where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

For all those Replacement Window decisions - just read, review or post a question. You will be helped!
Post Reply
Message
Author
Swong
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:57 am

where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#1 Post by Swong »

Finally stumbled upon this vinyl window forum and this looks like a site where many of the window contractors lurk/post and might be able to offer help. Our Thermo-Air vinyl windows were installed in 1986 (contractor and mfr long gone and out of business) and while these windows have served wife and I well there is now a need to perform repair/maintenance on a majority of them. I've googled and found suppliers (Swisco, Strybuc,AZA, etc) who have a decent selection of aftermarket replacement replacement parts. What I am looking for are "identical" oem pivot shoes & latches. I long delayed doing this project due to the fact removing the failed pivot shoes were a nightmare until I purchased a set of the Swisco Jamb Spreaders. Swisco though supportive do not have OEM parts which I understand completely since my vinyl windows are over 30 years old. Can anyone here reply back with other vendors of vinyl window repair parts stocking oem pivot shoes and latches.

Secondly, my worse two vinyl windows have top sashes where the pivot rods almost always fall out of their pivot shoes each time I attempt to open the top sash so as to get fresh air into the house. Huge gap at middle of frame averaging 1/4' or more while the corners of the very same frame are nice and tight....in other words slighly bowed out at the center of frame. Suggestions how to fix so i can open the top sashes for fresh air as the window was intended? It's gotten so bad I avoid going anywhere near these two bowed windows for fear of the top sashes crashing down and cracking panes of glass
Image

Witht the exception of these two remaining windows which need more work the remainder of the windows are now in decent shape. I now want to stock at least a few dozen identical pivot shoes as I suspect they will get harder to source as years pass. BTW, should pivot shoes and spiral balances be replaced in pairs?, suggestions on using paraffin wax to lube channels a good idea?
Attachments
three eighth inch space.JPG
(53.18 KiB) Downloaded 323 times

User avatar
Windows on Washington
Posts: 4850
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:21 pm
Location: DC Metropolitan Area-Maryland/Virginia/DC
Contact:

Re: where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#2 Post by Windows on Washington »

Do the windows that are visible bowed have jamb jack adjusters? If they do, put some turns on them and that should square the frame back up a bit.

If not, you can remove the interior trim if you want to and try to shim them out.

Stybuc and Blaine Hardware are my two most regular recommendations for hardware suppliers.

Swong
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:57 am

Re: where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#3 Post by Swong »

No adjusters whatsoever! Besides...the opening has two (2) double hung windows mated by a huge "H-channel" vinyl column if I remember going back when they were originally installed. Only other brainstorm I can think of was to purchase a pair of larger pivot rods, cut them down such that they extend possibly another 1/4" longer ... I figure the added length would bury itself deeper into the pivot shoes lessening the possibility of them falling out as I open top sashes for fresh air. My concern is they might possibly bind and destroy the new pivot shoes when I open the top sash completely down for fresh air.
Image

User avatar
HomeSealed
Posts: 2749
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:14 pm
Location: Milwaukee, Madison, Northern IL
Contact:

Re: where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#4 Post by HomeSealed »

Swong, have you analyzed the cost of both time and money spent on these 26yr old windows versus replacement? I realize that I probably sound like a typical window salesman when saying that, but I'd say that at nearly 30 yrs they have served you well. Servicing them certainly makes sense if it is cheap and easy, but I get the sense that is not the case.
Strybuc would be my recommendation as well... If you can't find what you need through them, I'm not sure how much luck you'll have.
On that gap, WoW has it right. If there are no jamb jacks, than you'll need to pop off the trim and shim the sides at the meeting rail.

Swong
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:57 am

Re: where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#5 Post by Swong »

Homesealed....Yes, I could agree with you however house has over 20 windows and only 2 of these windows appear to be bowed. More importantly the remaining windows are still weather resistant and appear in pristine condition. Besides, if I were to convince wife into just replacing these two problematic windows they would ruin the appearance of the side of house considering each side of house has a majority of identically matching windows. Think of it as replacing a completely serviceable home heating steam boiler simply because of a leaking pipe downstream to the actual boiler. Newer boilers however more efficient have thinner castings unlike the older Weil-McClain steam boilers which have castings at least a quarter inch in thickness. Thanks for your input anyway....

