Cracked windshield

[Eespensen]

Driving today with my daughter, cruising on nice road, I watched a crack start at the lower middle of the windshield and streak to the left side within a second, no rocks, no stress, etc.
Thoughts? 400 miles on the car.
Lexan or FF5 replacement?

[alv69]

I went with the lexan, just wish they had a tinted lexan windshield.

[walt mckenna]

Fast Eddies lexan. Fairly priced. Perfect fit. Once and done.

[frankb]

Not to knock Fast Freddies, but there are several threads on this and the other forum detailing how to cut and install your own lexan...

[DaveS53]

Tinted windshields are illegal in most states.

[Driver_WT]

You may want to try these guys http://www.opticarmorwindows.com/ for Lexan windshield.

[Eespensen]

Jay from Factory Five responded quickly and Dave explained this is uncommon but FF5 is willing to replace the windshield for 50%.
They did question how it was installed and I explained Ken Pike installed it when he installed my body.
I'll go with glass this time but when it happens again, Lexan will be my chosen path.
Thanks for the responses and ideas. Fast Freddies is out of stock at this time FYI

[Joel Hauser]

I cracked my windshield when installing those darn visor screws! I thought I was being very careful, but obviously not careful enough.

As for the Lexan windshields, I don't believe they have an SAE approved emblem. In NYS I believe I had to submit a picture of the windshield and the SAE approved emblem to DMV before I could go through the safety inspection and registration process. I guess if your car is already registered, it probably isn't a problem as I doubt any gas station/inspection station would notice the missing emblem. But using a lexan windshield has that risk.

[edwardb]

Tinted windshields are illegal in most states.

Most if not all windshields are tinted from the factory. Pretty light, typically, but often with a darker band across the top. I assume you mean aftermarket tinting. There states do have specific guidelines.

[alv69]

Most if not all windshields are tinted from the factory. Pretty light, typically, but often with a darker band across the top. I assume you mean aftermarket tinting. There states do have specific guidelines.

no I am talking about the factory tint.

[edwardb]

no I am talking about the factory tint.

Right. Understood. I was responding to the comment quoted in my post.

[AC Bill]

Jay from Factory Five responded quickly and Dave explained this is uncommon but FF5 is willing to replace the windshield for 50%.
They did question how it was installed and I explained Ken Pike installed it when he installed my body.

Only 50%? Shouldn't it be 100%, under warranty. Especially considering it was installed by a pro like Ken Pike. Even then, FFR has no precautionary instructions regarding installation steps, for the windshield, that if not followed, would make it unwarrantable. So even a owner/builder installed windshield, should be covered.
The only precautions I have ever seen, are the ones that builders have offered here, and on the other builders forum. IE; shimming the posts, and re the WS post and visor screws issues. The windshields have other inherent flaws, that even the precautions won't fix, as indicated by the fact that by now, possibly hundreds have cracked exactly as yours did.

[Walt]

I had the first ffr windshield break sitting in the garage with no miles on it, ffr replaced it for 50% off ,then i broke the new one after it was installed drilling for the dash mirror, so then i ordered the one from ********** and now have 7k miles on it with no problem, you also need to watch the angle on your uprites i had to bent them to match the windshield frome and where they bolt to the frame under the body.
I had to twist them where they come thru the body.
Walt

[mcwho]

Mine Cracked this past weekend in the Garage. I pulled the car out of the garage on Sunday, and after getting into the sunlight I noticed a crack in the pass side center going up about 6". No rock chips or anything. It cracked while sitting in the garage. The body was put on in sept 2018, and have just over 1000 miles in it.

Guess I'll see if the offer form Dave is still available.

Bob

[Jeff Kleiner]

Well Ron, I guess it's time for the shim lecture again. You want to do it this time or shall I? ;)

Jeff

[Gordon Levy]

If you get a replacement glass, wander up and I can install it in about 20 minutes

[GoDadGo]

Well Ron, I guess it's time for the shim lecture again. You want to do it this time or shall I? ;)

Jeff

Jeffski,

Thanks For All The Help & The Help & The Help!

https://youtu.be/uLmHEoWTEHg

.I just hope I did my shimming up to your standards.

