cracked 4runner windshield, need advice

Hey all,
I hate to post this amongst talk of quivers and bindings but I need some advice. I recently bought myself a '97 4runner to haul my broke a$$ to the hill. Now a crack has developed in the windshield. This crack started low on the passenger side and promptly ran all the way across to the driver's side. It is as annoying as hell but doesn't restrict my vision in any way. I was considering leaving it till the spring before I get it fixed in case I get hit with another rock (which is how I suspect this happened in the first place). Is this a bad idea? If it gets hit with another rock is it going to shatter or spiderweb? I would hate for this to happen as I bomb down the highway in the winter. Any help would be appreciated.

Praying for snow nightly

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Originally Posted by bennymac

I would hate for this to happen as I bomb down the highway in the winter. Any help would be appreciated.

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I think if you could not bomb, but drive at a reasonable pace, you should be ok.:fm:

On my 98 Taco, I have let a windshield slide for a couple months until the end of the season. The windshield not as strong but I would not think another small rock would cause it to fail completely.

One thing to think about is in some states you can get a ticket for having a cracked windshield.

BTW: One year deciding to wait paid off. Another rock the caused a crack before the end of the season. I replaced the windshield after the 2nd crack formed.

Most insurance companies will pay for a new one.

Since no other Alberta maggs have stepped up I will. Here where we put the rock in rockies when it comes to highway gravel the rarity is to see a vehicle WITHOUT a cracked windshield. Most delete drivers glass insurance as it is so expensive it's cheaper to self insure and just replace it every couple of years.

Currently I have 2 big wallops that occured the same day 6 kms apart with no one driving in front of me. They are from last year. I will replace the glass this spring. The crack will not weaken the windshield for any other hits. (It can have an impact on structural integrity in a rollover though.

Do it in the spring. Nothing worse then a new windshield cracking within weeks. I know I've been there and that one happened in June.

The glass is a laminate -- two pieces of glass with a sheet of plastic in the middle. So it'll stay together. There's no rush to change it.

I have a full length horizontal crack in my windshield...with a few other divots....going on my second season.....No real worries.......With yearly inspections in NY it's a pain....but I always find someone who doesn't notice..:fm:

I can relate. I had a rock ding on the passenger side. While heading down to Mammoth, I noticed the outside temp was 13 F. The windshield starting fogging, so I turned on the defrost. I heard a weird noise and didn't realize til later my almost new windshield cracked all the way across. I ain't fixing shit. That damn jeep has 254K on it and I bet the glass holds longer than most of the rest of it.

Sorry L7 I was watching Holmes on Homes.

I have had cracks in every windshield I have ever owned (never bought a new car). You will be fine, I currently have a crack that goes from one side to the other,two coming down from the top ( one on each side) and about three random chips. I will probably fix it in the spring or get a new vehicle. It was nearly this bad when I got it and it passed inspection easily, not in my line of vision. Wait because you will take a rock this winter.

Do none of you guys have insurance??

L7, i'll jump in, i will not change a windhield between October-May because of the amount gravel they put on the roads in Alberta and the fact that the moron truck driver refuse to tarp their loads it a 180$ cost of doing business every year and this last year was the best yet...

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Originally Posted by L7

(It can have an impact on structural integrity in a rollover though.

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I hope not

also front window shield auto glass will not shatter, even if a rock hits you and it breaks at highway speed. Once drove a saturn 150miles at 80mph with the passenger side window crushed in, no problem.

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Originally Posted by P_McPoser

Do none of you guys have insurance??

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Haven't you ever heard of a deductible? Not to mention if you're trying to save money you probably don't have comprehensive coverage on an older vehicle.

I had a car with a crack all the way across and I drove it for years like that. No big deal. I will admit when I sold the car I had a new windshield put in and I was surprised that it wasn't really that expensive. Shop around for the best price.

Maybe not an issue for you but the airbags use the windshield as a brace if they deploy so in the event you develope mutiple cracks it may be wise to replace your glass. One other thing to look for is many windshield replacement companys offer used w/shields as well as new, we get ours replaced for about $125 on average with good used glass.

also repping Alberta. All my cars and trucks have had huge cracks running across the windshields. Along with what looks like bomb craters from big rocks that haven't spread yet. The only ones who get glass coverage here are from out of province.

There is some stuff (lthis is one type, not sure if it's the best type) that you can put into rock dings and which is supposed to keep the dings from turning into cracks. How well it works I don't know, but for $12.99 you can't go too far wrong.

Dime sized crack in MA and you get a free new windshield if you have comprehensive.

I'm convinced none of you have insurance.
F'in liabilities.

For those wondering about insurance like all the other Alberta mags who have chimed in you save about $200 a year on insurance by NOT insuring your windshield. That means you can buy a new one every other year or so for $2-300 and come out ahead especially when the deductible is still going to cost you $100 per installation any ways. We all have insurance but just choose to delete the glass as the cost is exorbitant due to the ridiculous size of gravel used on the roads here.

As for structural integrity, I've been told the design of the vehicle relies somewhat on the windshield being in place to support the roof in a rollover. If a crack runs edge to edge on one layer of the glass it MAY compromise that strength. Come to think of it the guy telling me that might have wanted me to pay him to replace the windshield so maybe he was full of shit.

Pfft, your oversized Alberta gravel has nothing on our flying ashphalt debris obstacle courses we call roads here. The cracks/chips just add character.

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Originally Posted by The AD

Haven't you ever heard of a deductible?

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Yeah, but I've always had Zero Ded. for glass, I thought that was normal, my bad. With my jeep I used to go through like 6 a year...Fucking rock magnet.