Chick-N-Picker

1989 XJ 4.0 auto 4x4 121,000 miles Stock on 30's.

Long story short.

I was trying to fit something in my Jeep at Lowes and when I closed the back it bumped it forward, not even that forceful, and cracked my front windshield all up. I couldn't believe it cracked it. Right there in the parking lot. Ended up having to take the stuff back out and put a tag on it to pick up later after all that because I couldn't fit it to drive.


I should have not even tried to get it with out a truck.

Already looked in to the forums and it appears this is something people suggest NOT doing yourself. Also, of course, I don't really have the money to be spending on a windshield right now but it's cracked bad enough and with cold weather coming, it will have to be done within a week or two.

So the advice is not to change it yourself?

tech

I never changed one , but I know you will need a new weather strip and check the body around the windshield to make sure it not rusting and clean it and maybe paint it .

BlueRidgeMark

I have done exactly the same thing on my E350 van. Cost me around $300 to get it fixed.

I disagree. It's really not a bad job at all. It's just scary due to unfamiliarity. By the way, I used to be one of those who said it's not a DIY job. Then I did it, and found it's really not difficult. You are a handy guy. You can do this.

Search on my username and "windshield" and you'll find a few threads. Once you see how the windshield is held in place by the glue, I think you'll see how simple this is. And of course, you can always post your questions here and we'll harass you thoroughly.

You will need some special tools to remove the old windshield. The simplest is a special wire you can get on Amazon. Like .

You use *something to poke a hole through the glue bond, then pull the wire through, and start sawing your way around the windshield to cut the clue. That is the ONLY special tool you will need. There are fancier ways to do it, but you aren't a pro. The wire is easy to use, just not as fast as the fancy tools. The pros can't afford the time it takes to use the wire, but we can. It took me about ten minutes with the wire. I watched a pro do it in less than one. But he had a $300 tool.

Then you need to clean up the old glue. Ordinary tools for this. Get that pinch weld CLEAN! Then clean up any rust and repair as needed. Then you are ready for the new windshield.

You'll need a caulking gun and the special urethane glue, a new piece of rubber trim, and maybe some adhesive to hold the trim to the windshield. Some masking tape is helpful. A suction cup is really handy if you are working alone, or, if you can find a helper for 15 minutes, you can do without.

You'll first apply a good bead of urethane to the pinch weld. Don't skimp! Now put the rubber trim on the windshield (there's a tarry adhesive for this, or you could tape it), and place the windshield down on the adhesive bead. Tape it to the roof to keep it from dropping down toward the cowl, and leave it for .... I forget how long. The urethane label will tell you. I think I left mine for a day, which is way overkill.

It really is a simple job. Doing it yourself allows you to do some rust cleanup that a pro will never do.

Please note: You CANNOT put the rubber trim in place after you have set the windshield. Ain't gonna happen. You must secure the trim to the windshield and then set it in place. Don't ask me how I know that.

(Turned out to be a good thing. I found I had skimped on the glue and had gaps. Not good!)

EDIT TO ADD: Some soapy water will help while you are poking through the urethane bond and while you are sawing through it. Be generous. You wanted to clean up that dashboard anyway, right?


*Try a piece of electrical fish tape, with a loop on one and and sharpened on the other.

Chick-N-Picker

Hey thank you for the advice. I searched your name and windshield but didn't see any write up. I may try to do it myself, or at the very least pull the old one out, and maybe if I end having somebody else do it that can at least knock some of the cost off. I'm going to call some places Monday and get quotes just to see what they charge, and I'll post the prices here. How cheaply can it be done if you do it yourself? I can get a windshield at the junk yard for $35, but not sure what all the other tools, adhesives, etc would cost.

Plus, like I said I will have nobody to help me carry it out, or set it in place. I really have zero friends or even family that gives an eff (except my 75 year old maw maw and she wouldn't be much help here). I always do my own Jeep repairs but this may be the first time I can't. Waiting until Monday for quotes is killing me.

Also what part of the Blue Ridge's are you in? I'm in western NC in the Foothills.

BlueRidgeMark

Here ya go! Turns out that "urethane" was a better search term. There are some links in that post that will take you to pictures.


That's not a bad option. That way you can clean things up properly and take care of any rust on your own time, and do it right.


That's good thinking.



Windshield, new, $175 - ish. All the years are the same, BTW. Not sure what you've got, but the only difference is the aluminum trim vs. the rubber trim. Go with the rubber!
Wire tool... 15 bucks.
Urethane, about 25-30 bucks.
Some masking tape.
Suction cup? Dunno, but check Amazon.

That's really it except for ordinary tools.

Tough situation. I have kids still at home, so I always have a helper.

I'm up north of you, near the other end. Not too terribly far from the northern entrance of the BlueRidge Parkway.

