preventing stone windshield rock chips

[fustsgt]

Avoid dump trucks, cement trucks, and road salter trucks.

And any road that has been chip sealed...Indiana loves to do that...Maybe detour around the whole state

 

[Jstpssng]

I use this for my cars without windshields…View attachment 4185733

Yeah, maybe.
I remember years ago I made the mistake of riding my motorcycle along the river at around dusk.
Not realizing there was a hatch going on.
By the time that I got where I was going there was so much bug guts on my glasses that I couldn't see through them.

 

[ACfixer]

View attachment 4178274

On two lane rural road. Heading the opposite direction when County ditch mower thru a rock. They stopped and claim they will reimburse the damage. We will see.

You thinking of trying a windshield repair kit on that one?

 

[Jstpssng]

What really causes cracks to grow is rain/snow on the outside and the defroster running on the inside. Sept 2024 I got a small (2 1/2"+-) crack in the upper RH corner of my company truck. I put a piece of duct tape on the inside and I don't know if it helps or not but that crack hasn't grown in over a year. It passed the annual safety inspection last month so likely will be on the truck when I turn it in next spring.

 

[aircommuter]

It's doubtful air deflectors would have much ability to change the course of a rock/stone projectile. Fortunately windshields are usually the least expensive glass to replace on a vehicle.

Not sure where you got that information. Door glass is much less. Front windshields often have heaters and removing and remounting the cameras requires calibration.

 

[fustsgt]

Yeah, maybe.
I remember years ago I made the mistake of riding my motorcycle along the river at around dusk.
Not realizing there was a hatch going on.
By the time that I got where I was going there was so much bug guts on my glasses that I couldn't see through them.

Memories of my honeymoon 53 years ago, Florida during the lovebugs mating dance.. had to stop 3 times to scrape bugs off the windshield. You never got just one, always pairs.

 

[dadohead]

Front windshields often have heaters and removing and remounting the cameras requires calibration.

Last windshield replacement I asked the 2 installers about needing calibration... they laughed. "Cameras are not mounted on the glass." They said it's Marketing to get you back to the dealer. "They'll charge you for 'recalibration' too!"

 

[JRH02]

The glass coverage for my wife's pickup and mine costs less than $5 each every six months. It takes and hour each way on the 2 lane highway to get to town. That is the risk. But if your pickup or SUV only goes the grocery store, what's the risk? Maybe a stray bullet?

 

[greenie]

Not sure where you got that information. Door glass is much less. Front windshields often have heaters and removing and remounting the cameras requires calibration.

You're correct. At one time side glass replacement was more costly than windshield replacement. Time have changed.

 

[YoungMark]

It's intuitive that the closer you follow a vehicle, the more likely you are going to wear a stone or whatever that has been launched from a rear tire. Providing extra distance will hopefully allow the stone to enter the falling segment of its trajectory and miss. The faster the vehicle in front is travelling, a greater distance will have to be allowed as the higher rotational velocity of the tire will tangentially eject debris with a corresponding greater velocity. Passing oncoming traffic is a different story. Stones from oncoming traffic are ejected primarily to the rear, and to a lesser degree, to the side of that vehicle. So, a major contribution to impact damage in this case can be your own speed - moving as far as possible to the side of the road and slowing when passing oncoming hazards may assist.