Anyone ever replaced the windshield themselves?

Alright, I tried searching, but I got only a couple hits on "windshield", none of which had anything to do with actually replacing it, so go easy on me.

Anyway, on to the topic. My XJ has a newly acquired set of circular cracks in the windshield (think baseball) due to a friend deciding he was going to head-butt it while sitting in the passenger seat (yeah... WTF is exactly the same thing I said). Anyway, he is going to pay to have the windshield replaced, so I'm looking for advice here. My dad and my brother both have experience setting windshields, once in a 79 chevy van, once in an older porsche and once in a 61 ford P/U, and both said they thought if it wasn't much different than these vehicles that they could help me replace the cherokee windshield. If I do it myself, I can pocket the rest of the money that it would've cost to have it replaced professionally.

So, I'm going to call around to some wrecking yards and see how much a replacement will cost, but I want to post up here and see if anyone has any experience in this area. Are there any gotchas that are different than a standard windshield that I should be aware of? How do I go about getting the chrome trim off from around the outer edge of the windshield? Anyone ever successfully done this before?

If he's paying to replace it, why not take it to a windshield shop and get it replaced? Many of them have warranties on the windshield as well and will fill/patch minor rock hits. Note that's not rock-heads...your friend is on his own there.

Yucca-Man said:

If he's paying to replace it, why not take it to a windshield shop and get it replaced? Many of them have warranties on the windshield as well and will fill/patch minor rock hits. Note that's not rock-heads...your friend is on his own there.

Click to expand...

Because, he's paying to replace it, at a windshield shop. If I can replace it myself I can pocket the leftover and put it to my "more lift" fund. Anyway, I wouldn't so much consider him a real good friend anyway, just an aquaintance (one that will never be riding in my jeep again, that's for sure).

i think the XJ windshield is glued in so you have a really hard time getting the replacement out with out breaking it, call and ask a local shop how it is done and if it can be done by you.

I picked up a rock chip/crack last fall on the way back from Moab, and had the windshield professionally replaced.

It took 2 guys about 20 minutes to replace the windshield, and more than a full tube of black glue or caulk to set the new one. They were also very careful to get the new windshield set squarely on the first try, I got the distinct impression that they basically got one chance to get it set right.

Bottom line is that I wouldn't even consider replacing it myself.

One other thing....... due to the fact that the windshield is pretty securely glued in, I'll be somewhat surprised if you can get a windshield for an XJ out of a junkyard in 1 piece.

I've always been one of those who tend to replace broken stuff with better stuff. One of the windshield threads had a place that has some kind of really tough w/s that caught my interest. Price was very reasonable and it was not a totally lexan w/s either. Maybe someone has the link w/o having to search for it.

I replaced mine, it wasn't to bad. removing the old one was easy, kicked it out after I rolled it. As far as getting the one out of the donor rig I used a guitar string. It took 2 of us one inside one out. As you pull the guitar string back and forth make sure to keep it angled away from the windshield because it will take small chips out of it. Putting it in was easy. Lay down a bead of the... I don't remeber what the caulking was called I had to get it from a windshield place. The one thing I think I did wrong was not using enough caulking. I ended up getting cracks on the outer edge of the winshield. I think because of body flex and not enough caulking to insulate the windshield.
I hope that makes since and helps.
Chadc

I have done it on a couple of vehicles, and Eagle and I have labored together to remove one from a parts car. Very sweaty work, and if the windshield was properly installed, you certainly cannot just kick it out. ChadC's windshield, if he kicked it out, cannot have been properly glued in!

I did replace one on my 87 once, and it was not exceptionally hard to do, but it was tedious and messy, and hard to get sealed completely. It also didn't last very long, and cracked when the weather got cold. This is a pretty common problem, so I am not sure whether or not it was due to my installation, but it didn't last long, and of course I had no warrantee.

Setting a glued-in windshield is not at all like setting a gasketed windshield like the old Porsche, etc. That was a piece of cake - a little talc, 15 feet of string, maybe a second set of hands to keep it in place while you pull, no worries. If you ever break your XJ rear hatch glass, you'll see what I mean - it takes about 30 seconds to do the job.

If you have the older style XJ with metal windshield trim, that also is a real PIA to get out intact and to get back in. You might find yourself having to procure new plastic clips. If you have the newer style, make sure that either the replacement windshield has the gasket, or that you save the gasket from your old one.

I would go to a windshield shop and have it done right, for a couple of reasons. First, it will be hard to find a used windshield that has no nicks and pits in it. Second, it's not all that cheap to do it right. By the time you've gotten a replacement windshield, either paying to have it removed or removing it yourself, and bought the correct mounting adhesive plus sealant, you're not that far from the cost of a new one, and you've burned up a lot of time and energy. Third, remember that in a unibody vehicle like the XJ, the windshield is a structural element, and in any vehicle, its integrity is a safety issue. You need to be careful and not take shortcuts if you do it yourself.

This is not to discourage you from doing it if you just want to do it. It can be done, it's satisfying when done right, and if you enjoy doing stuff like that, go for it. But expect some challenge.

Aside from that, I don't know what sort of friend this friend of yours is, but if he is offering to pay the cost of a replacement in good faith, I think you should get the best reasonable deal in good faith and not use it as an opportunity for extra cash.

i had to replace a windshield on my 90xj it was $150 cash at the local windshield place for a oem windshield installed. so i would just call around and see who is cheepist telling them its cash gets you a really good deal.

My last windshield ran me $130 installed here in Colorado from Elite Auto Glass. It takes a caulking tube of special adhesive to hold it in and that adhesive runs me about $20 at the auto paint store. I figured that it wasn't worth the hassle to do it myself. As for removing a windshield, a piece of piano wire fashioned like a garat (sp) is the easy to remove it.

matthew, the windshield I kicked out was the factory one, but as I said it was after it was rolled, roof was crushed, as was the windshield. might be the easiest way to get em out.

Alright, sounds like from what you guys say I'm going to just have it done. Not worth the hassle if it's going to be significantly harder and not so significantly less expensive. It'll be nice to have a warranty as well in case something goes wrong. I'll just shop around and find a good deal locally and tell my him to pay me for that.

If your rig has the chrome trim around the windshield then it is glued in. The piano wire works but the actual tool for cutting the adhesive is better and can be used by one person. I bought mine at a local auto parts store. Anyway I learned that the old glue in style can be direct replaced with the newer style that is a one piece seal and trim (they used it on the newer XJs). I would recommend taking it to a shop and have the newer style installed. It is a direct replacement and fit.

Had a dude come replace mine (on a 1993). Took him under 20 mins by himself to pull and replace it. It did take 2 or 3 tubes of the caulk/sealant. Total cost was under $150.

Sarge