Chick-N-Picker

Yeah, I'Ve been reading and it looks as though all the windshields will fit any year but the old XJ's used butyl rubber to set the window and the chrome or black trim. Then they later switched to better urethane and the black rubber trim (which is really just cosmetic). So it looks like no matter what my old 32 year old chrome trim will be seeing it's end. I'm going to miss it ha. I always kind of liked it around the windshield. Oh, well. Nothing I can really do about that, and as long as I can get it fixed for a price I can afford right now, I'll be cotent and try not fret about my old chrome trim haha.

[Edit: After more reading, I think I should be able to have a new windshield installed and still use my orginal chrome trim pieces. Hope that's right].

I'm about an hour east of Asheville and an hour west of Charlotte in the Foothills. I have lived in Lake Lure area and would prefer to be back there. Last year I drove over to Asheville and hopped on the park way and drove it for 6 hours all the way to Boone, which I have been around a lot as well. Even went to App state for like 2 days once (long story) haha.

Jack Pullo

You probably have comprehensive coverage. Just call SafeLite and get it fixed. This is hardly worse than a flat tire.

Chick-N-Picker

As far as I'm aware I just have plain liability and I'm pretty sure my policy doesn't cover this. I can call and check but I'm doubtful.

If money wasn't so short these days then it wouldn't bother me as bad probably. But I know money is short for a lot of people right now. The building supplies I was picking up were, I kid you not, double in cost than 6 months ago. Gas is up $1 or more a gallon, and as an XJ driver that hurts even worse. And of course, food is up.

I'll call and check my police and I'll get some quotes Monday. Hopefully I can find one that is not too expensive.

Jack Pullo

Windshield replacement is not costly. Labor is cheap. Call Safelite. $300 out of pocket. You may have fire/theft/glass for an extra $40/year.

Chick-N-Picker

^ Yeah, $300 is not cheap too me, especially right now.

Chick-N-Picker

Called many auto glass places today and only two answered the phone.

1. First place said that it would be $220 but the windshield was out of stock every where and they had no idea when it would even be in if they ordered it.

2. Second place was in the next town over and he seemed to know what he was taking about. He already knew my Jeep took the crime trim pieces and said he just put a window in a Cherokee fairly recently. He also said that he was having trouble with getting windshields from his companies he uses BUT he was able to find one 3.5 hours away and it should be there Thursday. He quoted me $200 all in and said that it would have been cheaper not too long ago but things were crazy with supply chains.. I understand as everything is up in price and/or harder to find thanks to....well let's not go there.

So much for pricing and finding the cheapest. Right now just being able to get it done is a win apparently. So I should have a new windshield Friday, if everything works out. It has cracked worse every night since it happened Friday.

robsjeep

If your old glass was original it is likely by now pitted and scratched, new glass will be so nice

Mine was pitted, got a rock threw it on freeway, I have a 50 buck insurance deductable. Best 50 bucks spent, now I can see clearly

The big deal is dealing with frame rust. most glass places will simply do a quick sanding and spray
paint at best. In which case the rust will soon return. Also use of the wire and cutting tools can often nick the paint, leaving a location ripe for rust, oft hidden from view by the trim
I suggest you break out your window and clean and repair rust to make sure it is done right. you really need to remove ALL trace of rust, even in the deep pits, then clean, metal wash, prime with a good urethane, then color it in region that can been seen when done. That is what I have done in the days prior to the glass replacement. I then had a mobile glass guy come to my place to install. He uses special two
part window adhesive, uses an adhesion promoter, and of course he had new location clips to replace the ones that get busted.

Id avoid a junk yard glass given it will likely already have pits, but maybe you will get lucky all the effort wasted on pitted glass will be a shame.

When my broke I was many 100s of miles from home had to duck tape most of the window to hold it together, drove with vision thru a narrow slit

The scarey thing was that rock was aimed right at my lovely face, tennis ball sized that rock was, I was showered in glass. It would have been a major loss to the world had my lovely face been disfigured. fortunatly my face survived, and the world is better for it.

Ricthewrench

Get a guitar string, a low pitch E or any that is wound with a central wire and a wire wrapped around it. These make excellent windshield saws.. Just wrap the 2 ends around a couple sticks, and you're ready to go. Done it this way for 45 years, it works. String is a couple dollars. R

BlueRidgeMark

I've been told there's some debate about that.....

awg

that is what I use, with welding gloves, cut the urethane on my jeep, fixed the rust, new rubber gasket, urethaned it back in,

I also got a rear one from a wrecker and replaced it in a similar way, threw up a rock from a whipper snipper and smashed it myself, quite annoying

being a guitarist myself, I had an old one laying around, luckily, a few, its hard work cutting urethane, and I broke a couple