1980s vinyl pivot windows hard to move

Question

I have 4 windows that have been difficult to open and close from the beginning. Recently I noticed a missing pivot bar and a broken spiral balance, but I think I have those parts identified and they are in my cart here. I bought a tension tool from another source and played with that today, but no matter the tension, the windows are hard to open and close. I watched a video on your website on how to replace a pivot shoe. I noticed that the pivot shoe in the video moved in the track relatively easily, whereas mine does not. Wonder if that is the problem. I hope you can help me. All the stress on the windows from forcing them open and closed is taking its toll.

Casey · Accepted Answer

Pivot shoes have a break that locks the shoe in the track so that it does not shoot up the track due to the tension from the balance. It sounds like you have figured out the problem but we'll relate our relevant videos on this page to assist you.

If you need help finding a match for your pivot shoe, we would need to see yours removed from the jamb. We'd also need you to write out the exact width and thickness to narrow down your options. Thank you.