Oh Crap.... CRAAAAACKKKKKKK

[TestMule]

I got smacked by a small rock last night on the way home. I was on the freeway and passed by an exit where the secondary road was under construction repair.

I looked at the windshield, and, yeah... I have a long crack running from the base of the windshield almost to the top on the right side.

It wasn't that hard of a smack but, still, it was certainly enough. It seems that it doesn't take much to take out a Jeep windshield.

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[Bluefalcon]

I got smacked by a small rock last night on the way home. I was on the freeway and passed by an exit where the secondary road was under construction repair.

I looked at the windshield, and, yeah... I have a long crack running from the base of the windshield almost to the top on the right side.

It wasn't that hard of a smack but, still, it was certainly enough. It seems that it doesn't take much to take out a Jeep windshield.

That sucks... 2 rocks and a 4 inch bolt about an inch across on my JK... nothing in the JT yet

 

[WestwallNF104A]

I got smacked by a small rock last night on the way home. I was on the freeway and passed by an exit where the secondary road was under construction repair.

I looked at the windshield, and, yeah... I have a long crack running from the base of the windshield almost to the top on the right side.

It wasn't that hard of a smack but, still, it was certainly enough. It seems that it doesn't take much to take out a Jeep windshield.

Yeah, the flat angle is a genuine problem. One of the tradeoffs we make for that sort of visibility.

 

[Bjeepz]

Looks perfect! Mine is a mess, cracked up down and all across from a small rock with under 1000km. At nearly 60000km now and the crack feels normal!

 

[texanjeeper]

I've been lucky, I've been able to have my two cracks repaired before they started running. Hopefully your insurance picks up most of it.

 

[HooliganActual]

I got smacked by a small rock last night on the way home. I was on the freeway and passed by an exit where the secondary road was under construction repair.

I looked at the windshield, and, yeah... I have a long crack running from the base of the windshield almost to the top on the right side.

It wasn't that hard of a smack but, still, it was certainly enough. It seems that it doesn't take much to take out a Jeep windshield.

Man, I would leave it as is. All the stress is now out of the windshield.

In 2016, I got “the perfect crack” in my JKUR windshield that goes like this across the bottom of the windshield:
,—————,

All the stress is out of the windshield, it’s not in my eyeline or the “critical viewing window”. 45,000 miles later and no other chips, cracks, etc. Replacing a broken windshield is the guarantee of a new crack opportunity.

 

[Volt0]

Yip; Jeep engineers found the perfect angle to let rocks, birds, bugs, and flung debri from your own front tire … to cause cracks and splits.

in another few weeks, there will be many new posts on the forums about how the window defroster directs its volcanic heat to the middle section of the windshield, while treating the left side and right side as frigid as the North Pole and South Pole, also causing new cracks and splits. Amzn square tube plugs for the win.

Keep those tires ( AT, MT, RT ) free of rocks, the best you can. I know that it seems neurotic, but carry a small screw driver in you glovebox, and while filling up with your favorite petrol, take a few moments to dislodge those tiny meteors that are destined to make a strewn field out of your windshield. Do the back tires for the sake of others, including motorcycles.

 

[AmosMoses]

Yip; Jeep engineers found the perfect angle to let rocks, birds, bugs, and flung debri from your own front tire … to cause cracks and splits.

in another few weeks, there will be many new posts on the forums about how the window defroster directs its volcanic heat to the middle section of the windshield, while treating the left side and right side as frigid as the North Pole and South Pole, also causing new cracks and splits. Amzn square tube plugs for the win.

Keep those tires ( AT, MT, RT ) free of rocks, the best you can. I know that it seems neurotic, but carry a small screw driver in you glovebox, and while filling up with your favorite petrol, take a few moments to dislodge those tiny meteors that are destined to make a strewn field out of your windshield. Do the back tires for the sake of others, including motorcycles.

By "jeep engineers" do you mean owners that like to have their tires jutting out of the fender flares throwing everything that's not bolted to the road, up on their "rigs"?

 

[Gvsukids]

Replacing a broken windshield is the guarantee of a new crack opportunity.

