new Lexan Window replacement

[rustystud]

After speaking to the glass shop, the only alternative they could recommend was the Lexan. I had hoped they might've been able to offer an alternative.

Doing some research on the web, I found one article that stated that Lexan (aka: polycarbonate) is 250x stronger than glass, and acrylic is 17x stronger, but that acrylic is more scratch resistant than Lexan. As I'm looking for stronger than glass (and 17x is probably good enough) and I expect scratching is something I'm gonna face, I've decided to go with acrylic.

I'm gonna do a little more research, but I'll probably buy, cut and install it myself.

This link provides a good pro/con list between polycarbonate and acrylic:

https://www.acplasticsinc.com/informationcenter/r/lexan-vs-acrylic

And really, I don't expect it to scratch too much, if I end up replacing a pane every 5 years or so, meh, that's good enough.

Thanks for looking into this and sharing your findings. I think I will go with acrylic for my rear window too.

 

[montaillou]

Thanks for looking into this and sharing your findings. I think I will go with acrylic for my rear window too.

Tap Plastics is a plastics supplier on the West Coast, never been to them, but they have 3 locations in W. Wa, 1 in OR and several in CA. I'm gonna go to them for my panes. Their website says they'll cut it, if this isn't too expensive I'll just have them do it otherwise I'll probably hand cut (my table saw is in pieces, atm).

 

[rustystud]

Tap Plastics is a plastics supplier on the West Coast, never been to them, but they have 3 locations in W. Wa, 1 in OR and several in CA. I'm gonna go to them for my panes. Their website says they'll cut it, if this isn't too expensive I'll just have them do it otherwise I'll probably hand cut (my table saw is in pieces, atm).

Tap Plastics . I'll look them up.
Thanks !

 

[tobyS]

I have a question...have you ever seen a narrowed door with narrowed glass (or acrylic)? I'm thinking extended cab but not a full 4 place, more like 2+2.

 

[montaillou]

I've seen various extensions that people here have done to their cabs. I've also seen threads where people have lowered the roof.

The reason I'm going with non-glass is that I once rolled up my passenger door window up too far and it conflicted with the frame and cracked when I closed the door.

 

[tobyS]

Did that to my dump truck drivers window. They are money pits.

Staying off the extension is good.

On mine (deuce) I'm adding a 1/4" L side plate 11x3 x10' and mounting to it. That gives me 3" more of beam strength (not that I really need it)(doubling the frame thickness) and a frame I can weld to if I want and not worry about it's affects on the original frame heat treating. The company that formed the L plates got a good tight radius and right at 90* the entire length. I was impressed at the straightness. One of the plates about sheared my thumb off the other day. I take safety seriously and have a good record, but have been fabbing for 50 years, beyond weld burns, never hurt myself twice the same way.

Enjoy the build. Good pictures. Be safe.

 

[texas30cal]

While lexan or acrylic may be ok on the back window I seriously doubt you will be happy with it on the sides or front. I deal with side x side utility vehicles daily, I’ve seen many makes of windshields over the years made from acrylic, lexan, and the coated lexan with little difference in durability. Most customers that buy a plastic windshield throw it away after 1 winter and wish they had spent the $ to buy glass the first time. Just my .02 worth from what I see regularly.

 

[montaillou]

I cracked my passenger side window inside the first few months. I figure I can replace all the glass and buy some extra acrylic panes to keep as extras and I won't have to be so gentle with them compared to glass. From what I've read lexan isn't as clear and it yellows over time (see the article I linked) vs acrylic. I have some plans to take this off road and hitting branches is a real concern - broken glass shards suck.

 

[rustystud]

While lexan or acrylic may be ok on the back window I seriously doubt you will be happy with it on the sides or front. I deal with side x side utility vehicles daily, I’ve seen many makes of windshields over the years made from acrylic, lexan, and the coated lexan with little difference in durability. Most customers that buy a plastic windshield throw it away after 1 winter and wish they had spent the $ to buy glass the first time. Just my .02 worth from what I see regularly.

If I could find someone up here who would cut me some glass for my rear window I would do it in a heart beat ! As it stands I could find no one. All glass shops I went to only install "pre-cut" glass made to fit specific vehicles. Since my deuce's window is from the 1950's no one makes a "factory" replacement anymore. So it's the plastic route for me !

 

[frank8003]

Aircraft use plastic windshields
gas masks use plastic
Strong stuff
I still have a bit of it from August 9, 1945


which flavor plastic to use?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyYxYuRiHVE

 

[montaillou]

If I could find someone up here who would cut me some glass for my rear window I would do it in a heart beat ! As it stands I could find no one. All glass shops I went to only install "pre-cut" glass made to fit specific vehicles. Since my deuce's window is from the 1950's no one makes a "factory" replacement anymore. So it's the plastic route for me !

Y'know, if you prefer glass, you might be able to get a glass shop, some place that sells glass for projects like stained glass. I used to get double strength glass cut at a place like that years ago for cabinets. There are a few stained glass shops around Seattle. The one I'd go to in B'ham would cut glass to my size.

 

[frank8003]

Can you make the windshields winch recoil proof?

Yes you can
3/16 1095 or plow sheet steel welded inside of hood and bonnet/hood must be open full and buttressed.
No way do you just want the windshield between you and the strained pulled load.

Do it like the three man job such as it is. Two in a pinch off to the side with snatch blocks

 

[rustystud]

Y'know, if you prefer glass, you might be able to get a glass shop, some place that sells glass for projects like stained glass. I used to get double strength glass cut at a place like that years ago for cabinets. There are a few stained glass shops around Seattle. The one I'd go to in B'ham would cut glass to my size.

The only problem with using them, besides the cost is they don't use tempered glass. I will never drive in a vehicle that use's regular glass. Getting all cut up if somehow the window gets broken is not a fun thing to consider. Having my rear window in my CUCV broken out last year let me know all about that ! It took half an hour just to get the glass fragments out of my clothes ! That was tempered glass too .

 

[exhogflyer]

Aircraft use plastic windshields

Yes they do BUT we're not running wipers on them and you have to be VERRY careful cleaning with proper soft rags and solvent/wax lest you end up with scratches

 

[mann650]

I have used cut MR10 for headlight covers on several jeeps. It does scratch easily, I get about 2 years of hard use out of them (not rinsing the dirt off before cleaning with a wet rag). It has a much lower temperature rating than glass so I get some clouding on the higher intensity lights after about two years as well. The MR10 is way better than non-coated stuff but it is still plastic. Putting a safety film on the backside of the regular glass would be enough to stop the fragments from a kicked up rock. I don't think there is enough room in the channel to put regular glass backed by a piece of Lexan but maybe.