Simonton balance assembly

A quick learner from Austin TX says:
December 31, 2019
I am trying to replace a Simonton balance assembly for a ~2005 double-hung window. The replacement videos on Simonton are very good, but they show a balance assembly lower shoe that you loosen by just turning it with a screwdriver. My window has a shoe that doesn't look like it can be turned (and I can't turn it with a screwdriver). The shoe assembly is stuck at the bottom of the track. See picture of that show attached.

How do I remove that shoe??
Thumbnail of the uploaded file named PC310001.jpg
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Casey from SWISCO responded:
January 2, 2020

From what I can see, the part you're referring to looks like a pivot shoe, but I can't be a 100% sure. There are two videos that I am going to place below for you to review. Both videos show different methods on how to remove the shoe from the window. Take a look and see if these videos can help you.
A quick learner from Austin TX says:
January 2, 2020
OK, but the shoe I have doesn't want to pivot. That is, I put a screwdriver in it and I can't turn it. My window (which is a small one) does have a track cutout in the middle, but the shoes will not budge. They are stuck to the bottom of the tracks as shown in the picture. So I can't get them up to where the cutout is.

Also, those videos have some kind of a screw coming from a tilt latch. Mine has a long strip of spring steel that winds up into a plastic housing whichi s near the cutout in the middle of the window.

I guess my problem is that I don't know how to get those shoes out!
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Tom from SWISCO responded:
January 3, 2020

If your shoes are physically jammed into the track, then that's definitely an issue. There's no quick fix for that. There is probably some obstruction that's stuck in there, but to be honest that's just a guess. I don't want to tell you to force it because I don't know what the problem is. It could be anything, really. 

This is one of those situations where I really need to be in front of your window to mess around with it, but unfortunately that won't be possible. As such, I recommend contacting a local professional to come out and take a look at it.

Sorry that we can't be of more help.
A quick learner from Austin TX says:
January 3, 2020
Thank you. I guess the first issue is what kind of shoe doesn't pivot. If all shoes do pivot, then I guess I should work harder trying to make this one pivot, which might release it. I am baffled, because the shoes on BOTH SIDES are stuck to the bottom. To the extent I want to pry them up, I'm not quite sure where I should try to jam in a pry tool.

Now, I could just remove the take-up reel at the top, and manually pull up on the spring to try to get the shoes out. Is that sensible?
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Tom from SWISCO responded:
January 3, 2020

Yep, all pivot shoes pivot. The rule is, if you have a tilt window, then the shoe pivots. There are no exceptions. There is definitely something preventing yours from working properly, but I cannot guess what.

I would advise against messing with the springs directly. These are under a lot of tension and you don't want them to snap free of the shoe. That could damage the window or even cause you bodily harm. I highly recommend the help of a professional to come out and mess around with these windows directly. This is a hands-on trial-and-error sort of deal.
A quick learner from Austin TX says:
January 3, 2020
I have a double window in which the pieces slide up and down, and can be tilted for removal. Is that a "tilt window"? But yes, professional help may be in order.
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Tom from SWISCO responded:
January 6, 2020

Yep, that's a tilt window. You show a pivot shoe in your first photo, which is evidence alone of this fact. Non-tilt windows do not have pivot shoes, they just sorta hook onto the balance.
A quick learner from Austin TX says:
January 6, 2020
Well, it turned out that the pivots were just stuck. I soaked them in some silicone lube for a day, and that freed them up. Once I did that, the shoes moved freely, and the window connected to them nicely. All fixed.
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Tom from SWISCO responded:
January 6, 2020

That is great news. We are glad to hear that everything has worked out for you. Please be sure to contact us again in the future for any other upcoming hardware projects. 
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