It was inevitable.
I have a business meeting outside of Boston tomorrow morning, so I decided to take the Ferry and drive up from Long Island in the JK tonight (sitting in the hotel now).

An hour into the drive I hear that fateful crrrraaack... and see a gorgeous rock hit right smack in the middle of the passenger side windsheild. I know it was bound to happen, and after yelling some loud obscenities to myself, I felt better . I actually felt pain for the Jeep.

So, do I just replace it though insurance now(I have glass coverage), or wait through the end of winter (It hasn't spread... yet). What about those chemical 'fixes"?

What should I watch out for when getting it replaced? I've heard some horror stories here. Is the replacement glass decent? Is it a difficult vehicle to work on since there is no exterior seal? I saw someone here got an exterior seal installed, is that worth it?
Any advice / experience is appreciated.

 

so what happened?

 

Let me see if I can translate: He took a Rock to the Windshield.

 

I was driving the JK on the weekend, wife and I saw the golf ball sized rock come off the logging truck going the other way. It hit the grill bounced up and then hit under the windshield. results were very small chip in the grill (I never thought I'd say this but thank you Jeep for the plastic grill) chip under the windshield is on the windshield hinge shouldn't be noticeable after some touch up.

 

Because it's winter time, your defroster will spread the stone chip into a crack in the next two weeks. It'll find its way across your windsheild shortly.

I had my windshield replaced not too long ago, and they used Mopar glass. The odds are that you'll get Mopar glass as well.

If you have an inspection due in the next month, then get it replaced. If not, wait as long as you can before replacing it. In some states, your windshield is not "legal" once the cracks are in the path of your vision.

-Ted

 

Hate to hear it man! I have had 3 hit and the sound was gut wrenching! Thank goodness no crack. I used the patches on my CJ7 many of times and the work most of the time and even done by a pro not to costly. Might be an option to buy you some time and not have to spend the deductable get it replaced and BAM the next day take another hit and FREAK OUT!

Since the crack is not running yet you may want to have it fixed before you head home. I am sure the stress 65-70 miles an hour will put on it will help it travel across the windshield.

 

Go to your local Strauss or Pep Boys and get a Windshield Repair Kit. The trick is to fix it right away before any cracks appear or spread. The kit I purchased came with a tool that compressed a resin into the Bulls-eye chip on my windshield. So far no cracks developed. The bulls-eye chips are barely visible after fixing.

 

Back when I had my S2000, a week or so after I bought it brand new I almost took a golf-ball sized rock to the windshield @90mph on I-4. However, I had taken my bike that morning instead, so I got hit in the kneecap :(

 

Check with your insurance. I had a chip in my windshield and they paid the full price of having someone come to my work and patch it. It was cheaper for them to patch it than it would have been to replace it. The patches seem to work very well if done by a good company, and it didn't raise my rates.
If it spreads to a full length crack, I'd drive it through winter before you get it replaced, as long as it's legal to drive with a cracked windshield.

 

OUCH! Go to Pep Boys and get LMAO never mind that won't work for you.