Hi - I purchased these parts from Swisco and tried to install them today with the video instruction for Crossbow to channel balancer. I was doing great until I had to put the sash back into the new balancers. I got the pivot bar (26-366) in the shoes but the shoes were locked so tight that when I moved the sash vertical, the pivot bar and the shoe receiver broke! Img0256(broken shoe receiver) and Img0259(pivot bar). I am not sure what I am doing wrong? I think there is such tension on the channel balancer spring that to lock these balancers takes a lot of force on the balancer shoe receiver (turn with Philips to lock) and the pivot bars do not have enough force to unlock them when sash is turned vertical from horizontal. Any suggestions? I believe I will need new channel balancers and pivot bars now that my current order is broken? I don't want to replace, however, until I know what went wrong. Help is greatly appreciated!
Installation Problem Channel Balancer
Hello,
We'd be happy to look into this for you but we'd need to see an intact version of your original pivot bar removed from the window to confirm the best replacement option.
If you're concerned that the balance you purchase may be too strong, I'd recommend weighing the sash the balances support to confirm if it falls within the 13-18 pound range the 19C strength options you purchased will support. Thank you!
If you purchased 19" long S795 balances and the originals were 28" long, that could certainly cause the problems you're experiencing. You'll need to use the S795-28 and choose the strength option based on the sash weight or the stamp code from your original balances. The 28B options would support a sash between 12-18 pounds.
I see that you purchased the 26-366 pivot bar but I can't be sure if that would be the best match based on your photos. We would still need to see an intact pivot bar removed from one of your windows to determine if a better match is available. It would also help to know how the dimensions of your original pivot bar compare to the one you purchased, shown below.
Here is the old pivot bar that went with the outdated crossbow balancer. Can you tell me which pivot bar you would suggest for replacement with the new channel balancer? As you can see, this old pivot bar end is small and round and will not work with new channel balancer T-lock shoes.
Thanks for getting back to us. Our 26-366 pivot bar can replace your old-style version with a longer tip but it will require drilling new holes to mount it closer to the window jamb. This will make up for the difference in projection. Just be very careful not to hit the glass in your sash when drilling the new installation holes.
