How to replace car glass

Tools and materials

Before you start replacing glass, you need to collect all the necessary tools and materials for cutting out the old glass and installing (gluing in) new glass.

A string for cutting glass and a knife for cleaning the landing site from glue residues;
Special adhesive-sealant for gluing glass on cars;
Mounting gun with which glue will be applied;
Activator-cleaner and primer-primer , to prepare the area before applying glue;
Masking or regular tape to secure the glass until the glue dries completely.

The right technology also requires a thermohydrometer to determine the exact temperature and humidity in the garage. It helps to correctly calculate the time until the adhesive sealant completely dries. The norm is +23°C at 50% humidity.

We will analyze the correct technology for replacing glass on a car, as is done in workshops, and then it’s up to you to decide whether to change it yourself or leave it in the hands of a specialist.

Choosing a new windshield

The choice of automotive glass must be approached extremely responsibly, because you can end up with defective products even from well-known manufacturers. It is worth remembering that the canvas can be damaged not only during the manufacturing process, but also during transportation, so visual inspection is mandatory. Inspect the product carefully; under no circumstances should there be any scratches, chips, or abrasions on it; also, good quality glass will never lead to image distortion. The edges can even be checked by touch; they should be smooth, and if you find at least one defect, it would be wiser to refuse the product.

In addition, absolutely all auto glass has markings in the corner, be sure to check it. It must indicate the homologation symbols, which are responsible for the compliance of the product with the standards, the date of production, the manufacturing plant and the type of glass. If there is no marking at all, or it arouses suspicion, then such a product is not worth buying; most likely, it is a fake. Don’t be shy, ask the sales consultant for a certificate, because you are purchasing a rather expensive item, and you probably don’t want to change it again in a few years.

How to choose the right windshield

In our country, due to objective factors, the windshield should be replaced once every few years. Moreover, this is necessary even if you have not been in an accident: over time, even whole glass becomes covered with a network of microcracks from falling grains of sand, and is also wiped down by wipers. Thus, installing a new windshield after several years of operation is the optimal solution.

Many people are interested in the question of how to choose the right windshield. Its service life is determined by the quality of its constituent elements, as well as whether the production technology has been violated. If glass gives you doubts, then before you buy it, think: you will pay about the same price as for a good one, but it will last you much less.

A distinctive feature of original auto glass from duplicates is their excellent quality and higher price. Original products are branded (OEM) and meet all manufacturer standards and technological requirements. The materials used to make such glass undergo testing and receive approval from all authorities.

If you decide to install a non-original windshield, then it is useful for you to know that such products can be of quite acceptable quality and often cost much less than their OEM counterparts. However, you need to understand that the reason for this is that ARG glass manufacturers do not adhere to strict standards and may also deviate from technological requirements. Often, inexpensive materials are used to produce duplicates.

When choosing a car windshield for subsequent installation, evaluate your budget: if you have the funds, we recommend purchasing the original. If you want to save money, pay attention to the products of the company that is engaged in the conveyor production of original glass. If your goal is to spend as little as possible, take a closer look at the large assortment of duplicates.

Glass dismantling

The first step is to gain access to cut out the old glass (remove the wipers, moldings and rubber seal).
If possible, cover areas of the interior trim with masking tape or dismantle individual trim elements in order to protect them from damage and contamination by glue. Also disconnect the wires if any (for example, rain sensor or heated parking wipers).
Thread a string for cutting glass and, together with an assistant, carefully cut the glass.
To remove old glass, it is recommended to use special suction cups, which can be used to easily dismantle it.

Basic steps when replacing glass on a car. Installation and dismantling of glass; removing old glue from the opening on the car body; preparing glass and applying glue.

