Power windows and Door Locks

[jdmaffeo]

I am installing the power windows and door locks that I got from a donor truck in the salvage yard into my 84 stepside. I do not have the correct fuse panel that they just plug into though. My question is do I need a seperate circuit for this and are they something that will need a relay etc.......? I have tested everything by just running jumper wires to a battery and the systems all work except I can't unlock from the passenger side (bad switch). Also can I just cut the door panels for the switches or will I need to find the correct door panels? Thanks in advance!

[MidnightBlues]

In my 84 silverado there are relays voor de el. windowcircuit. Maybe for the doorlocks too, I'm not sure. And 30 amp automatic fuses (the big grey metal ones, you can find them in the junkyard).
You can cut your doorpanels, the switches are mounted to the panels, make sure you have room enough behind the switches. The doors itself are a little bit different behind the switches, and with holes to mount the windowmotors. But it's not a major modification.

[jdmaffeo]

Thanks for the reply! I will be cutting into the panels tonight and mounting the switches. I might have to take some pictures and post them for others. Thanks again.

[cckutchma]

Hey JD How far are you into your interior restoration or r you just doing the basics? Im trying to figure where to start with my 84 C20 interior and would like some ideas. Post pics if you can. Also Im looking nto changing to power window/locks and let me know how hard that was to do.
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1984 C20 Supposed Rebuilt 350

[jdmaffeo]

Oh man where to start. When I got the truck a year ago it had a lot of sheet metal damage to the front clip and numerous other things. The gauge cluster was wacked in half and the po tried to install aftermarket gauges. I'll post a picture of the old cluster to the new one. It had a regular column in it that wasn't tilt, didn't have cruise, and no intermitent wipers. I found one with all the above and installed it. As far as the power windows and door locks go you will need to find a donor truck. For power doors you will need the power door lock actuator, the door lock rod that comes through the door panel, and the complete wire harness and door switches. The harness goes from one door to the other and includes a metal relay box that is mounted on the steering column frame. As far as the power windows goes you will need the windor regulators, motors, door switches, wire harness that goes from one side to the other. My fuse panel didn't have the correct plug in for both the power windows and door locks, but I did find enough locations in the current panel to hook them up. Last night I cut up my original door panels and mounted up the switches with no problems. I need to take a picture of that still. It all takes time to do these things except the steering column was pretty easy. Enjoy the pictures.

[jdmaffeo]

Here are the pictures of the door panels installed and a picture of the column. I still have to screw them on to the doors.

[MidnightBlues]

Hey JD, you did a fine job there, looking good!.
Was it hard to get the window regulator motors in place?

[N2TRUX]

Very nice work...

[jdmaffeo]

Thanks for the props guys. All of the little projects make a big difference eventually. If you are planning on doing this plan on spending some time. I have a limited workplace so I couldn't even open the doors all the way (its in a storage unit b/c no room at home). I ended up removing the vent window assemblies and the window chanel on the side of the glass towards the latch assembly. Once the glass is out it goes a lot smoother. It is easier to put in the power regulator assembly than getting the manual assembly out due to the shaft that the crank attaches to. I was able to work a little bit on it 2 weekends in a row and it is all working! Oh ya, watch out for the sharp sheet metal edges!

[jdmaffeo]

How could I forget to tell you this. If you plan on doing this on major thing that you will have to do is remove the hood, fenders, gauge cluster, glove box, and dash pad. Our trucks that were not power optioned did not have the holes drilled for the harnesses in the doors or the door posts. I used a hole saw and did this. GM did provide dimples in both the door and post for the size of the hole and where to drill! They also didn't drill the holes on the inside of the cabin either. I had to remove my gauge cluster and drop the glove box. I even removed the dash pad. Overall it is a big project, but now I have power windows and door locks! Here is a picture of the tubes installed that the harness goes through.

[wildmanaaron]

Thanks for the in-depth information.

One question that I still have is about the harness. Could you have used the harness from the Truck that originally had the power windows without any work?

