Coil balance shoe slides

Handy Person from alexandria bay, ny

Jun 26, 2023 3:00 pm

The channel the coil balance shoe slides in is 5/8" deep by 1 3/8" wide. I think all the coiled springs are ok by I do need the coil balance shoes. I'm looking at 14 units for the windows (have 5 windows but want some extras). If the exact match can't be had, I am willing to use an alternative that might work and understand I might need to change both the left and rights for the window to work properly. I also would like pricing for both the coil balance shoes and for the coil balance shoes and the coil springs. Next question, some of the windows don't slide well, what can I clean or lubricate the channel/window so they slide easier but retain tension position. Thank you. Regards, Paul

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8 Replies

Jasmine from SWISCO

Jun 28, 2023 11:36 am

Thanks for writing in! Your pivot shoe appears to be an older discontinued version our 15-177 pivot shoe. To determine if this replacement will work for you, you'll need to remove your existing shoe from the window and compare the dimensions to those shown below.

Alternate image for 15-177

These are compatible with the 1/2" thick Series 152 coil balance springs. To determine the correct spring strength for a particular sash, you'll need to look for any stamps/markings on the metal coil(s) in the window. If there are no stamps/markings or they are hard to read, you'll need to obtain the exact weight of your sash. Once you have the sash weight, you'll divide it by the number of coils in the window.

To install the coil to the shoe, you will need to slightly unroll the coil so that you can fit the coil into the slot at the stop of the shoe. Then you'll need to secure the coil to the shoe using the 33-072 .

You may also need the 15-143 coil bushing, 15-144 coil bushing cap, and the 15-145 coil support barrel.

Handy Person from alexandria bay, ny

Jun 29, 2023 10:53 am

The pivot shoe is 1 3/8" tall, 1 1/4" wide and 9/16" deep counting the "white" brake or tension plastic piece that's directly behind the cast dog the window slides into. The grey pivot piece is 1/2" deep.

Handy Person from Alexandria Bay, NY

Jun 29, 2023 11:15 am

Jasmine, can you also please let me know which pivot bar would correctly fit in the pivot shoe you previously noted (if that pivot shoe will work for me based on the measurements I provided in a pervious reply). A number of the pivot bars were broke and I replaced them with similar looking ones and they don't seem to fit the current pivot shoes correctly (hard to get in an out of the pivot shoes). Thank you, Paul

Tom from SWISCO

Jun 29, 2023 11:47 am

Hello! Jasmine isn't here today, but I'll do my best to advise.

Based on your dimensions, it sounds like the 15-177 is your best bet. Height doesn't really matter so much, just width and thickness. In your case those dimensions appear to be the same, so I'm pretty confident that the recommended hardware will work for you.

Tom from SWISCO

Jun 29, 2023 3:01 pm

We would also be happy to help you locate a replacement for your pivot bar but we would need to see an undamaged version of your part uninstalled, along with written-out dimensions since the 15-177 is not compatible with one particular pivot bar.

Handy Person from Alexandria Bay, NY

Jul 9, 2023 5:23 pm

Tom or Jessica,

It doesn't really matter what the existing pivot bar looks like or it's dimensions. I'm replacing all the shoes and all the pivot bars. I just need to know which pivot bar works with shoe 15-177. The current pivot bars on my windows just screws on to the bottom of the window as a surface mount. What I would need to know it what the distance is that the pivot bar extends beyond the side of the window so I could mount it correctly. I've checked the coil springs and they are all good as are the support barrels. I'll be ordering enough shoes and pivot bars to have a ready supply of them I do have an additional question. Of course I'm dealing with broken hardware BUT, some of the windows do not slide smoothly and I'm wondering it that is why some of the existing hardware has broken. Is there something I can do in terms of cleaning or lubricating that would make the windows slide more smoothly but still stay in open positions when you stop "opening" a window. These are all single hung windows. thank you, Paul

Tom from SWISCO

Jul 10, 2023 1:41 pm

Thanks for clarifying. That may be an issue, then; the 15-177 is compatible with a bunch of different pivot bars. There isn't just one that it works with. Two popular options are the 26-446 and 26-466, but these are only two possible parts. Other products you can consider are the 26-226, 26-030, 26-352, or 26-450. With this in mind, what a pivot bar looks like and its dimensions are very important aspects to consider. You can't just use anything here.

The key dimension you need to note in each case is the distance between the screw hole center to the front tip. You have to measure your original for a reference. Matching that dimension will ensure that the pivot bar sticks out from the side of the window by the appropriate amount. You only need one hole to match, too, and most of these bars come with multiple holes, so you have options.

As for lubricating, that will always help, especially for new applications. I recommend using silicone spray in the track. This is better than WD-40 since it's less likely to attract dust and debris, which only clogs things up. This also doesn't effect the window staying up in any capacity. The only thing that influences how a window stays up is the strength of the spring, which is why you want to make sure you pick the right Series 152 strength option.