The rear glass in the 97 and 98 Daks is glued in just like a windshield
with a black silicone adhesive sealant. This is DEFINITELY a job for an
experienced auto glass shop, unless you do alot of windshield installs
yourself.
The rear windows on the 79-98 Daks are single piece replacable units.
This includes the unit with the sliding panel. Unlike the pre-97 windows
which used the pop in rubber gasket, the new unit is held in place by a
handful of spring steel retaining clips and the adhesive sealer. The
adhesive sealer really is what forms the primary mechanical attachment
to the body, as the retaining clips are really just used to hold the
unit in place after installation until the adhesive cures. In addition
to the clips, most shops also tape the unit in place for 24 hrs to help
hold the seal tight until it cures. And you need to open one of the side
door windows a crack to keep from blowing the seal out when closing the
door.
To remove the window, I think they use a wire type seal cutter. Most
dealers no longer do work on the rear windows themselves and farm it out
to a local auto glass shop.
Let me tell you from experience... this is one case where "if it ain't
broke, don't fix it" is definitely applicable. Even pro installers have
difficulty installing these rear windows.
When I got my 98 Dak, I found one that had just come off a truck with
everything I wanted except the Tire&Wheel package and a sliding rear
window. The dealer offered to install an aftermarket rear slider unit
for about $60 more than the factory option would have cost, so I decided
to go for it. At the time, OEM rear sliders had been backordered from CC
for 6-9 months (and still are, I'm told) - the dealer claimed that the
couldn't even get OEM window units for repair work.
The aftermarket unit installed in my Dak is made by C.R.Lawrence.
Generally, it seems like a relatively high quality unit. Unlike the OEM
unit which fits into the body recess with no protection around the seal,
the aftermarket unit has a flange or lip which overlaps the gap between
the seal and the body. The seal on the OEM unit must not only be perfect
(to keep from leaking), it must also be strong enough to withstand water
pressure from a directed source, such as a hose. The lip on the
aftermarket unit covers this gap and protects the seal from direct
pressure. Sounds good in theory. The glass panels in the aftermarket
unit (2 fixed panels and the sliding panel) also appear to be
individually replaceable.
The problem I had was with installation. Took these guys 3 times to get
it right (supposedly a well respected auto glass shop, contracted by the
dealer). First install was before I closed on my Dak. Noticed leaks and
took it back. They found one of the leaks and patched it, but missed
several other places. When I came to pick it up, I noticed their work
was incomplete and refused to accept the vehicle. The 3rd time they
completely pulled out the unit and reinstalled it. No leaks so far after
a month and a half of lots of rain and washes (got to keep that puppy
shiny ;) ).
The moral here? IMHO, don't touch the rear window in the new Daks
unless you absolutely have to. In retrospect, having a rear slider
wasn't worth the hassle.
jeff
98 RC 4x2 V8 5spd 3.55SG flares
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