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How To Replace A Car Windscreen?
It’s usually a bad idea to leave a cracked or damaged windscreen for too long because the damage could worsen and impact your safety when driving the vehicle. It’s strongly recommended that if you need a
replacement car windscreen that you let a professional handle the work.
With that said, it can be a job that you attempt yourself. You’ll need the right tools, such as suction pumps and primer for urethane, and a good understanding of glasswork. In this article, we’ll go over the steps that you can take to replace a car windscreen.
How To Replace A Car Windscreen
1. Remove the bonding
First thing you’ll have to do is remove the moulds and bonding of the existing windscreen. To do this, remove all mouldings from the bottom plenum chamber and wipers. Next, use a cold knife to cut any remaining urethane bonding from the windscreen. Then, use a BTB knife to cut through the lower portion of glass from the urethane from inside of the vehicle.
2. Remove the old windscreen
With all of the bonding removed, you can use a suction pump to carefully lift out the old windscreen. It’s a very heavy component and it requires at least two people to lift out. Once it’s removed, you can get to work removing any remaining urethan from the vehicle with a sharp knife. Remember to leave around 2 mm of urethane attached to the body of the car.
3. Prime the area
Clean the car's surface area and make sure there are no remnants of dust, dirt or grease. Apply a suitable primer and be mindful of covering any scratches or exposed metal surfaces to avoid rusting.
4. Apply urethane
With a large caulk gun, apply automotive urethane to the primed glass surface area. This should be done with extreme care to ensure that the beading is the same height as the windscreen. There should be no gaps.
5. Attach the new windscreen
Using the suction pump, attach the new windscreen to the car. Again, this is a two-person job because it’s heavy and you need to ensure it is placed correctly.
6. Secure the windscreen
When the windscreen has been placed, gently apply pressure to the windscreen and affix tape to seal and secure it. When this is done, you can fit the mouldings back around the wipers and plenum chamber. Wipe down the outside of the windscreen and keep the windows rolled down to ensure the primer dries out evenly.
Although it can be done, we highly advise using a professional service to replace a car windscreen. It ensures the job is done correctly so that when you drive the vehicle, it’s safe. If you require assistance with your windscreen, contact our experts at Roadrunner Windscreens on 0417 665 211.
