Windshield chip kits

[Dirtman]

Do they work or should I just call safelite? Got a tiny chip today (size of a pea) and last time I ignored one it cracked across the entire glass and had to buy a whole new windshield so I wanna fix it now. The little kits are only about 15 bucks but never used one.

 

[scotts90ranger]

They can work, but as with everything it's a gamble depending on the stress acting on that part of the windshield and the angle and velocity you threw the potato last Thursday...

Best to get at it sooner than later and like you said $15 is cheaper than $150... I've used the kit with the screw to force the glue in and the syringe type, both worked ok if I remember right. One I did the windshield was apparently under stress and the crack was propagating pretty good so I tried to take a diamond drill bit in a Dremel to stop it like you would on fiberglass but I didn't go past the crack far enough... I think it helped though, I used some of the glue in that hole too.

 

[97RangerXLT]

back in the 90s there were companies that would repair those kind of chips for 50 bucks. when I had Allstate for insurance, they would even waive my deductible if I had the window repaired instead of replaced, so they would pay the 60 bucks, and the company that did the work came out to where my car was. (work, home, school, behind your basement whatever) I would assume they exist today as well, and even if the cost is now 80 bucks, it is still cheaper than a replacement...

you could usually only see a slight imperfection where the rock chip was when it was done. and as long as the chip could be covered in its entirety with a quarter, they could repair it.

State Farm insurance did not have the waive the deductible clause and I had a nice star shaped rock chip in my Intrepid one summer and did not have the extra 50 bucks to pay, so I waited until the weather got cold and turned on the defrost which was right under the chip, and just like that, I saw the cracks run the entire lenght of the windshield and State Farm ended up replacing a 350 dollar windshield the next spring.

AJ

 

[kunar]

i used the permatex kit on a small rock ship a few months ago. i just followed the directions and it seems to have worked fine. there's still a small visible imperfection but it appears to be filled/sealed.

 

[4.0blue98]

X2 on the permatex kit. Worked well on a fresh chip but didn't work at all on a year oldish chip.

This one: https://smile.amazon.com/Rain-X-600001-Windshield-Repair-Kit/dp/B00IPS4APU/?tag=959media-20

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've heard once you get some rainex or any oil in there there's no getting it out or any chance of anything sticking to it, so yes, that...

 

[Curious Hound]

I had a couple done professionally years ago. The glue/filler they used was activated by UV rays or blacklight or something like that. That windshield lasted forever.