conversion?

-Reports of whistling/air coming in
-Possibility for more leaks
-If your window breaks, you're a little more in trouble trying to find a cheap replacement

I don't know if it is possible to cut window glass, but if so, one might be able to convert a solid window to a shortened vent window. I'm not too worried about the last one, because if anything happens to the vent window setup, I have my solid window take-offs as a backup.


How easy is this conversion? On a 1-4 star rating, I would rate it a 1 star. It will take you a few hours, but it is not difficult. Honestly, the hardest part of the conversion will be actually finding a set of split-windows.

Here are some practical things to know before starting:

-The conversion works. The doors have a very slight difference, but the difference can be modified or left alone and overcome.
-You can convert some of your existing trim pieces. It is easiest to get all the trim pieces from around the window when you find the windows, but you can make the bottom pieces from your old ones if you need to.
-If you already have manual windows, your solid window regulator will work. I cannot speak to an electric-to-manual window conversion feasibility, but I assume that if you can get your windows a crankin', you can get them a ventin'.
-You will need the small C-channel metal strips that connect the bottom of the window to the window regulator. The ones between the two windows are different.
-You do need to modify your interior door trim panel slightly if you want to reuse it.


How about the cost of a vent window conversion?

The cost varies, depending on how many parts you get and where you get them from. I picked up mine at a pull-n-pay yard. Total was $54.

Here is how I rate the cost -

$$$$ - you are made of money so you just pull the entire doors and the conversion is real easy for you

$$$ - you get every single part, except the door shell - that includes the 2-piece windows, all the surrounding trim pieces, the window regulators (which are different) and the accompanying interior trim panels. You also pull the door-mounted mirrors.

$$ - you get the windows and all surrounding trim pieces, including the one trim piece on the interior that hooks to the interior door panel. This is what I did.

$ - you are a cheapskate and/or your junkyard charges you up the wazoo for every nut and bolt so you grab the windows and the upper trim piece only.



So, with all that said, lets get started!


Here is the project vehicle -

Here are the conversion pieces -

Here are the tools that I used. Main tools are a phillips screwdriver, something to pry stuff with, and a 10mm socket of some sort -

First, you'll need to take off the interior trim panel. There are probably better tutorials out there, but I'll include what I did.


Take off your window roller. Using the FSM as a guide, the rag trick works great -

Remove the screw from the door handle -

To disengage the handle from the panel, slide the handle forward (toward front of vehicle). It will pop out of place.



Pop off the handrest screw covers -

Unscrew the two screws -

There are two kinds of plastic fittings that hold the door in place. One kind looks like it has a little button in the center - if you push it, it disengages the clip and you can pull it out. The other kind is shaped like a phillips screw. Even if you screw it out, it may not come out. I had to turn them out and yank them at the same time.

Once you get those all out you can start yanking the panel at the edges of the sides and the bottom -

The panel hooks around the door on the top ledge, so lift it straight up, then rotate it almost 90 degrees to get the door handle to fit through -

This picture shows my coin holder pulled, but I don't think you have to pull it.


Remove the plastic -

The corner trip piece hooks on the bottom and attaches with a divot piece about 2/3s of the way up. Pry the top away, then pull up and out -

Take a look at what you've done -

Now, remove the two bolts that hold the window (at the bottom) to the regulator armature and let the window drop down inside the door -

 

[Red Leader]

The window regulator armature still has a long C-channel metal strip attached to it, that the two rollers roll back and forth in like a scissors action. You will need to remove this. One the side you have access to (towards the back of the doors), but up the little metal tab that blocks the roller in the C-channel. The C-channel piece will slide out towards the front of the vehicle -

There is another C-channel piece bolted up higher in the door. You can leave this. (EDIT: the pictures above show the shorter, top C-channel piece. I removed it but found I didn't need to. Still, it shows the same metal tab that gets bent away to remove this from the bottom of the window).


Next, pull all your old weatherstripping and trim -

The bottom outside weatherstripping has little tabs that hook it onto the door from the inside - pry these off instead of yanking it or you can break them -

Pull out old window and set the old window and old trim aside -

Next, put the new vent window in the door -

You will have to grab the smaller style C-channel piece that came with the vent window. Install this piece onto the rearward window regulator roller. Before you do this it is helpful to grease up the innards of the little roller wheel, while at the same time using some lithium grease or similar in the C-channel so that things all roll smoothly. Next, align this C-channel piece with the bottom of the window track -

Then bolt it up -

There was some grime underneath the weatherstripping, so I used some Goo-Gone spray to get rid of it. Worked great -

I also used some rubber treatment (aka armor all tire stuff) to clean up the rubber on the smaller vent window pieces -

Now originally I installed the small window first and the trim around it -

...but I found that the small vent window and the outer weather stripping weren't fitting together right. So loosely put the small vent window in, then I took this piece -

...and fitted it to the small vent window and then fitted that assembly onto the door frame, making sure that the track on the small vent window hooked onto the window edge inside the door. The bottom of the small vent window (and the original weatherstripping, for that matter) has a metal bracket at the bottom that mounts up inside the door near the bottom. You sort of have to wrangle it in there by turning it sideways and using the biggest opening of the window slot in the door (usually right in the center of the door).

