Changing a Windscreen...?

[SiWhite]

I have a poor track record trying to change windscreens - the windscreens are currently winning 2-0.

I have a screen and a new seal, but I've not managed to install one without cracking the screen.

I used the string and soapy water trick before without success - I was putting it in from the front.

Has anyone successfully done this? Should I try from the back this time?

[Aragorn]

I've done it successfully on an old vauxhall nova a couple times, not quite a landrover, but its the same type of seal.

I dont think it would work from the inside tbh, due to the shape of the seals.

On the nova i fitted the seal to the glass, and fed some thin rope into the gap. Sat the screen against the apature then went inside. I started at the middle-bottom, and worked out both ways a bit at a time, with a friend on the outside applying pressure to the screen to keep it lined up, and help to seat the seal once the rope pulled it over. The corners are the hardest bit, but again i found some gentle pressure from the outside plus a bit of manipulation with the string to ease the seal round the edge did the job.

[Dave W]

It's normally done from the inside of the vehicle with the windscreen and seal resting on the outside to start off with. You then use the string to pull the seal through... at least that's the theory.

For what it costs to get a screen fitted professionally by one of the mobile guys I wouldn't bother doing it myself unless absolutely necessary. Not only do you get the job done but if the screen cracks when they do it you get a new screen FOC

[hoss1720]

just had a brand new pilkington screen supplied and fitted - £85!

it just aint worth the hastle.

[landroversforever]

just had a brand new pilkington screen supplied and fitted - £85!

it just aint worth the hastle.

It is when its a nice heated screen...

[jbs]

I got a piece of laminated glass the right thickness for the windscreen and put it in my self-6mm If I remember rightly and I got it from Romans glass here in Frome they cut it to size in about an hour and I just cracked on(oops wrong terminology )anyway it cost me the princely sum of £45 to do myself and they even etched it with a kite mark to conform to whatever reg's that need to be, I did use the washing up liquid and string method which worked very well for me, I just took my time and put a little pressure on the screen when I was pulling the string as close as I could to the screen from the inside, I made sure that when the string was all pulled out I then went and made sure the seal was seated correctly by light tapping of the seal around the edge of the frame

John

[western]

local windscreen fitter did mine for 10quid on a Saturday morning.

[Happyoldgit]

My thread in Tech Archive.

[lrfarmer]

i payed 50quid for a windscreen cracked it trying to put it in. then payed 55 for my local windscreen fitters for new screen and fitting

defenders flat screen is very easy to brake compared to most curved screens

[Mo Murphy]

Go to the local Autoglass and ask the lads there if anyone wants a lunch time job, it'll cost you a tenner or thereabouts

Mo

[Litch]

Agreed. Just get a windscreen fitter to do it as a cash job, that is what I have done in the past when changing from standard to heated. Don't go to the front office of Auto-windscreens, Autoglass etc as that will go through the books and cost the earth but catch an engineer out on the road or contact a local firm direct.

And yes, £10 was what I paid last time as well.

[Retroanaconda]

I had an Auto Windscreens guy in work today to do a company vehicle, and I mentioned my Defender's windscreen to him and the fact that I wanted to upgrade to a heated screen but didn't want to bust the thing, and he offered to do it then and there for me!

If only I had a screen

[SiWhite]

Thanks for the advise - I'm going to get a windscreen firm to come out (but they con't come until wednesday) and then I'll sell my current heated screen.

[Soren Frimodt]

Simon, I dreaded this job aswell.. Very much so infact! As I had never tried it before and my brother has tried about 3 times and every time he cracked them. I was in a hurry and had to get my 110" ready for our Easter meeting so there was no other option than for me to do it myself! And boy was I surprised at how easy it went! I found that you should fit the seal to the windscreen, then feed some wire or string into it. Then I tried with soap, but it wasn't slippy enough for my liking so I used tyre-grease. But the most important thing I did to make it easier was loosen up the front windshield frame, apparently this was twisting a bit when all tightened up, so loosing every bolt on it made so easy. I had a mate put gentle pressure on it from the outside, and swoop, it went in. Easy peacey..