Steve

[michael everson]

I am now selling easy to install shims to help with this problem. Not on my web site yet but soon.
See this thread

https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?31211-New-product-at-www-replicapart-com&p=356124#post356124
Mike

[OVCobra]

Like many, I too suffered a cracked windshield more than a year after putting mine on the road. Was away for about a month with car in garage with a cover on it, when i pulled the cover off the windshield was cracked on the left side. Thought I had been careful about strut screw length but clearly missed the boat.

FFR had no windshields available so only quick option was a lexan unit from Fast Freddies. Unit fit well and have had no issues since installing.

Lexan is softer than glass so need to be careful about scratching it, removing bugs with glass cleaner and microfibre clothes seem to work well. While not technically "legal", I would much rather be sitting behind it than the fragile FFR glass unit.

Dave

[FFinisher]

Well Ron, I guess it's time for the shim lecture again. You want to do it this time or shall I? ;)

Jeff


No lecture. I am tired.

Just get these and stop worrying about the visor and wind wing screws... That's not the problem!!!!

Glass does not take to bending well .... over time it cracks.



https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...124#post356124

[Packer fan]

Does Lexan like rainex?

[CraigS]

I will take a shot at a procedure. This can easily be a 3+ hour job so allot the time beforehand so you don't feel rushed. The mounting plates on the frame are parallel w/ the main frame looking down from the top and are also vertical to the frame so what you are going for is that the bottom ends of the brackets are that way too. Screw them to the w/s and lay it level on a table front side up. Let the ends hang over. look at the bottom portion of the brackets. They need to be twisted so the surface is vertical to the floor. The twist needs to happen just below the bottom of the w/s frame so it is hidden inside the body. I use a large adjustable wrench snugged against the bottom of the w/s frame since it's smooth jaws won't scratch the chrome. Actually I usually take the brackets off the w/s for the initial bend/bends to be sure not to put any pressure on the glass. The bottom of the brackets also need a bend to make them parallel to each other in a top view. It's all a guess, how much to twist/bend and then re-install to see if you were right or need more adjustment. Once there (you shortened the one per the manual right?) slip it into the slots. The brackets end up being wider apart than the frame mounts so will need spacers like Mikes or fender washers. Some people will tap the holes in the w/s brackets so the bolts can be threaded into them or I usually use plain non-locking nuts so I can run them on by hand and only need 1-2 turns w/ a wrench. You can only get maybe two washers on the driver side because there is a square tube there coming in at a diagonal just in front of the bracket so no more will fit. You will have the w/s in/out a lot so sneak up on widening the holes in the body. It is easy to go too far and the trim pieces don't cover it. Check the dimension in the book that determines how laid back the w/s is and measure every time. On the psgr side you may need 3-4 washers/shims. Your goal is a w/s sitting in the car w/ absolutely no stress on it. One other thing. The w/s frame likes to sit on the body at the lower outer points. So tape something about 3/16" thick to the body to space it up a bit. As I get closer to the final install, when tightening the bolts, I watch the bracket in relation to the hole in the body. If it moves at all, I know I need more shims or more bend/twist. Hint, if you tighten down the driver side bolts and then tighten the psgr bolts, you stressed the w/s. It is leaning back so w/ the driver side tight, gravity is going to lean the psgr side back a little bit further. So if you tighten the bolts, you just installed it w/ a slight overall twist. On your final install, either w/ a threaded bracket or w/ my regular nuts, just run an extra nut on each bolt as a jam nut. Good luck

[OVCobra]

No problem using Rainex on lexan, actually helps reduce "adhesion" of bugs and other debris.

[AC Bill]

Have FFR build instructions been updated, re using shims when installing the windshields yet? If so, do they now include shims in the new kits?

If this is the "conclusive solution", to the cracked glass curse that FFR owners have suffered with for a decade, isn't it about time they did?

[swwebb]

Does Lexan like rainex?

You need to use the Rainex for Plastic, not the regular Rainex.

[michael everson]

I have installed many of these with no stress and have still had them crack. 2 to date. One was an old Mark 3 and one was a older mark 4

Mike

[swwebb]

You also shouldn't clean a Lexan windshield with Windex - use 409 instead.

[Boydster]

There's lots of products out there for aircraft plexi / plastic windshields. Some are cleaners, polishes or pretreaters. I would think any of them would be more than safe for this purpose.

[AC Bill]

I have installed many of these with no stress and have still had them crack. 2 to date. One was an old Mark 3 and one was a older mark 4
Mike

Chinese quality..:(