Once you get that in place, that small metal bracket at the tip of the small vent window tracking guide (that goes down inside the door) bolts up here -

You will notice that this is the same location from which you had to remove a bolt to pull out the original full-size window weatherstripping.

Next, clip into place the bottom weather stripping and it should look something like this -

 

[Red Leader]

Now, you can use your original bottom weatherstripping piece, but you will have to cut it to fit around the front small vent window. If you do this, just make sure you take accurate measurements of the space that the small vent window displaces so you don't cut too much off. You are not chopping the entire piece shorter, just the inside part.


Now, here is the one little hangup, which may be minor or not - time will tell.

At the top of the small vent window is a metal tab with a hole. A screw original went in there to secure the top of the vent window to the door frame.

In your non-vent window door frame, there is no tab to secure the window to.
Now, it is possible to weld a little tab to the inside of the door frame up there to give it something to attach to, but I decided to forego this and we'll see how it pans out. When the window and the weatherstripping are correctly in place, the window rolls up and down without being affected by the trim and visa-versa. We'll see how it plays out. Ideally, a tab would be welded up there to hold in the small vent window, but I don't have a welder and I want to see how well it works in the meantime.


There is another attachment point for the small vent window. It is in the front corner area behind where the mirror went -

Screw it in place -

Next, attach your mirror back up using the 3 screws that hold it in place -

One of the last things you'll need to do is the work on the inside of the vehicle, with the interior trim panel.

The vent window 4runner had a shorter piece that clipped down to the top of the door trim piece, as shown -

Your original trim piece can simply be cut back to fit around the small vent window on the inside, but if you can grab this piece from the junkyard when you get your windows, I see no reason not to.


To swap out, simply bend down the little metal tabs that hold the trim piece in place and pull off -

Next, you will need to modify your door trim panel. At first I did not and when I tried to install it, it would not fit or hook properly over the inside door edge -

So noted the discrepancy between the different lengths of the trim piece and the interior panel -

I then took a dremel at made a cut right where the shorter trim piece ends on the panel -

I folded this small section down, crimping with piers covered in a rag -

I found it fit great on the door -

After that, I simply re-installed the interior door trim panel back on in the reverse order of how it came off.


This was the end result of the work -

It provides just the right contrast with the windshield channel duct tape.

And from inside the vehicle -

All in all, it took me about 3 hours to do one side, but I worked slowly and spent a bit of time cleaning the weatherstripping. I'm sure many could move much faster.


I hope someone finds this information useful and if you happen to see a set of vent windows on a junkyard runner, it might just be worth picking them up!


Feel free to leave your thoughts, comments, and feedback.

 

[airdreams1]

Although Im not a huge fan of the vent windows because they seem to be easier to brake into, thats cool that it was an easy swap.
back when i was into VW's you couldnt change from the vent window to a 1 pice & then back.... (they had a pice that you had to cut out to fit the 1 pice in. once gone there was no easy way to put it back in.)

 

[ajordan1975]

Great right up!
i got lucky w/ mine...... it's got factory wing windows.

 

[Hyde802]

Nice write up! Love the wing windows. I just sold off my spare set of doors with wings. The doors were pretty beat, but I got good $$ for them because of the wings.

 

[Red Leader]

Thanks all. I still need to do the other side, but I might be able to take care of that tomorrow. Have several other things I need to do as well (windshield channel rust, refill diff, etc), but I really want to test the 'natural' air conditioning out!

 

[laxbro19]

Those windows are awesome. My buddy has em on his 95 Ford Bronco and loves em. Didn't know they even existed for 4runners. Gotta find me a set now.

 

[DJB11]

I found this thread incredibly useful. I have a 1993 pickup with wing windows and the driver's side door panel was getting haggard. Much to my dismay, the wing window door panels are no longer made. I took a $216.00 gamble and ordered a non-wing window door panel from the dealership, hoping it would be similar to your 4Runner door panel modification shown above. Luckily it was, and it took a measly 20 minutes to modify and install the non-wing door panel. No one would ever guess it's the "wrong" part that even the Toyota stealership cautioned me not to purchase. Thanks!

 

[HanginInUtah]

Awesome write-up! Now I have something else to watch for while I peruse the used vehicles around here for parts

 

[bentos1]

Nice write up and good work on the conversion.

But I think we are all wondering about your custom windshield weather stripping. That is looking like aviation/space grade stuff. Can you post a write up on that please? :biggrin1:

 

[Dropzone]

Nice write up. I am glad somebody bumped it.

I know you have been active for a few weeks but curious if you found there was any difference in the regulators? 1st Gen trucks had a difference.
This is a conversion I wouldn't mind doing...