Mounting windshield glass on or off vehicle???

[dougkirkbride]

Has anyone experienced any issues with mounting the windshield glass in the frame with the frame off the car? I took the frame and glass to my glass guy yesterday and he must have been clamping it up today, he called and thinks that the frame needs to be mounted on the car when the glass is mounted. he thinks that the glass will break if he mounts it in the frame with the frame off the car and then I go bolt the frame with glass mounted in it to the car. he said the metal mounts bend in when they suck the top of the window to the frame with clamps.

Has anyone had there glass break doing it this way?

has anyone mounted the glass to the frame off the car and then mount the frame to the car?? any problems?

To me it seems everything is flexible enough that the glass shouldn't be under that much stress. The frame will flex in the same places it would if it was mounted to the car.

[Pearldrummer7]

I mounted it then gad the guys come over and install the glass. Then I put a 2x4 under it to support the weight while it dried, though looking back I'm not sure it's necessary.

[STiPWRD]

I took my glass and frame to a glass shop and had them install it off the car. I then mounted it to the car with no problems. BUT, I made certain that there were very small gaps from frame to glass before I took it in to get bonded. Initially, I had a big gap at the top center and no gaps at the top corners so I rested the glass on the frame (with weights at the corners) and supported at the center for at least a month until the frame settled and eliminated the center gap.

[idf]

I had mine mounted off the car. Didn't take any special precautions and didn't have any problems. Dumb luck?

[dougkirkbride]

Thanks All,
If it worked for 2 it will work for all :) I gave them the green light to go ahead and do it off the car, I will let you know the outcome...........

[AZPete]

I had mine done off the car by Safelite and I've had the windshield off and on at least 6 times.

[Buzz Skyline]

Seems like it would be kind of a pain to reach some things if you have the glass in place too soon. If it's not one of the last things you do, the risk of breakage goes way up too. Just a couple thoughts.

[dougkirkbride]

all,
thanks for the input, I had it done off the car and got it back on the car in the exact spot the roll pins were when I had just the frame on the car. it did take a lot of muscle to get it there, (my glass guy put a strap around the metal tangs that bolt to the car so he could pull the top into the glass) so he changed the form of the frame some, but not to much that I couldn't "adjust" it back with out breaking the glass.