User avatar
Windows on Washington
Posts: 4850
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:21 pm
Location: DC Metropolitan Area-Maryland/Virginia/DC
Contact:

Re: where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#6 Post by Windows on Washington »

Swong wrote:No adjusters whatsoever! Besides...the opening has two (2) double hung windows mated by a huge "H-channel" vinyl column if I remember going back when they were originally installed. Only other brainstorm I can think of was to purchase a pair of larger pivot rods, cut them down such that they extend possibly another 1/4" longer ... I figure the added length would bury itself deeper into the pivot shoes lessening the possibility of them falling out as I open top sashes for fresh air. My concern is they might possibly bind and destroy the new pivot shoes when I open the top sash completely down for fresh air.
Image
I would fix the bow in the frame first rather than extend the pivot pin.

User avatar
HomeSealed
Posts: 2749
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:14 pm
Location: Milwaukee, Madison, Northern IL
Contact:

Re: where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#7 Post by HomeSealed »

Fair enough Swong. I think that a more accurate analogy would be a "pristine" 1986 Dodge Caravan. Even though its been meticulously maintained, it is probably living on borrowed time, will continue to "nickel and dime" you, and you could find a far more efficient option. Unlike the boiler, there is nothing superior about a 30 yr old vinyl window in comparison to the premium (or even mid-grade) options offered today. That said, I can see the logic behind your choice given the circumstances.
I'd again agree with WoW that extending the pivot pin is very "iffy". If you extend it far enough to work on the bowed area, it will bind as it travels up or down into the unbowed areas.
Last edited by HomeSealed on Mon Jun 04, 2012 8:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

TheWindowNerd
Posts: 1893
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 5:52 pm
Location: SE PA & NJ; CT
Contact:

Re: where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#8 Post by TheWindowNerd »

If the bow is mostly due to the H mullion and there are no jamb adjusters you can try pulling the jamb with your hands in the direction they need to go. If you get any benificial movement you can then try and secure the jambs to a proper spacing with sash. you can use a sheet metal screw through the H mull into window you can also use a white pop rivet.
For the jamb legs against the original jamb you might get movement if you cut the caulk loose on both the interior and exterior. Move the vinyl jamb to proper spacing then pin it with a threded screw through the vinyl( inside the track) into the wood jamb, the idea is to self tap the screw or pilot hole size it so that the treads of the screw hold it inplace. then recaulk.

User avatar
HomeSealed
Posts: 2749
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:14 pm
Location: Milwaukee, Madison, Northern IL
Contact:

Re: where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#9 Post by HomeSealed »

Anthony, have you ever used those GRK vinyl window screws : http://www.grkfasteners.com/en/VWS_0_in ... _video.htm
... They seem like they would work well for your alternative method to shimming. I'm not sure that I'd trust them enough to use on a regular basis in place of shims, but its a cool concept nonetheless.

User avatar
HomeSealed
Posts: 2749
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:14 pm
Location: Milwaukee, Madison, Northern IL
Contact:

Re: where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#10 Post by HomeSealed »

:lol:

Swong
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:57 am

Success....elusive window pivot shoes found

#11 Post by Swong »

In the interest of giving back to this forum I wanted to say I not only found a fix but also found another vinyl window repair parts supplier which matched up my 30 year old vinyl window pivot shoes. My problematic bowed window was fixed by using a pair of Swisco #15-067 pivot shoes which were improved over the old design by bringing out the female portion of the pivot shoe so there would be more surface area contacting the pivot rod. Tested this out by having wife continually opening and closing window to her satisfaction...no more top sash falling out of pivot shoe. During my search for alternative fixes I stumbled on another pivot shoe supplier which matched up my old 30 year old Thermo-Air Vinyl windows. For those who wish to see what is available from these two vendors their web sites are.....
http://www.swisco.com
http://www.aawindow.com
The readership here might want to add the above web sites into their rolodex in case they need repair parts down the road. BTW, Swisco.com has on their site video's how to remove, replace, and repair the usual parts which will break from wear and tear such as the window balances, pivot shoes, and pivot rods


My suggestion for homeowners who already have vinyl windows installed is to download then burn to cd the strybuc (http://www.strybuc.com/public/Catalogs.html) or aza (http://azahardware.com/windowdoorcatalog.html) parts catalog and save along with their other appliance owner manuals. Reasons are obvious...having a vendor who might possibly stock replacement window parts but more importantly a jpg or bitmap image of your required part just in case you have to chase down a replacment when the item is no longer stocked. Last ditch effort possibly being eBay or Craigslist.

Hope this helps everyone on this forum
Last edited by Swong on Sun Jun 10, 2012 4:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
HomeSealed
Posts: 2749
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:14 pm
Location: Milwaukee, Madison, Northern IL
Contact:

Re: where to purchase rplmt vinyl pivot shoes & other parts?

#12 Post by HomeSealed »

Glad to hear that it worked out for you Swong. :)

Post Reply