Broken Pivot Shoe and Spiral Balances

A handy person from Stafford, Virginia says:

I am not sure what this part is called, though it may be the pivot shoe. It holds the spiral balance rod at the bottom of the window track. The windows were installed in 1997 and most are still functioning well. I have about four that have a similar problem throughout the house.Thank you for your help in this matter.

Steve

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A handy person from Stafford, Virginia says:
I did not remove the window or part as I did not know if I would be able to put the window in without the part.
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Bob from SWISCO responded:

Hey Steve. I'm confident we can replace this pivot shoe, but I'd like to see it out of the window, with the width and thickness measured precisely, so I know what the best replacement would be. If you can give us that information and a clear picture, we should be able to wrap this up for you. To see how to remove and replace pivot shoes, watch the video below. 

A handy person from Stafford, Virginia says:

I have removed the pivot shoe, photographed it, and measured it. (see photos). It measures 1 1/4" wide, 2" tall, and 1/2" deep. It looks similar to your 15-046 Pivot Shoe with the exception mine has a screw and 15-046 does not. I will need ten of the pivot shoes and a Spiral Balance Charging tool. One question, after replacing the pivot shoe, do I wind the spiral balance spring all the way out, or in, before attaching it to the pivot shoe. Or how do you determine the exact length it needs to be out of the tubing before attaching it to the pivot shoe. 

Also, how do you determine if the spiral balance is bad/broken. I have a couple of windows that when I open them, they start to slide down several inches towards the closed position, though they do not close completely. 

 Thanks for your help.

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Bob from SWISCO responded:

This shoe does indeed look like the 15-046, but double-check that thickness. If it's closer to 9/16", the 15-118 might be a better match. 

The video below shows how to use the 75-006 charging tool. If your windows are sliding down, you might want to see if charging the balances can help. Rotate the rod clockwise--do not exceed more than two full turns at a time, doing both sides equally. Repeat process once if needed. 

You needn't draw the spiral rod all the way out, just far enough to connect to the pivot shoe. The rod's tension is made from charging it. 

All orders can be placed right through the online store. Let me know if you have any other questions. 

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