| Polyshields Windshield Upgrade |
| |
| The windshield that came with the rig when I bought it had been on the Jeep for
quite some time. The glass was almost reverting back to its original silica state. The windshield frame was
also on its last legs in that it was rusting all around the bottom sill where it sat in the rubber gasket. The
decision was to get a new windshield frame as well as some new glass.
|
| |
|
|
| |
| I had seen in the Quadratec
catalog that there were other alternatives to glass. Although not DOT approved, there were windshields that
were not made out of glass and withstood impacts a lot better on the trail. I had been in one too many Jeeps
that had spider cracks in the glass from a little rock or something that kicked up on the street or trail due to
the almost vertical nature of the glass. The impacts don't roll off and over like they do on conventional
windshields.
|
| |
|
|
| |
So, I proceeded to buy a polyshields windshield from
Polyshields. I had to measure from the bottom
inside of the windshield frame to the top inside as well as left to right and then send off the measurements to
polyshields. They recommend doing a tracing paper outline of what you have to help get the exact measurements.
My polyshields windshield soon arrived and I had gotten a new gasket and I set out to install it. Failing
miserably, I went down to the local glass place and had them do it. They did in 5 minutes what I struggled with
for 2 hours. Know your limits here, and if you don't want to do that, make sure you have another set of hands.
The install requires a rope to be laid all around the rubber gasket that goes on the outside of the polyshield.
The glass is then put inside the windshield frame and then by pushing on the outside of it, the string is then
threaded and pulled around the frame from the inside to help glide the rubber seal over the windshield frame
lip. It is a very easy process if you have done it before and have 2 people. It cost me 20 bucks to tip them...
it was well worth it.
|
| |
| Lessons Learned the Hard Way |
| |
So, my lessons learned here would have to be that I wish I had done this sooner
and I wish that I hadn't spent 2 hours trying to install it myself. Having someone do this for you saves a lot
of headaches and it gets done very quickly.
Also, they have all the tools necessary to make this a quick and clean installation. I wish I had gone to them
sooner in the process.
|
| |
| Conclusions |
| |
This is a pretty easy thing to do for a nice tough Jeep upgrade for the trails.
Although not DOT approved, this is very good on the highways and I haven't had any issues with it thus far.
If you go through polyshields to get your windshield, they might want you to send dimensions or a tracing since
a lot of aftermarket windshield frames are different. This will add a little time to getting your windshield,
so account for this.
|
