50 year old tilt-in window balance mechanism broken

Quick Learner from Portland, OR

Apr 8, 2024 6:00 pm

Lifted my window the other day to clean the outside of it and it tilted on an angle and broke one of the plastic "thingies" that the left side of the window attaches to. Couldn't get the "rod" out without breaking the plastic "thingie" even more.

There is no indication of the manufacturer. On the top of the lower (sliding) window is has instructions for removing the window. On the left it says to lift it 2" and pull in the white tabs (which I didn't follow because the window was surprisingly heavy though I've washed it several time before) and the right side says "TILT LATCH." The plastic piece is 3/4" square with the broken tip sticking out at one corner. Inside the square is a circular piece.

I was working with a friend who does maintenance for apartments all over the city and had experience with windows like this, but the replacement parts snapped in easily and we had to break the plastic piece whose tip was already broken. thank you for your help!

2 user uploaded images

18 Replies

Paul from SWISCO

Apr 9, 2024 11:48 am

Hello!

Though I can't be certain from these photos, we believe you are showing the old discontinued pivot shoe that has been replaced with the 15-015. The width is 1-1/4" and 17/32" thick but we recommend you remove an undamaged pivot shoe to compare the specifications. We also pulled up media guides on this page regarding the removal of the pivot shoe and the use of the 75-006 charging tool.

Home Owner from Portland, OR

Apr 10, 2024 12:18 am

Thx for your rapid response!

As I said in my first message, I'm working on this with someone who's got a lot more experience than me. I'm hoping he'll take a look at what you wrote and linked to, but I'm thinking that we'll most probably need to buy the tool and get a couple of the pivot shoes. Don't think we can pull the other one out and measure it without a tool. Is that what you'd suggest?

Paul from SWISCO

Apr 10, 2024 9:09 am

Yes, we suggest using the tools mentioned in the video to remove your old pivot shoe.

Home Owner from Portland, OR

Apr 10, 2024 2:26 pm

exactly which tools do I need? Would it best to also get the parts you're assuming we'll need based on my measurements and your experience? Are the parts returnable if they're the wrong one? Seems like we have a chance to save time and shipping fees if we do it this way, yes?

Paul from SWISCO

Apr 11, 2024 10:11 am

You will need a utility knife, snips, the 75-006 charging tool, a flathead screwdriver, and a Phillips-head screwdriver. I believe you have the 15-015 but I still recommend removing an undamaged version to compare and confirm the specifications. You can also return the pivot shoes if they don't pan out. Our return policy can be found here just in case.

Home Owner from Portland, OR

Apr 11, 2024 11:44 am

I think I need the 75-006 tool since it's a tilt window.

Paul from SWISCO

Apr 11, 2024 1:30 pm

My apologies for the typo. Yes, you will indeed need the 75-006.

Home Owner from Portland, OR

May 7, 2024 1:24 pm

Order # 2288446

The 15-015 is too big, too wide. original shoe is less than 1" wide. Please advise.

Paul from SWISCO

May 8, 2024 9:21 am

I'm sorry to hear this part didn't pan out. Before I recommend anything else, I'd like to see a photo of an undamaged pivot shoe removed from the window along with the confirmed exact thickness and width.

Home Owner from Portland, OR

May 8, 2024 9:57 am

Do you have any pivot shoes that are smaller? As you can see by the photos the ones in my windows are much smaller.

2 user uploaded images

Paul from SWISCO

May 9, 2024 9:14 am

I'm afraid I still can't be certain without written-out dimensions but see the 15-045. This is 1" wide and 3/8" thick. Before placing your order, we recommend you compare the specifications with an undamaged pivot shoe. If there's an identical window in the house with an intact shoe, you can use that as a reference.

Dimensions for 15-045

Home Owner from Portland, OR

May 23, 2024 7:16 pm

Yes it appear that I'll need the 15-045 pivot shoes. Can u just ship those to me and I'll mail back the ones I have?
I am having difficulty using a tin snips to open up the guides so I can take out the old pivot shoes and put in new ones as is shown in the video you sent. I'm thinking I might need a dremel tool to cut thru the metal. Can u suggest a method to use?

Paul from SWISCO

May 28, 2024 9:02 am

Usually with the aluminum tilt window frames, the manufacturer puts a cut-out at the top of the track behind a window stop for the bottom sash. The window stop also covers the top of the balance tube where it is screwed to the track so you may want to check. Other than that, heavy-duty snips may help.

Home Owner from Portland, OR

May 28, 2024 9:19 am

it appears that I'll need the 15-045 pivot shoes. Can u just ship those to me and I'll mail back the ones I have?

Paul from SWISCO

May 28, 2024 9:35 am

You can place an order for the 15-045 on our website whenever you'd like. Our return policy can be found here as well.

Home Owner from Portland, OR

May 28, 2024 12:27 pm

thank you for your response. doesn't look like I have much recourse since the parts are significantly inexpensive and shipping would be much more costly. Sorry I didn't spend more time determining what you originally sent me.

unfortunately, the manufacturer did not allow an opening at the top to replace a broken pivot shoe. Your video shows a vinyl window which is easily cut. The aluminum if extremely awkward to cut in to, so I'm hoping to borrow a dremel tool to do the job. Let me know if you've encountered issues like this and how others have resolved this problem. Thank you!

Paul from SWISCO

May 30, 2024 11:16 am

We haven't come across an aluminum window not having a cut out to remove the pivot shoe. That's odd! However, your suggestion in using a Dremel tool sounds like a good option. I recommend you make the cut out just enough to remove the pivot shoe at the top of the window track.