Window pulleys needed

Question

I moved into a house that looks to have all Alliance windows. The pulley systems on most of them have either snapped or are missing. I'm unsure how to identify the pulley needed to replace these. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Tom · Accepted Answer

Hello! I recognize this balance. What you have here is an old rod type balance, sometimes called a "crossbow" balance. These actually aren't made anymore but our more modern channel type balances can still work just as well (if not better). I'm very confident that we can get your window working again.

I need a little more information before I recommend anything, though, since there are a couple different designs. First, can you show me a clear picture of the pivot shoe at the bottom of the rod? Can you also tell me the diameter of the spring?

Lastly, you're going to need the overall length; this is going to be from the top of the top cap (ignoring whatever installation clip may be present) and to the bottom of the bottom fitting. Make sure to measure a balance that's still in undamaged condition; when these break, they kind of spring all apart and you can't get an accurate length measurement.