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Rock Resistant Windshield?

by sxd, July 10, 2015



For 01 corolla. Is there one?

Now that I have a new engine (reman but for all intents and purposes, it's new), I'm probably going to be keeping this car a lot longer than originally anticipated.

My current route to work is particularly hazardous to windshields. The highway I use frequently has trucks on it. All of my rock chips have been from me being behind a truck or car running over where a trucks been. I have gotten about four of them in a four month period. These are not "chips", they are from rocks that hit the windshield and caused "bullet holes". The most frustrating thing is as much as I try, there doesn't seem to be a way to avoid these. I'm either trying to get to work, or I'm trying to avoid rocks hitting my windshield. Pretty much impossible to do both at the same time unless I leave a bunch earlier than I normally would and avoid driving behind other cars and trucks.

The bullet holes I'm getting are fixable for the most part, but some of them are quite stubborn. Isolated bullet holes are fine but I've been getting some lately that produce a bullet hole as well as a partial ring around the bullet hole. The ring itself is on an inner layer of glass so there is no way for the usual chip repair resin to get into the ring.

Short of paying a professional to have these filled or me drilling the ring myself, possibly making it worse (or wasting a bunch of time cause I've never drilled glass before), I was wondering if there is a rock/chip resistant glass or covering I can replace or cover this windshield with.

I've seen advertisements for some glass that is supposed to have a film on it, or a diy film that you can apply yourself. I don't see plexi anymore (thought that was a thing a while back). I've also seen bullet proof glass which I'm assuming is expensive but will probably also still allow rocks to create bullet holes. Anyone know of anything?

I know I can talk to my insurance company but it would be nice to just NOT have these happen all the time. It's become so frequent that I've developed a technique to avoid these though it only works on the freeway and requires room to change lanes. I scan the road ahead, and I've found trucks will often only kick up rocks to the left if the road curves right, and to the right if the road curves left. I always try to pass any truck in front of me and pick which side to pass it on, based on which way the road curves and how much time and room I'd have to pass if I attempted. If it looks like I won't make it, I just slow down so I'm well behind the truck, and try for another pass at a more opportune time. This has worked for me perfectly so far, but again, this only works on the freeway. On the highway I have to take before the freeway merge there are only two lanes so I can't pass very often but even if I could, there are so many stop lights and lightless intersections, the traffic is always stopping and going and thats usually where rocks are getting kicked up, either from the trucks or other cars. Passed a truck the other day on the highway, got behind a ford fusion, and BAM, giant rock kicked up, bullet hole and a half ring.

Permatex chip repair is the best one IMO, but it's $10 each time and there's only one mounting ring that can only be used once, and there isn't enough resin in the tube for more than one repair anyway. I tried the rainx one but it doesn't work as well for me. And neither will get into the ring.

So again, anyone know of a stronger more resistant windshield?

Unless you get one custom made - pretty much any windshield, even the COTS bullet resistant ones, will get those "bullet-hole" bullseye cracks if hit with debris hard enough. Coatings on the outside of the glass itself only helps with very small debris, erosion sort of issues. If the debris is big enough to cause those bullseye cracks, the coating will not help.

They do have specially treated laminated glass (ion exchanged) that will greatly reduce the chance of getting those chips/cracks - we use them on optical windows on certain applications. Those are crazy expensive and biggest drawback is that they generally cannot be made in any shape over than flat. Be actually cheaper to stockpile OEM windshields at this point.

Depending on where you live at, might find a speed shop to build one from polycarbonate composite - has a much higher threshold before it gets damage, compared to the composite glass windshields - though it can be tough to get properly formed for a car. This is the same stuff they use for aircraft canopies / windows - tough stuff. Be expensive, but likely the most viable option, if you want something other than OEM type windshields.

You can also try and deflect some of the medium sized rocks with a bug deflector. Will not be 100% effective, but may lessen the chance for damage, as it might take a rock that would have hit you straight on to one that is a glancing blow.



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