Replaced 3 within first year. Haven't since and still have a chip that should've been windshield number four from last year.

By "jeep engineers" do you mean owners that like to have their tires jutting out of the fender flares throwing everything that's not bolted to the road, up on their "rigs"?

Nope. Happens with a stubby front bumper, or from other vehicles in front.

 

[Stuntman Mike]

My condolence.

Got myself the first chip at the second day after less than 300 miles.

But hasn't start running so far (now at 8000 miles).

 

[Volt0]

By "jeep engineers" do you mean owners that like to have their tires jutting out of the fender flares throwing everything that's not bolted to the road, up on their "rigs"?

Those pseudo engineers too, yes. I was referring to the angle of the windshield, and the lack of the visually stunning air damn things that used to connect the bumper to the fenders.

my windshields have received flying projectiles from passing 18 wheelers, along with a few gravity defying curve balls launched from my own front tires. I was in disbelief the first time that I spotted a smaller whizzer of a rock, launched straight out from my front tire, only to watch it curve upwards and boomerang smack into my windshield. That one cost me a little over $700.

 

[guntrust]

My windshield is original, 40k miles and no cracks or chips.

Early on, i installed the Mopar deflector. Maybe that helped.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I got smacked by a small rock last night on the way home. I was on the freeway and passed by an exit where the secondary road was under construction repair.

I looked at the windshield, and, yeah... I have a long crack running from the base of the windshield almost to the top on the right side.

It wasn't that hard of a smack but, still, it was certainly enough. It seems that it doesn't take much to take out a Jeep windshield.

There's some VERY long old threads here about cracked windshield club and so on. It's just a thing with the design. It's been discussed ad nauseam in some of those threads.

If you like the Jeep Wrangler style, you expect, accept and live with it.
We've discussed the physics of the design, the fact that a vertical glass will take the impact directly - all energy that's in that rock at speed has to be absorbed by the glass, it's not a glancing blow, plus the "thickness" of the glass at that angle is much less than if it hits a slanted glance at quite an angle. It's then a glancing blow, there is less energy absorbed by the glass and the glass has more "thickness" to absorb that lower amount of energy.

Vertical glass - since it likely actually stops or nearly stops the rock, all energy of that moving mass must be absorbed by the glass.
Slanted glass - rock "bounces" off, only some of the energy is transferred to the glass, the rock usually continues on at least a bit.
And as you slant the glass back and draw a horizontal line through it, the effective thickness of the glass increases.
Cut a 3/4" board at a perfect 90 degree angle.
Now cut the same board with the table saw blade at 30 degrees and look at the end you cut. The cut is wider, appears thicker.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Those pseudo engineers too, yes. I was referring to the angle of the windshield, and the lack of the visually stunning air damn things that used to connect the number to the fenders.

my windshields have received flying projectiles from passing 18 wheelers, along with a few gravity defying curve balls launched from my own front tires. I was in disbelief the first time that I spotted a smaller whizzer of a rock, launched straight out from my front tire, only to watch it curve upwards and boomerang smack into my windshield. That one cost me a little over $700.

Some won't believe it, but that's exactly what happens with tires that stick out, or where there's a large gap between bumper and fender flare.
I was turning a corner not far from home - the farmer there has quite a complex of buildings and a shop and a lot of gravel on a slanted driveway. A lot of gravel ends up on the road either via rain or just getting tracked onto the road.
Came around that corner and watched almost in slow motion as a white piece of that gravel launched out ahead of me and up, and then downward and back it came, making a dent in my hood, hitting the glass and dropping onto the cowl next to the windshield wiper post.
No harm to the glass at all, the hood took the energy. I could see the chip in the paint when I got home.

If you think your front tires don't toss anything forward........... rocks included........
I often have to run the windshield washers because of my own front tires.

 

[Vtur]

My windshield is original, 40k miles and no cracks or chips.

Early on, i installed the Mopar deflector. Maybe that helped.

Maybe the deflector does helped by moving the impact point a little higher. I also have one installed since new, still on an original windshield. Got hits a few times but they were all impacted somewhere in the middle area of the glass.

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