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windshield swap on 89 XJ

CBB311

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lawrence, Kansas
hey guys ive got an 89 xj that i bought a while back for 800 bucks, something i could toy around with that didnt cost too much. one thing that is wrong with it that i just cant get past is an almost destroyed windshield. has anyone done windshield replacement? and if so, how tough is it and once i find one what other supplies should i need? or is this one of those things i should just pay to have done? thanks in advance
 
You cant do it.. trust me. Pay to have it done.
Call safelite. They come to your house, work, whereever. They do it in the parking lot. Probably a couple hundered bucks. Im not even sure the windshields are avail at retail level
 
A body guy told me IF i could get it sealed I'd never get the trim back on. I took his word for it
 
I checked with our local company "The Windshield Shop" here in Wichita today actually cause mine leaks bad. My XJ is a '95 Sport and they quoted me $115 installed for a NEW windshield. Lawrence prices shouldn't be much different. At that price just get the new stuff, you can't go wrong and it's always nice to be able to yell at someone else if it's installed wrong instead of smacking yourself in the head...
 
It's really not that hard to replace that windshield. I do a lot of glass work for a few body shops and I can't get the glass and materials for much less then that. For that price I would jump on it.
 
It would be much cheaper to have someone else doit then to get the tools to do it on your own, altho i must say it is possible to do it yourself... if you can teach an 18 yr old to doit in 45 minutes in a day anyone can do it.
 
just kick the broken SOB out of there and get a set of $5 goggle and roll with it.......JUST KIDDING! My Dad has been in the glass business for over 40 years and trust me, it is just as easy to pay to have it done and for what your time is worth as well as materials, it is usually cheaper to have a shop do it and have it done right. That is my $.02
 
:lecture:Watch and learn. Pay someone to do it & pay attention. If you have mechanical skills once you see it done it's relatively easy. Your earlier XJ has metal moldings held on by clips, so they go right on, unlike the later models with the black rubber moldings. Glass guys are usually pretty good about sharing their knowledge.
 
Its probably easy, once you know how and have the tools.
To me its the fact that its a big relitivley heavy piece of GLASS that puts up with 60 and 70 MPH winds, water, snow, all of that, and i would rather leave that to a professional. I dont want my installation to fail literally right in front of my face, you know? Mabye im a little over cautious about it, but thats just me.

For $115 Id hire them, thats cheap as can be. Even labor charges generally cost 60-90 bucks an hour with most repairs. I had a drivers door window replaced that cost more than that. Good deal.
 
You don't need any special tools to get the old busted glass out, but it does make the job easier and a whole lot neater. So if you want to kick that thing out.Get yourself a sharp chisel and scrape the old butyl tape off the pinch weld. You can get a new windshield from a glass shop or go to the junk yard and get a used one, they will take it out for you. Get your self a roll of butyl tape I would use 7/16 (from a glass shop) you should also get some glass primer for the windshield and some metal primer for the pinch weld, these will help with adhesion to both. Put the glass primer on the glass, when it's dry put the tape on the windshield. Put the metal primer on the pinch weld and let it dry. You will also need some rubber blocks to set the ws on in the opening, you can reuse the originals. Set the WS in the opening making sure it is centered, it is a good idea to have a friend help you if you are not familiar with working with glass. When you get it in push down on it gently.Then you have to seal the top and maybe 8 to 10 inches down the sides. Finally reinstall the WS trim That I forgot to tell you to carefully take off with the aid of a molding release tool that cost about 15 dollars.

It really isn't that hard of a job. The primers come in cans with a brush in the cap. they will cost you about 15 to 20 dollars. The tape is about 12 to 15 dollars. A windshield knife is about 20 dollars. A release tool is 15 dollars. The WS can be as cheap as 20 for a used one, maybe 90 for a new one. Learning how to do something new PRICELESS. (I just had to throw that in). Good luck!
 
Use a stiff putty knife & WD40 to cut the old windshield out. This is a trick a glass guy taught me, some of the shared knowledge I mentioned in my previous post. Also it's easier on a warm day, or in a heated garage. When they went to the rubber molding they started using urethane to install windshields, but your older rig does use the butyl ribbon kit. Xrays post is excellent advice, obviously he's been there, done that.
 
Question about the different trim styles if anybody knows... The old-style clip-on has posts around the window frame for the clips. Does the new-style rubber trim also use those posts, or do they need to be cut off with a Dremel to have a smooth surface? I pulled trim from a junkyard for use when I reassemble my body but I didn't see any posts

Thanks
 
Question about the different trim styles if anybody knows... The old-style clip-on has posts around the window frame for the clips. Does the new-style rubber trim also use those posts, or do they need to be cut off with a Dremel to have a smooth surface? I pulled trim from a junkyard for use when I reassemble my body but I didn't see any posts

Thanks

I was wondering the same thing. I want to use the new style trim over the crappy metal.
 
I checked with our local company "The Windshield Shop" here in Wichita today actually cause mine leaks bad. My XJ is a '95 Sport and they quoted me $115 installed for a NEW windshield. Lawrence prices shouldn't be much different. At that price just get the new stuff, you can't go wrong and it's always nice to be able to yell at someone else if it's installed wrong instead of smacking yourself in the head...

Fixing a leaky WS is not that big of a deal, unless the pinch weld is rusted. If is is rusted replacing the glass won't help unless you repair the cancer. You can seal it without taking the glass out but you have to take the trim off. A molding release tool is cheap and will most likely come in handy in the future. Besides it's always cool to get new tools. Don't use any sort of silicone to seal it. A caulk gun size tube of glass sealer should be less than $10 and will seal 2 or 3 windshields. You will not have a problem taking the trim off in the future as long as you don't over do it. You only need enough sealer to fill the space between the glass and the pinch weld. The windshield area at the bottom is sometimes the problem area because dirt gathers there and gets wet and wont dry quickly there fore causing rust.

That is a great price for an installed windshield. I looked up my cost for a XJ WS and it was $76 picked up and delivered was $96. The mark up on glass is pretty high so I know that larger glass companies get them at a considerably lower price that might be the reason for that they can do it that cheap. Did they say that is for a new or used piece of glass? I charge between $75 and $150 to install a windshield depending on who I do it for.

You can remove the glass without breaking it by using a wire that you slip through the tape and cut through it with a sawing motion. Be very careful and try not to contact the glass with any metal tools. Glass does get brittle with age and being laminated it tends to crack easy especially where it is curved.

You can get the molding release tool at most reputable auto parts stores. Good luck!
 
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last w/s i saw done on my moms camry the guy from safelite used like a putty knife on a sawsall to cut thru the old butyl neat tool, but no im not cheap enough to do this myself (and im pretty cheap) if i crack it i get to buy 2 w/s if they do its on them
 
You should grind off the nubs when you use the later molding. When you use the late style molding just install the whole thing with urethane, don't use the butyl tape. The urethane is needed to hold the molding on, so you use it for the whole install. This the way they do it at the factory & most glass shops. You need to use the butyl kit with the metal trim because urethane gums up the trim clips & posts.
 
Im about to get mine replaced by safelite.The website says they replace it with a windhshield that has a tint strip across the top, now the one i have now does not have one nor do I want one now.My question is , when you all had yours replaced did you get all clear glass or do you have that tint strip across the top.Thanks for any responses.
 
That tint strip is pretty much standard. I think i read that it is a safety standard.... i think. Ive had windshields replaced in other vehicles, they all came with the tint there,.
 
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