What panel on the fuse block did you wire the pieces into?

[jdmaffeo]

wildmanaaron, I will get a few pictures this weekend of the wiring at the fuse panel. I am using my non-power optioned fuse panel. But I did have the complete power door window and lock harness. The fuse panels were different (I wish I had though about that when I gutted it all out of the donor truck!)

[cckutchma]

That is exactly what I want to do. Great job!! Boy i didnt think it would be that involved but in the near future is exactly what I am going to be doing. Are you planning on doing any other mods to your truck? I just started on my drivetrain and got a poopload to do on my interior.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by jdmaffeo

..... If you plan on doing this on major thing that you will have to do is remove the hood, fenders, gauge cluster, glove box, and dash pad....

Can't you just remove the doors? I'm pretty sure the shop that installed mine just pulled the doors to drill the holes for the harness, and add the accordion boots...

[cckutchma]

That is what I thought it would take. Other than to get that boot properly hooked to the inner fender and to do that remove the hood, or can you remove the fenders without pulling the hood?? JD did you completely rewirethe truck or use all existing? i bought the painless wire kit and it has the wiring forpower locks and windows.

[wildmanaaron]

Originally Posted by jdmaffeo

wildmanaaron, I will get a few pictures this weekend of the wiring at the fuse panel. I am using my non-power optioned fuse panel. But I did have the complete power door window and lock harness. The fuse panels were different (I wish I had though about that when I gutted it all out of the donor truck!)

I just wanted to see if you had a chance to get those pictures emailed to me of how you wired your power door locks and windows into your fuse block panel.

[jdmaffeo]

Hey wildmanaaron, I'm sorry but I haven't been in town for 3 weeks and weekends due to work and family reasons. I 'm back in Dallas now and I am planning on going over to the truck tomorrow. I'll take my camera and shoot a few pictures for you. -Jonathan

[AceX]

Overall, how hard is the conversion on a scale of 1-10.

[jdmaffeo]

Originally Posted by wildmanaaron

I just wanted to see if you had a chance to get those pictures emailed to me of how you wired your power door locks and windows into your fuse block panel.

This is how I wired the power windows and door locks into the fuse panel for now. I will eventually do this so that it is fused properly. The Orange with the black stripe is the power door locks (power all the time). The red wire that you see used to be pink (I had to fix some wiring) is for the power windows and is plugged into a switched power location. -Jonathan

[jdmaffeo]

Originally Posted by AceX

Overall, how hard is the conversion on a scale of 1-10.

AceX, this project wasn't too bad. I don't know your capabilities, but with a little time and patience it is plug and play. The hard part will be making the holes into the body and doors. Whether you take your doors off or fenders off, you will need a friend to help with that. The rest you can handle by yourself. The second hardest thing will be switching out the regulators from manual to power. The rest was easy for me. Over all it took me the better part of a weekend due to the heat here in Dallas. It can only go together one way, so I would rank this a 3 out of 10 due to taking me a weekend to complete.

[drillingmachine]

I have a question, which would be easier, doing all that swaping of regulators, putting in acuators and all that good stuff or buying a set of let's say 88-91 suburban doors. Let's put the costs aside and the drilling holes part, would buying a set of p/w p/l doors be easier? do you need to upgrade your fuse panel? This is what I was planning on doing but don't really know how to go about doing it the correct and painless way.

[MidnightBlues]

Well, if you consider repainting 2 doors,I think it's less work to just swap the internals of the door. One of the main parts is the wiring, and you have to do that anyway.

[jdmaffeo]

It depends on your project as midnightblues stated. If you could find 2 doors and swap them that would save a lot of time. But then you would have to paint them to match. I would switch the door internals as I don't think that it is that big of a project. I am not planning on switching my fuse panel. It can be done and I see the panels all the time at the junk yards around Dallas. It just hasn't been one of those projects that I want to tackle, who knows. I want to tackle the suspension next and finally drive it!