Steiger Performance Power Window Regulator Repair Kit
(For 1997-2001 Jeep Cherokee)


Let me guess... The driver and/or passenger power window in your Jeep Cherokee just made a snapping or grinding noise, and although you can hear the window motor humming, it no longer works, you can move the glass up and down by hand, and the glass wants to fall down into the door? If so, then please allow me to be the first to welcome you to the club! :-)


The Problem


The front power windows in the 1997-2001 Jeep Cherokee are notorious for breaking in this manner. The problem is the design of the mechanism used to move the window. There is a bracket which is connected to the window, and it rides up and down in a track inside the door. There is a plastic/nylon piece attached to the bracket which serves as both a guide and also a means to connect the window motor to the bracket via a spiral wrapped cable (the "fuzzy cable") which acts similar to a worm drive. The bracket itself is constructed of 16 gauge stamped steel, it is attached to the window using two steel bolts, and the plastic piece is attached to the bracket using no less than 6 large steel rivets. So far, so good. However, the part that ties all of this stuff together and bears the entire weight of the window is a flimsy piece of plastic, no more than five hundredths of an inch thick! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where the point of failure is going to be! :-) (The window and bracket weigh in at just under six and a quarter pounds, and the "felt weight" is bound to be higher than that due to the friction from the track, the window rubbing against the felt and seal, etc. And of course, this is under perfect conditions. With some dirt or ice on the window, the pressures could be considerably higher.)

1997-2001 Jeep Cherokee Window Braket - Intact   1997-2001 Jeep Cherokee Window Braket - Broken
This is what the stock bracket looks like. The arrow is pointing to the flimsy piece which connects the bracket to the power window motor mechanism.
  And here is what the bracket looks like when that piece breaks off.

Using a questionable design as described above is bad enough, but to add insult to injury, the only option provided by DaimlerChrysler to fix the problem is to replace the entire window regulator - guide rail, bracket, window motor and everything, most of which is perfectly functional! The problem is a broken piece of plastic which probably costs a few cents to produce, and the solution is to replace the entire regulator at a MSRP of $235? (Depending on the dealership, you may be able to get it for less, $120-180 or so.) There is something very wrong with this picture. :-) I have been told that the replacement regulators now use a metal piece instead of plastic, which is a plus, but this isn't a whole lot of help to you unless you feel like forking out that kind of cash. Another option is eBay; I have seen used regulators going for around $85-140, and new regulators for $150-175. Of course, a used eBay regulator is almost certain to be of the original flimsy plastic design, the same as what just broke in your vehicle. How long it will will last is anybody's guess.

My Solution


Click for larger version I am far too cheap to spend that kind of money to replace a mechanism which still has the vast majority of its parts in perfect working order. Besides, its the principle of the thing - breaking a five cent piece of plastic should not mean that an entire $200 mechanical assembly is now junk. What kind of thinking is that?!? A better solution would be to simply replace the part that is actually broken. I have created a repair kit to do just that.

The main component of the kit is a repair bracket that bolts to the stock window bracket and replaces the broken portion of the plastic piece. Essentially, it is a powdercoated steel bracket which the stock spiral cable can screw into. In order to install it, the regulator assembly is removed from the vehicle, two rivets are drilled out, and the broken portion of the plastic piece is cut off, which can be done with a utility knife. The replacement bracket is bolted into place (using the hardware included in the kit) which allows the cable to be inserted into it, same as stock. For more detailed installation information, please refer to the install instructions. These instructions are provided with the kit, and are also available on-line (see link below).

Click here to see the Install Instructions in Adobe PDF format

Click Here to read customer testimonials about this product
Applications


This repair kit is for the 1997-2001 4-door Jeep Cherokee (the "classic" version, not the Grand Cherokee, which uses a completely different window mechanism.) This kit is ambidextrous; it will work on either of the front doors, so there is no need for a specific "left" or "right" version.

Following is some info which is applicable to 2-door Cherokees only (if you have a 4-door, you can ignore this paragraph): This kit was designed for the 4-door Cherokee. If you have a 2-door which has broken, this kit might work for you also. The 2-door has two regulator attachment points as compared to just one for the 4-door version. This repair kit is a basic bolt-on to fix one of those attachment points, and might be able to be used to fix the other attachment point, but that would require some fabrication. (So, whether this kit will work for you as-is depends on which of the two attachment points has broken in your 2-door.) For further information about this, please click here.

Important note about shipping when ordering multiple kits


You may wish to order more than one kit if you need to fix both windows, or if you want to have a spare on hand for when your other window breaks. Due to a limitation of the shopping cart system, if you order more than one kit, the shipping price that is shown in the shopping cart will be wrong. My standard shipping method is Priority Mail, and at current prices, the cost to ship one kit is $4.80. If you were to order two kits, the shipping price shown by the cart would be $6.80, but in reality, I can ship two kits for the same price as one. As such, if you are ordering more than one kit, please do not be alarmed at the inflated shipping price shown in the shopping cart; you will not actually be charged that amount. I am instituting a flat shipping fee of $4.80 for these kits - no matter how many you order, the actual shipping price will be $4.80 for your entire order, as long as the order is being shipped to an address in the USA. (Shipping to Canada will be a flat fee of $17.00.)

SP12001 - 1997-2001 Jeep Cherokee Power Window Repair Kit - $39.95
Made in the USA
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