Auto Glass facts that could save your life.

  

 Email Article  

Tweet  

  

Auto Glass facts and YOUR safety

As collision repairers in Tucson and in Green Valley, we replace a LOT of auto glass. Whether it is windshields, door glass or rear glass, a lot of collision repair involves glass replacement.

What most people don’t realize is how important proper auto glass repair or replacement is to YOUR vehicle and most importantly YOUR safety.

First off all your windshield is a major structural component to your roof. In fact it can provide as much as 60% of the roof crush strength in a roll over situation. Without an OEM grade replacement, or even a cracked or damaged windshield, that roll over protection could be severely compromised.

Why is that? In the 1960’s cars started moving towards a frame-less “unibody” design. What that means is the car’s body is as much structural as it is aesthetic. As such all components such as the rocker panels, door jambs and the windshield pillars and roof are all working together as a whole. Any compromised part of this system can cause a failure in a collision.

If your windshield is cracked- GET IT REPLACED. In fact auto glass replacement is so important that many insurance companies cover glass replacement with no deductible. Check with your insurance provider to see what your coverages are.

Repair the stone chips as soon as possible. Stone chips  or “stars” are those small cracks that show up after a stone has hit your windshield. As with the cracked windshields, these are an invitation for failure.

The modern repair equipment and resins can fix most of these chips and stars and therefore restoring the structural integrity of your windshield.

The side and door glass is made differently than the front windshield. It is what is known as tempered glass and believe it or not is actually made to shatter into a million small pieces upon impact.

Because the structural windshield is laminated and is structural, it takes longer to cut you out if it in the event of a bad collision where extrication is necessary. Your side glass is designed to be kicked out or shattered by a rescuer. However we have seen some new vehicles with laminated side glass as well.

Windshield adhesive is an overlooked but equally important aspect of your safety. The glue that bonds your windshield is actually designed to hold in place in the even that you get into an accident and are not wearing your seat belt.

Modern windshield adhesives hold at over 500 Psi . This is a replacement over te old butyl adhesives which only held at 50 PSI. If you choose to have your vehicle repaired at a shop other than O’Rielly Collision Centers, when you have your windshield replaced by the Auto Glass Expert make sure he uses Automotive Urethane. Today there is NO SUBSTITUTE!!!

Another worry that customers have about replacing their windshield is breaking the original factory seal because they fear the new one will never seal properly and will leak. Your installer will have to cut out your old damaged factory installed windshield. if properly installed the new seal is just as good as the one done at the factory. Again he must use OEM approved Urethane, and primers and must have the pinch weld free of dirt and solvents.