Preparation and installation of a new stele on a car

After cutting the glass, to completely remove the old glue, you need to go through it with a knife. remove any remaining sealant as carefully as possible so as not to damage the paintwork or damage the plastic upholstery.
We degrease the glass installation area around the perimeter.
We apply the activator to the surface of the new glass along the perimeter at the place where the glue is applied (apply with a clean, lint-free cloth in one motion, without rubbing). Then, after a minute, remove the remaining activator with a dry cloth using the same method.
The next step in preparing glass for gluing is to apply a primer in the place where the glass adhesive-sealant will be applied, as well as on the edges of the glass. This is done to protect the glue from UV rays, since standard silk-screen printing may not cope with such protection well enough. The soil should dry for 15 minutes at a temperature of +23 degrees.
Turn the glass over to install the suction cups so that after applying the sealant it is convenient to install it on the car.
To improve adhesion and to avoid corrosion on the edges of the body where the glass is installed, experts also recommend treating it with a primer.
If the installation of glass also involves the presence of a rubber molding that is still in good condition, then before applying glue to the glass, clean it from dirt and dust, and after degreasing, install it in place and secure it with tape so that the glue does not squeeze the seal out during installation.
Having turned the glass back over, we install the glue can into a special gun and apply glue-sealant to the prepared surface of the glass without breaks and with a uniform ridge height (some craftsmen apply glue not to the glass, but to the body at the installation site).
Holding the suction cup handles, we install the glass into the opening . The insertion is carried out as carefully as possible; the process must occur without shocks or displacements while simultaneously controlling the placement of the rubber molding.
Using light pressure, press the glass along the entire perimeter of the car opening. Then secure it with safety tape. If the sealant has come out in some places, do not rush to remove it, you need to wait for polymerization. Before installing the glass, it is recommended to lower the side windows to avoid air impact when closing the door. Now all that remains is to wait 7-10 hours until the glue dries . During this period, it is prohibited to slam the door or touch the glass. Create all the conditions for proper drying of the sealant specified in the instructions for it. At this point, replacing the glass on the car is considered complete; all that remains is to remove the tape and check the quality of the work done by spilling plenty of water.

All work must be done with nitrile gloves.

When a chip or crack in the glass cannot be repaired, it is then that the glass on your car needs to be replaced. And although the whole process does not look very difficult, failure to follow all the rules and technologies when gluing in new glass can result in, at a minimum, falling out on the first bump or behind a hot interior after rain, not to mention the situation in the event of an accident.

How to change With partial or complete removal of old glue

The glued glass can be replaced with complete removal of the old adhesive composition, or part of the old adhesive remains not removed. If the remnants of the old adhesive are polyurethane and adhere well, then this can serve as a good base for a new adhesive.

Remaining sealant can be left in the opening before installing new glass when:

These are the remains of polyurethane sealant.
The leftovers hold up well.
There are no traces of corrosion in the opening where the glass will be installed.
No significant damage occurred during the dismantling procedure.

In other cases, it is necessary to completely remove the remnants of the old sealant and, if necessary, remove corrosion and protect damaged areas from rust.

Before installing new glass, if there is any doubt that it was not glued with polyurethane sealant (maybe silicone), then all residues remaining after the cut should be removed, as they will impair the adhesion of the polyurethane sealant used to install the new glass. Places where bare metal appears after cleaning must be treated with a special primer.

How can you tell if the cut-off sealant residue is polyurethane?

Press very firmly with your fingernail onto the remaining sealant.
If it is polyurethane, then there should be no trace (depression) in the material.
If it is silicone, then under pressure this material is easily deformed right up to the opening.
Another way to determine the material is to cut a long strip and stretch it.
If it is polyurethane, then significant force will be required to stretch and tear the strip.
If it is silicone, then the strip will easily stretch over a long distance.

What is required to replace a windshield?

First of all, of course, the windshield itself. Preferably new. In our case, there is no point in saving after a while. Do not repeat this procedure again - replacing the car windshield.

By the way, it is important when purchasing a new windshield to make sure that the light transmittance of the new glass complies with the specifications. And be sure to check the quality of the glass surface for cracks and chips, so that you don’t have to deal with additional repairs of chips.

Included with the windshield, buy a molding (capsule) for the windshield. Don't try to use an old elastic band, no matter how good it looks. Standard set of tools and materials for replacing glass on a car:

a knife or cut string to remove the windshield from its seat;
a construction knife, which you will use to clean the groove from traces of old sealant;
mounting “gun” for applying sealant;
activator - applied in the groove to the remains of the old sealant layer;
primer - it serves to prepare the groove before applying sealant;
surface degreasing liquid;
sealant - specifically for installing car glass. Typically, replacing a car windshield requires one tube of sealant;
You will need tape to secure the windshield after installation, until the sealant has completely dried.

Installation of windshields: procedure and main nuances

Issues discussed in the material:

One of the most vulnerable parts of a car is the windshield. If it is damaged, the driver’s visibility sharply deteriorates; when driving in the evening or at night, the eyes become more tired, which means it becomes more difficult to correctly assess the situation on the road, and the reaction slows down. For this reason, glass should be replaced periodically. Our article describes in detail how windshields are installed.