Is it the glass... or the windshield angle?

[Jdc]

Stop driving so close to other cars.

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[TPadden72]

This is the right answer...

Stop driving, don't ever leave the garage.

Tom

 

[crzyhawk]

I think the angle is a primary factor part of it, and not following too close is good advice, but no guarantee.

I have had my Bronco for 1.5 years (13K miles). I did have the Stek windshield film installed early on. We have a lot of tandem gravel trucks in the area where I live and I usually keep a ridiculous distance when one is in front of me or try to get around it as best I can, which isn't always easy on two-lane roads.

I know I have taken a couple of hits, one of which left a nice mark on the film, which I am guessing would've cracked or chipped the glass if it wasn't for the film.

So far, on the original windshield.

There's no guarantee period. I lost a windshield in both of the S197 Mustangs I have owned. the first one, a big rock jumped out of the bed of a dumptruck. It hit the ground, bounced, hit my hood, and skipped into the top of my windshield which then spalled glass into my face. Thank goodness I was wearing my sunglasses. The second cracked randomly in the cold when I started it up in a parking garage at work.

If it's going to go, it's going to go. Hell, I have a dent on the INSIDE of my bronco fender from a rock I picked up and threw in Ohio. You can't control what you can't control. Don't tailgate and hope for some luck to avoid the odd ball golden BB type hits.

 

[Colohunter]

My 2018 F-150 I had to replace the original windshield last year. Not because of a star or crack, but because it had so much pitting that I could not see out of it in the morning or evening sun. The new one lasted 5 months before getting a star from what sounded like a small rock. Our Bronco we got at the end of April and we had protection screen put on it when we bought it new. We went to Oklahoma a couple weeks ago. Had 2 rocks that hit the windshield very hard. Thought it would of broke the windshield for sure. It didn't. 3 year guarantee that the windshield will not break. We will see how it goes.

 

[rdg04578]

It's probably because some one driving in front of you has the stock Goodyear Territory tires and they are still shedding stones and rocks

 

[Kini]

It’s a combination of angle, extremely thin glass and bad luck.

Exactly, Second windshield was yesterday in heavy traffic in Salt Lake City, big bang, big crack. No idea what. First was on first day, middle of Wyoming with 300 miles on odometer, came from opposing traffic.

 

[Kini]

Its all junk ! In my personal opinion FORD advertised name brand upgrades as being premium top notch upgrades but bent us over with name brand junk ! They won't even replace the junk garbage shocks instead they put mickey mouse diapers to hide the worthless reservoirs. It wouldn't surprise me if they sourced out the windshields to some chop shop in a 3rd world country.

This is the right answer. Stop tailgating. It’s free and better for your paint too. 3,000,000 miles and counting and I’ve never had a windshield issue.

3,000,000 miles in a Bronco, now that's impressive.

 

[Polyglot]

I'd say it's primarily the angle or lack thereof. My recent trip to Alberta, Canada destroyed my windshield from the on-coming snow plows and semi trucks. One crack came from a semi that was 4 cars ahead of me in the adjacent #2 lane on a multi-lane highway. I saw the rock hit the road 3 times before hitting my windshield. It was as if the rock didn't like Americans and nothing was going to stop it from hitting me! Lol.

At the end of the trip it looked like I went through a hasty ambush! I had 5 solid hits. I come from the full-size truck world before getting the Bronco. I never had to replace a windshield in any of my trucks.

Pro Tip:

Alberta throws "sand" on their roads in the winter. Except, the "sand" is actually rocks....big freaking rocks. I thought the chip sealing we do on our roads was bad.

 

[exoshield]

Just lost our first windshield at 10k. Never even heard an impact, and we keep tons of distance on the highway. Ford glass contractor stated it wasn’t the heat cracking issue (it spontaneously cracked after sitting outside in high 90s temp with windows up). Waiting for the replacement to come in. We’ve got an appointment for PPF immediately following the new windshield install.

That's unfortunate about your windshield. It's wild how random windshield cracks can be.

It's great that you are scheduling an appointment right after you install your new windshield. One thing that is worth clarifying is that there's a difference between traditional paint protection film (PPF) and windshield protection film. PPF is designed for painted surfaces of your Bronco and isn't intended for use on windshields - such as: optical clarity and visibility requirements.

If they are going to be installing a protection film on your windshield, I would just make sure that it's WPF (windshield protection film) that is specifically designed for windshields.

I know a lot of people in the industry lump PPF and WPF together as "PPF" but I wouldn't want you to go into the shop expecting WPF and getting PPF installed instead.

 

[Windshield Defense]

Just lost our first windshield at 10k. Never even heard an impact, and we keep tons of distance on the highway. Ford glass contractor stated it wasn’t the heat cracking issue (it spontaneously cracked after sitting outside in high 90s temp with windows up). Waiting for the replacement to come in. We’ve got an appointment for PPF immediately following the new windshield install.

Ah man, that’s a bummer. Especially when you never even heard the impact.

We’ve seen quite a few cases where the rock strike isn’t what gets noticed. A tiny chip or edge impact can go unnoticed for days or even weeks before it finally decides to run across the glass.

Getting protection installed right after the replacement is a great time to do it. Hope the new windshield gives you a lot better luck!

 

[Windshield Defense]

Jeep has and option for Gorilla Glass. That would be a good option.

We’ve seen everything from standard glass to Gorilla Glass take rock damage. Different types of glass have different strengths, but none are immune to rock strikes. If you find yourself replacing windshields regularly, adding a layer of protection can help reduce the chances of another replacement.

 

[exoshield]

Exactly, Second windshield was yesterday in heavy traffic in Salt Lake City, big bang, big crack. No idea what. First was on first day, middle of Wyoming with 300 miles on odometer, came from opposing traffic.

Wow that sucks, especially with so little milage on it. It's wild how fast rock hits can happen, even from opposing traffic.

 

[I’m Groot]

Ah man, that’s a bummer. Especially when you never even heard the impact.

We’ve seen quite a few cases where the rock strike isn’t what gets noticed. A tiny chip or edge impact can go unnoticed for days or even weeks before it finally decides to run across the glass.

Getting protection installed right after the replacement is a great time to do it. Hope the new windshield gives you a lot better luck!

Thank you! The PPF was installed today. Hoping for good longevity with this windshield!

 

[Thor_1]

35 days and my windshield has cracked. No rock or chip. It just cracked.

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