DIY Car Glass Replacement

• August 8, 2018
• By: Admin

We live in an age where everyone, through the ease of access to information and social mediaplatforms like Google and YouTube, feels qualified to tackle may tasks, without having to go through traditional forms of qualification to do them. If you are such a person and recently had a shattering encounter with a car glass window, here are three ways you can Do It Yourself!

Step 1: Clean Up

Unlike plate glass, car glass is tempered, or heat treated, so it’s very hard, but when stressed past its breaking point it fails uniformly and catastrophically. This results in small pieces that won’t cause grievous harm to passengers, but the debris gets everywhere and can result in tiny, annoying cuts. Grab a powerful shop vacuum and clean the seats, doors, dash, carpet, and center console. Do the entire interior even if it doesn’t seem necessary; glass will be in places that don’t make any sense – ensure to wear safety glasses and good work gloves.

Step 2: Source Parts

If you drive a luxury vehicle, new glass is expensive and hard to find. Mass-market cars have more affordable and readily available parts. Most auto dealers will refer you to a glass specialist for brand-new parts, but if you can locate used glass, the savings can be significant. Hunt through nearby junkyards to find parts for common vehicles at steep discounts.

Step 3: Remove and Replace

Remove the inner door panel, there should be a plastic vapor-barrier  sheet- peel it back carefully as you will need to reinstall it later. Raise or lower the window-height-regulator mechanism to its service position – a height where the bolts or screws holding the glass remnants to the regulator align with access holes stamped in the steel. Vacuum broken glass from the door cavity- this will avoid rattles later.

Next, remove the seal at the bottom of the window to open up the slot the glass panel needs to fit through. Finally, free one of the window tracks for fore-and-aft play that will make the install easier. These tracks guide the panel’s path and are bolted along the bottom of the door.

Wriggling the new glass into place is tricky. Drop the shorter side in first at a near-90-degree angle and try to catch the long side of the glass in its track, then rotate the short side up. After a few tries the glass will slip into place. Attach the glass panel to the regulator (ask a friend for help) and bolt the window track down, then run the new glass up and down to ensure that the motion is satisfactory. The remainder of the work is to put the door together in reverse order.

If you decide that the task is too much to handle, feel free to contact a professional. Call us for all Car Glass Replacement needs – we are always ready to serve you!