Cracked windshield....

John316 · September 20, 2009, 04:25:05 PM

Well we caught a rock today, and our passenger side windshield is cracked. The crack starts at the lower corner, and goes up at an angle about 8 inches. You can tell where the rock impacted at the top of the crack, because the center of the impact looks like a "T" with the long part going down to the corner.

We are going to try to find somebody to patch it up tomorrow. We will be in Petersburg, KY, all day. In the morning at the Creation Museum. Does anybody have a recommendation of a mobile windshield repair company? The top part of the T is six inches, and the lower part is more like 8 inches.

Thanks.

God bless,

John

gumpy · September 20, 2009, 04:58:00 PM

Can't help you with a repair place in KY, but I seriously doubt they can repair it if it's cracked like you describe. That'a a replacement job, and I doubt any mobile repair company will have the windshield, let alone do it in the parking lot. You should look for a bus repair facility there. Check the yellow pages for charter companies and call some and ask where they get their windshields replaced.

jmblake · September 20, 2009, 05:15:52 PM

We had ours cracked on the way to VA beach this summer, When we got home I called the Insurance co and they sent a company out to fix it the guy was sceptical about trying to fix it for fear the pressure on that big of windshield would crack it more. He still filled it in to keep it from spreading, so far so good on that. He also said that if a dollar bill will cover the crack they can mostly fix it. Jason

Sean · September 20, 2009, 05:51:25 PM

AFAIK, no one will fill a crack that long.

When we get rock strikes, we fix them ourselves with a $10 kit from Wal-Mart:
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2007/09/arkansas-2-odyssey-0.html

You could try one of these kits on the original impact point, which might stop the crack from spreading. In order to stop it completely, you'd need to drill a tiny hole in the opposite end, with a high-speed carbide bit. The trick is to only drill the outer glass, and stop before the plastic separator.

If it were me, I would fill the impact point, put a layer of resin over the crack, and leave the resin in place rather than scraping it off with the razor blade. If it's in the path of the wiper, you might have to level it down almost to the glass, but leave a fine layer in place to keep any water from getting into the crack.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

paul102a3 · September 20, 2009, 06:20:38 PM

Sean,

Do you have the name of repair kit. I was in a Wal-Mart here in upstate NY and they don't seem to have them.

We had three rock strikes the last few days and I would like to fill the chips so they don't turn into cracks.

Thanks,

Paul

Sean · September 20, 2009, 06:23:14 PM

It's the "Fix-a-Windshield" brand kit, made by the "Fix-a-Flat" people. Comes carded, the card background is mostly yellow. It's in the aisle with the wiper blades and other windshield supplies.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

jmblake · September 20, 2009, 06:26:53 PM

Call your insurance provider, it didn't cost me a nickel for them to come out and fill our crack, they said it will keep it from spreading so they don't have to replace the windsheild. It's worth a phone call. Jason

John316 · September 21, 2009, 06:50:35 AM

Thanks, guys. It looks like we will be going by MCI to get a new windshield installed.

They are in http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=+%09+537+North+Market+Street+Loudonville,+OH+44842&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.701751,79.013672&ie=UTF8&ll=40.629588,-82.048645&spn=0.474215,1.234589&z=10. We tried to find somebody to fix it too keep it from spreading, but it is too big. It spread more overnight, so it is probably 10" on the top part "T" and the lower leg is probably 8".

It was very nice that they happened to be kinda sort of on our way. The bummer is, that is the new windshield, and we have a spare sitting back at the house.

God bless,

John

Sam 4106 · September 21, 2009, 05:48:39 PM

Hi John,
Unless there is a danger of the windshield caving in from the frontal air pressure, why fix it now? I would just wait until I got home.
Good luck, Sam 4106/MC 8

John316 · September 21, 2009, 06:16:27 PM

Actually, a quick update.

The Lord had us "happen" to meet a guy that repairs windshields. He fixed it for us, so we are good to go, until we are home. That is very nice to skip the MCI stop.

God bless,

John