Adding Power Windows and Locks

[tlandreth]

I am wanting to add power windows and locks to my 1995 XLT. My questions are: How difficult is the additions?
What can be done to make the additions easier?
Any advice from those made these mods?

Since the new aftermarket kits are expensive, I was thinking of going to a salvage yard and find the parts from a Ranger with the options. I may take the door panel with the cutouts for the controls if I can find the parts I need. Any advice on what I should do to approach this situation or if I should even do the additions, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Snal]

It's really a pain. I've been in the process of doing this as well. What you'll need is the wire harness from under the dash of a truck that has these options; the wires, motors and switches from each door and the door panels for the switches. You'll add relays and such into your power box as well. I have everything except for the door panels, and there's a connector under the dash on the drivers side I forgot to grab on my way out. The hardest part is getting the dash off but if you look up how to replace the heater core in a 98 ranger it will give you a step by step on how to do it, it's where I learned and it will work for all rangers after 92 as far as I know. I think in the end I'm just going to have to get new doors with everything in them because I have the wires switches motors and everything but getting them in is going to be a whole other story. There is a post on someone else doing this as well which you can use as a reference. Thats really the only way to go about doing this and you probably wanna keep everything stock because it'll look better and probably function better if you do it right.

 

[shane96ranger]

I already converted mine to power locks. I also installed an alarm at the same time, so I just used the alarm to trigger the locks. The solenoids were under 10 bucks for both sides, and the 2 relays with harnesses I bought were about 5 bucks. I actually got the alarm on Ebay for about 25 dollars, and it was the alarm Ford Dealers installed. The brain says Ford on it and everything. I am going to do a universal window kit next summer on mine. They are a lot easier and cheaper than trying to rummage up all of the factory stuff. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have factory......but I have better things to do than search for all of that stuff (and pray it works) when a universal kit will do the trick.

I'm very happy with my setup I got for under 50 bucks.

 

[ElleShooTiger]

The aftermarket kits will be the easiest to wire up, relatively speaking.

If you want to have "factory" power windows and locks, you'll have to go to a junkyard and pull the entire guts out of the doors (power window motors, regulators, lock motor and probably the latch too) as well as the door harnesses and the entire dash (or at least the complete dash wiring harness). On the drivers side, you'll need to grab the big connector at the a-pillar where the body harness hooks up, and any wiring that goes to the drivers door. You'll have to remove the door connectors individually and install them into the connector in your truck in order to mate them with the dash harness. Grab the door panels too.

It all depends on your mechanical skills, there's a lot of surgery that has to be done to make this work like factory.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

what would u need the dash for?
i have factory power windows from a 03 on my 99, just run a wire from the battery to a relay and then to the switches and there u go.

be sure u get the parts from the exact year of your truck, since things changed since 99 to 03 lol and i found out the hard way.
u need the switches panels and install a small tweeter in the handle hole to cover it if u dont want to spend on the complete door panel.

its not that hard to get the parts out, and they deff last longer than those chinese aftermarket -universal systems

 

[7.5L_STX]

i have power window parts. but it will be going to the scrapyard tomorrow. if you need some parts let me know.

 

[corrond56]

yeah, I did the COMPLETE swap with windows, mirrors, locks, and keyless entry from manual. I also have a RBV junkyard about ten miles from my house which doesn't hurt. It is a pain (literally, I ended up breaking my finger and tearing off the nail cause I was dumb enough to get it stuck in the regulator trying to line up holes to mount it) though. In addition to all the harness and such I also got the GEM and the security module from the donor truck. Getting to all the stuff for the door locks wasn't that big of a deal for me, it was just getting the window regulator mounted up that was the biggest pain. If you do want to do it stock just take your time and do it right the first time around. Replacing the heater core while you are digging around wouldn't hurt either. That's how my conversion got started.

 

[schneiderz]

plan and simple dude dont do it it really isnt worth it. Also manuals are more reliable anyways.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

it is worthy, thats why people add em when they get a new ride.

cranking a lever is annoying imo

 

[will1861]

Everyone always answers to take the factory dash wiring, the gem module, door panels, etc. Why make this so complicated? Go to the junkyard, get the regulators and motors, get online, (ebay) and get a switch kit with wiring. Bada Bing no reason to hack your factory dash up, no messing with a Gem module and you can get factory tough motors but better switches. And a H$%^ of a lot easier to do. Cost- at pull a part: both regulators with motors $40, wiring kit ebay $50 with shipping. Under a hundred dollars. With out the hassle, no offense but just think it out and plan accordingly. No way do I want to add 5 hours changing out a dash. There is a kit on there right now that has factory looking switches that can go where the factory switches go. It is easier to look into this. Good Luck. I have a '91 that has treated me great for 19 years and since I've had it for a little while and looks like I'm going to keep it I don't think I will hack it to pieces. If you want power locks just plan your project out, K.I.S.S

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

or get the oem actuators, switches and wire it wih a relay. even cheapier and easier

 

[gwaii]

or get the oem actuators, switches and wire it wih a relay. even cheapier and easier

i'm with rsh.
i've done lots of them with factory stuff,most of it will plug into the stock base model harness.you'll need to drill a couple of holes in the door to mount the power reg,but theres dimples stamped where the holes need to be.

it's really not a big deal.

 

[will1861]

plus 1 on that, there is a website, something like 12volt.com or something like that that has diagrams to do it. Bottom line there are many ways to do this and save some money. And you get the bonus of knowing that you did it yourself. If you lay it out right and plan you can come away with something that looks and acts factory.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

mine looks like factory and almost acts, since i used 03 actuators on my 99 and the mountings changed, so we had to improvise(they sound and vibrate a bit)
i wired em with a relay, simple and hasnt gave me any issues so far.

 

[That Baker Guy]

i used one of the universal aftermarket kits and did a write up for it somewhere but one of the actuators went out already and i had to replace it but still the power locks was the best 100dollars i ever spent.