glass install

I recently mixed it up with a tree while out on the trail and proved my theory that glass is not very flexible... http://evilallianceracing.com/ipw-web/gallery/albums/album57/100_0447.sized.jpg Anyway, I'm headin' to the yard this afternoon for a new window and was wondering what the easiest way to put it in. Put the gasket in first and pop the glass into it, or put the glass in the gasket and pop it in that way? I know I have to straighten out the pinch weld first and don't really care about the dents. Any advice would be great!

I think you need to do the string trick with that...

depends on what glass but if its a side glass or rear glass just put the gasket on the glass put small rope (small in diameter,so to fit in the area where the body goes) around the gasket where it attaches to the body get some soap and water in a spray bottle and soap the gasket. place the glass next to where it belongs the opening have someone pull the rope from the inside while appling some pressure (open hand against the glass) and the rope should guide the gasket in pm with ?s

As above. Rope of about 3/16 or 1/4 inch should work pretty well. Put the gasket on the glass, and put the rope into the groove of the gasket. The rope should be long enough that both ends cross. It helps if you have the crossing near a corner. Now when the outside person holds the gasketed glass against the hole, the inside person carefully pulls on the rope, using it to lift the inside edge of the gasket over the lip of the body. If done right it will zip right on. You can do a hatch single-handed with the glass simply lying on the open hatch.

riverfever said:

Good explanation Matthew. I always wondered how it was done. Is there any need for any silicone or anything like that? Also...to get the donor glass out of its vehicle, do you just cut the seal? And...does this method work on front windshields too?

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a little silcone in the seal nevers hurts.

Donor vehicle...just push the glass out....it will pop out for the most part then just go around to the outside of it and take it off.

Windshield is a completely different beast.

Why? Because of the curve?

riverfever said:

Why? Because of the curve?

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The windshield is different because it is glued in with urethane, and the donor windshield, if you're fool enough to get a used one, must be sliced out with great skill and effort, or more of the latter to match the deficiency of the former, and the new windshield must be set in with the urethane adhesive.

The old fashioned gasketed windows are much easier to deal with. I haven't tried silicone when doing this, but a little talcum powder on the rope helps (I learned my mad window skillz in the 60's when silicone was not the common stuff it is now). Dish soap also works if you work quickly, but it gets stiff after a few minutes. There's a nice lubricant called "Ru-Glyde" which is used on tire beads, shock bushings, etc., but I don't know whether you can get it in quantities smaller than a gallon. Silicone lube should work pretty well, and silicone grease has a useful tendency to stop small leaks (great for those leaking vent window gaskets).

Whether the donor glass pops out depends a little on the vehicle. A Jeep window that hasn't been tampered with probably will come out easily, gasket and all, but you need to be careful not to push too hard on the glass. Some are tighter, though, and if someone has tried to seal leaks with some kind of goo, then you have a problem. If in doubt, I'd recycle the gasket from the broken vehicle and sacrifice the donor's gasket. You can just slice off the flange of the gasket with a utility knife and remove the glass without any stress.

riverfever said:

Good explanation Matthew. I always wondered how it was done.

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X2. I've read too many explanations online (many were large paragraphs) that didn't explain it that well. Thank you from me, too, Matthew.

sweet sounds good enough to me too! way easier than pickin at em with a pick and then having em leak in the car wash.

Thanx guy's. I used dish soap and water for lube, and some string. I took two tries and some finness, and it popped in. The sheet metal was pretty damaged thanx to Mr. Tree.(still pickin' glass outa his knob...) We straightened out the pinch weld with a cresent wrench and a hammer. Leaks just a little, but what the heck, it's better that a giant hole. Just another $16 tossed into the pot. I'll get a pic up in the AM. Thanx again!