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bumped the upper corner of the winshield frame, bend back?

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 3:46 pm
by audiocontr
I smacked a tree limb on the absolute top passenger corner of windshield surround. It cracked the winshield in 2 places and bent back the corner about 2 inches. I was able to use my feet and press it forward enough to get the horizontal bar above the door back in and drive her home.

Now that it has a little bend to it, im nervous of putting new glass in and it cracking again. How can i bend it back without doing more damage?

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 7:57 pm
by Jim LaGuardia
Take it off and square it up on a flat surface, metal is a workable thickness :wink:
Use wood blocks and a 2 lb hammer to help put it back square. Measure corner to corner to verify opening dimensions before replacing glass.
Now is the time to get tinted glass(much cooler) :twisted:

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:00 pm
by ka
audio - you should post some before, in-process and after pix!

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:10 am
by Andre
I have built replacement windshield frames when they got too far gone. Not as easy as fixing the stocker.

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:40 am
by David Dunn
The easiest way to make sure a frame is " in plane", is with 2 strings run tightly diangonally from corner to corner. Where the strings cross should just barely touch, if there is a gap, a corner need to be bent down, or if they touch before one end is touching a corner, then bend up. Of course, each side of the frame must be straight also.

Glass in forgiving ...to a point, then it let you know when you gone too far. :shock:
I've used this technic for many years on windows and door frames, and door themselves'..... basic geometry

Dave

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 9:00 pm
by audiocontr
Found a guy that has done them in the past. Wants $350 to cut new glass and install it. Stupid expensive in the DC metro area...

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:00 pm
by David Dunn
Hmmmm....guess it's time to raise my price by 150%..
:lol: :lol: :lol:
And I thought the government was the only ones raping people in DC.

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:01 am
by Erik712m
Dave, That's close to the price I was quoted for non tinted glass. When I asked for tinted glass on the front windshield the reply (Not sure its legal) never looked never quoted. Some times service around here sucks. Some auto parts are easier to just get out of Oklahoma.

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:02 pm
by Profpinz
I had a similar thing happen to me a few years back....embarrasing, but I ran into a large tree branch which overhangs my driveway :oops:

It bent back the top left hand corner of the frame and buckled the rod that runs between the frame and the roll-bar.
As luck would have it the glass was undamaged as the force of the blow was on the metal frame so the glass simply "peeled" out of the rubber at the corner ......amazing stroke of luck.

Later I carefully removed the glass, and with the aid of the press, heating torch and panel beaters tools, I "massaged" the frame back into the correct shape. From memory I tig'd a few "tags" onto the concave sections of panel damage so I could use a slide hammer to pull them back.

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:44 pm
by David Dunn
Erik
I am getting a new quote to have another run of tinted windshields made, and we will see how much things have gone up in the last 3 years :!: :?: I hadn't realized that it has been that long since my first run of these. :shock: I have obligated myself to a couple of new windshields at my old price, no matter what this run cost ( and I will cutting them from my existing inventory of glass, anyhow).

I am also surpsised by the lack of knowledge on autoglass laws, by some autoglass shops :roll: . The DOT standards are what is required for all 50 states, but some states/law enforcement agencies do not enforce some some portions of the law...namely tinting UPON the glass is illegal on the windshield and front door glasses.

I wonder if Wisconsin DMV would accept a Pinz with my DOT approved glass ? :lol:

Dave

btw, I still have a few sets of tinted door glass for Ms and Ks

Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:23 pm
by David Dunn
Well, I got my new quote on tinted windshields for the 710/12s.... price went up about 11%, but it is still less than half the price mentioned above.
I'll post new prices in the classified section.

Dave