I just got off the phone from a glass company that is going to be replacing the cracked windshield on it this afternoon. I'll try to have some pictures together this evening since the replacement process is something we (HOPEFULLY) very seldom see...

~Wolfie

 

I have had to replace my trucks front glass 3 times since new. Each time it was a quarry truck that threw a rock at me. GRRRR

Theo

 

This was fun...

I hung out with the guy, and found out a lot of stuff about the way the window was laid in - there was an older type of sealer that was once used that is outlawed now, polyurethane is the current best bet and it comes in a pump tube just like other kinds of sealer.

There are height setting wedges that you dont want to lose, and the bead of sealant is laid down in a certain way (mainly by the way the end of the tube it comes out of is cut) that makes it form a ridge which is crushed to the window and body surface to get the right seal.

- All a matter of technique, and I'll have the pictures up this weekend sometime I hope.

Alternative info was about how it is to live in Tiajuana, and work inthe USA as an American....

YES

It is a place where someone who makes a little money - but not a lot - can be a human being without paying CALIFORNIA TAXES.

And I applaud that all the way!

You see? There is a place you can afford to rent... And live among people who believe in personal respect, even in California...

I knew this was true, but the option is not open to me right now.

More later

~Wolf

 

Okay, here we go -


(Above and below) This is the start, with the trim and old glass removed. This didn't take a lot of time - the trim slid right out with the proper tool, sort of an odd pry bar. The sealant holding the old glass was then cut and the broken unit lifted away...





New sealant was laid down in the track after the old stuff was removed. The modern material is urethane, so it's a good idea to get rid of as much of the old as you can, but it won't have to be completely spotless. (Glue is glue - it sticks to stuff, that's it's job!)



The sealer is put on with an interesting technique, so that it forms a tall ridge which will be squashed flat when the new glass piece is put over it. To do this - the tip of the sealant cartridge is cut with a "VEE" notch kind of like a cake decorating trick! This assures the maximum sealing between the two surfaces, in effect squeezing it into the cracks sort of like self-caulking.







One last look at how the bead formed - this also shows how the window is aligned slightly above the bottom edge by means of a pair of small wedges that are in the window track. DON'T LOSE THESE! They are in there for a reason...



Later I'll have a pic of how the whole works looks once it's back together, I was very pleased with it! And as all professional jobs go - the process was done with no fuss, no muss, and a uniform appearance overall...

 

Good reporting there, wolf.. I have never had a camera handy when getting mine changed.

Theo

 

I'm seriously thinking that because the F100 has some stone chips in the glass, I may have the same folks come out again.

I also looked at the way the new glass and the tint at the top looks - reason number two to like it a lot!

Yep, I just may have to have me another one of these...