winsheild

[danwheeler660]

What needs to be done to remove a winshild for a bronco with out breacking it.I need to replace mine.And I was going to go to the junk yard to get onw cheap but I have no clue on taking one out with out breacking it.Thanks Dan

[j. r. Nice]

IMO, waste of time. There are several specialized tools required to sucessfully remove one. You might be able to pull one using a piano wire type tool and a second set of hands, but it's iffy. The butyl they use is nasty and sticky. Even if you get it out, it needs to be re-installed. There's a fair amount of prep work and chemicals required to re-install. Again, without the correct tools and know-how, it'll leak. That's if you dont bust it first.

Maybe someone else has had a better experience......not me.

[tres]

Check with your insurance company. If its cracked some will pay to have it replaced.

[mickaila]

check my link below.
i tried, failed. but the technique is right....i just failed.

[mkinsman]

Check what your ins policy covers, and watch out for flying rocks....or dont

[Steve83]

Not worth the hassle. I've removed several, and maybe even ONE intact. You could spend days working on dozens of windshields, and never get a good one out. Just get a new one, even if your insurance won't pay 100%.

[Andrew James]

Humph. My F150 has a big crack and the Bronco which the body is getting scrapped has a perfect windshield so I am gonna ind some way to get it out intact. Maybe worth it to drive it over on the trailer to the glass shop?

[TNT89Bronco]

I had a perfectly good windshield in a donar rig, which was an '89. I called a glass company to do the swap. I figured he would make more $$ on the swap vs an install. Anyway, he said there was almost no chance of removing a good glass and reinstalling it, in one piece. Said it was glued in and that it became part of the structural support for the vehicle.

I still have my chipped windshield in my DD.

[Andrew James]

I have watched every glass install and removal on my rigs and on my Firebird, you could feel the crack from the inside and out, they just stripped the rubber out and I shit you not, they just came from the inside and pushed it till one side popped out, the went to the other side. On my old Bronco, the guy had it in and out under 30 minutes and he popped the trim off, slid some tool on to the glue and then it came out easy.

My Firebird's windshield came for a junkyard Camaro and it fit fine with no issues.

I don't think there will be any problems but maybe it is different on these rigs?

[Steve83]

Originally Posted by TNT89Bronco

Said it ... became part of the structural support for the vehicle.

He was wrong. Monolithic glass is NOT structural, in any sense. Even glass blocks can't actually be used for structure. The only way glass can have reliable strength is as a textile (fiberglass). The windshield is NOT structurally significant in any road-legal vehicle. If it was, a rock chip would destroy the rollover rating, and even rolling over would instantly collapse the roof, which is illegal. The roof has to support the chassis, even if all the glass is broken. And I can tell you from experience that a Bronco body is no weaker without the w/s.

The frame, OTOH, is flimsy like a cheap swing set without the body.

Originally Posted by Andrew James

...maybe it is different on these rigs?

These trucks don't use rubber around the w/s, and modern w/s adhesive is polyurethane, which hardens much more than older butyl sealant ever did.

[TNT89Bronco]

I found several references on the Internet that seem to indicate that the windshield is part of the support structure of the vehicle. Doesn't really matter to me if it is or isn't. I was just relaying what a glass company told me.



"Modern, glued-in windshields contribute to the vehicle's rigidity, but the main force for innovation has historically been the need to prevent injury from sharp glass fragments. Almost all nations now require windshields to stay in one piece even if broken, except if pierced by a strong force. Properly installed automobile windshields are also essential to safety; along with the roof of the car, they provide protection to the vehicle's occupants in the case of a roll-over accident"

[j. r. Nice]

I dunno, who the hell wants someone elses beat-up, rock chipped, wiper scuffed, weather pocked, decal laden used windshield anyway.
There is something to be said for the beautiful virgin clarity of a brand-new windshield. It's like a brand new car again.

[Alvin in AZ]

Originally Posted by TNT89Bronco

I found several references on the Internet that seem to indicate that
the windshield is part of the support structure of the vehicle.

x2 :)

Guy had the windshield out of my '75 F150 and had his hand on the roof...
"can't do that with these new cars :( ...it'll been the roof down! LOL :)"

That was about 15 years ago.

"$25 installation charge is cheap insurance, if I break it ...I pay for it"
-same glass guy

Other than that I've always done my own but I haven't messed with a
glued-in type window system yet.

And x2 on it feeling like a brand new vehicle, J.R.! :)
BTDT a few times and wanting to do that with my Bronco someday.

Alvin in AZ

[bluesuper74]

round here new installed is less than $150

[GetBent4x4]

Pretty easy to remove and install, especially if you have a helper on the install. Drop the fear people it doesn't get you any farther in life.

btw get some suction cup handles at harbor freight.

For future searching purposes I'll post what info I find.



primerless urethane http://www.dowautomotive.com/products/betaseal/u418.htm

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u400 http://www.dowautomotive.com/product...eal/u400hv.htm

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To remove/soften old adhesive.
http://3mcollision.com/3m-general-pu...ner-08987.html

also had this site bookmarked. I think they had some decent prices on adhesive.

[danwheeler660]

Originally Posted by bluesuper74

round here new installed is less than $150

thank you i guess I will call the glass place in town.I only have plpd insurance on my bronco.I may have to get it at tax time if it is to much.I was just trying to save myself some cash and do it my self.Thank you everyone for the input....

[4DI2D]

Local independentglass shop has done a few W/S for me. He certifies the glue batch # and guarantees his work. $195.00 for shaded BKO W/S and it does look brand new.