Busted windshield

[LV4R]

New, aftermarket windshield, is installed. Looks like the original. Manufactured by Pilkington in Mexico. Interesting to note that they make hydrophilic glass for automobiles. I haven't quite figured out yet if this particular glass is or isn't. I called the owner of the company to find out what he knew but he was out and I haven' heard back.

The installer said the new glass is modestly thicker than what he removed - not a lot, but a bit heavier/thicker. So perhaps I have a new, thicker, hydrophilic windshield for $175. Who knows. In any case, they did a nice clean install and I got to look over his shoulder while he did it.

There isn't much holding our gen 4 windshields in, guys and gals. No clips, no shelf to rest on, nothing. A bead of glue on a frame is all there is. The glass then rests on the glue on the frame. Two to four hours for the glue to set up and you are good to go. They actually tape the windshield to the car roof while the glue is drying so it won't slide down the firewall.

Interesting construction. But the passenger airbag deploys off the windshield so it must be fairly rugged.

So far, so good.

I had the same installed on mine a couple months ago. This glass must be thicker as there is a marked improvement inside the runner now in terms of noise. I definitely find it much quieter than the factory glass. I am kind of glad I had to replace my windshield!

 

[xUSNavy]

A couple of weeks ago, I was merging on to the freeway right behind an 18 wheeler. In my mind I was thinking that I should move over a lane so that the truck doesn't kick any rocks into the windshield. Soon as I get over a lane, I hear a LOUD "POP" followed by me screaming "F*CK!!!!". I mean this was so load that it sounded like a gun shot. At first my fiance thought that our tire blew out. Turns out it was a rock that hit the windshield (it was night time, so I didn't see the rock coming). Anyway, it left two pit marks in the class roughly an inch apart. Therefore, the rock had to be at least 1" wide! Other than the pit marks, the windshield held up really well. From the sound of the impact, I was sure that windshield should have cracked or even shattered. I drive an 06, so maybe the extra thickness of the glass helped out? If so, then maybe you might want to try getting the 06 windshield installed.

 

[veloindy]

My glass got hit last weekend. Scared the crap out of me! The truck only has 11k miles on it. This is my first cracked windshield, and I've had many cars. Oh well, I had a guy fix the crack, he did a great job. It also keeps me from breaking the factory seal. I'm sure I'll get another one, especially living in the mtns.

If anybody is in the Denver front range area and needs a good "repair" guy, just shoot me a pm and I'll give you his name and number.

 

[bradiop]

2006 windshield

I have 2006 4Runner, at about 1,000 miles something off the road hit windshield and had to be replaced; Glaspro said ship too big for expoy treatment. Maybe 06 is stronger but mine cracked.

 

[MicaBlue03]

You know, I doubt that the thickness of the glass has much to do with whether the glass cracks from a specific impact. It's likely the sharpness of the impacting point and the mass and speed of the rock, along with the impact angle.

The biggest rock that ever hit a windshield of mine (in nearly half a million miles of driving) was about 1.5 inches across and it didn't crack the windshield.

The experience sounds like that related by xUSNavy above. An extremely loud crack, like a gunshot. Scared me and really made me jump.

When I got the chance to pull over and check it out I found 5 deep scuffs in the windshield, in a pattern well over an inch across. The scuffs were about as deep as the thickness of a fingernail, and averaged about 1/8 inch across. The rock must have hit approximately in all 5 spots at once.

It's hard to imagine how so much glass could be gouged out of the windshield without starting a crack. And that windshield (on a previous Toyota) never did form any cracks from that impact. There were other stars (repaired), though, from far smaller rocks.

BTW, the folks grinding the roads know they produce lots of windshield damage, even if they try to sweep right behind the grinders. Sometimes they'll pay if you contact them with specifics (date, time, location, etc) and file a claim. Can't hurt to try.

 

[dcampen]

Last weekend my 4Runner windshield got hit with a stone that caused a crack. Any suggestions on where to go in the vicinity of Pasadena, CA to get the windshield replaced?

 

[DemBones]

I too just put a new windshiled on my `04 T4R.

Guess a pebble kicked up and dinged the bottom center of the windshiled.

Funny thing is I didnt notice it till I went outside to clean the inside of the windshield and low n behold I noticed it.

Perfectly centered on the bottom. I called my insurance Co. which is Gieco and since my deductible and state (NY) I live in they gave me the option to either fix it or a new windshiled, no charge.
My premiums arent going up either.

I told them the crack grew after driving the vehicle a day later.
A week later and it spread across to the driver side. The crack will
continue to grow due to pressure on the windshiled while driving till it reaches the end, for those who didnt know.

So.......................
Keep my fingures croseed and pray for rain to see if it leaks:bowdown:

Dembones

 

[pipspeak]

Anyone with simple chips might want to check out windshield repair places... they fill the chip with some sealent, pulling it right through the depth of the using a vacuum. Once polished you can't even see the chip and it prevents it propagating. Cheaper than new glass.

I had it done on a car in the UK and it worked fine. It survived icy winters and baking summers with nary a crack to be seen.

 

[dcampen]

I got my windshield replaced by Safelite in Pasadena, CA for $185.

 

[MrWhite96]

I have a 3rd gen with a quarter-sized star in the upper passenger side of the windshield. Are you guys only talking about 4th gen 4Runners when you mention thinner glass?

I got hit by a rock (in my '01 Limited) while driving on I40/I85 near Raleigh Durham. I was driving east in the morning and had both sunvisors down. I heard a loud crack and when I pulled the passenger side sunvisor up I saw it. I had it repaired a few weeks later when I was home, but it has continued to frost over and looks like it's very slowly spreading. This happened last May.

I was driving a '96 years ago and got hit by a rock from a passing dump truck. It was a small star, and after it was filled it hasn't spread in over 5 years. I'm hoping 3rd gen windshields were made a bit better, but the place that repaired my windshield in my '01 said it was just a band-aid and it would have to be replaced sooner or later.

Is it a bad idea to break the "factory seal," as some have mentioned?

 

[Uneek]

Are you guys only talking about 4th gen 4Runners when you mention thinner glass?

I would say most of them are referring to 4th gen 4Runners. In the new features and/or changes for 2006, it specifically mentions thicker windsheilds as one of the changes from 2005.