front windshield glass

I had my hood come loose when I was going down the road. It made a small crack in the right side. Over the past year or 2, that crack has gotten bigger, and bigger. Now a hairline crack vertical in the driver's view. I guess its time to change it. Has anyone done that on a gen1. Mine is a 2004. My question is this. Is it rubber molding, with a slot the glass fits into, or is it glued in place? I know I could go to the auto glass folks and pay them to do it. About $350. But I have access to a donor truck with good glass. I already swapped the back glass, upgrading me to one I can open now. That job was not too bad. How hard is the front to do?
Both trucks are 2004, although the donor is an extended cab, while the one I want to fix is a regular, or short cab. But I think it will fit.
Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions on this project are greatly appreciated.

 

I'm pretty sure it's rubber and glue, both. Had mine done in 2018. You might want to re-consider having Safelite or someone come out. Did my wife's Rav4 last month, cost $100.

 

Call around - I had mine replaced for $160.

 

Doesn't your insurance cover it?

 

Most policies for a 21 year old vehicle worth 3-4K won’t cover it / deductible would be more than it anyway

 

That’s what your comp coverage is for and deductible can range from $0 to $$$ depending on coverage amount.

@choopes, see my post here re: seal.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/windshield-replacement.854490/#post-30504197

 

I wouldn't pay for comp coverage on a 3-4k car but I'm paying more for liability than most of the country would for comp in LA

 

Had my windshield done a few years ago and was $220.

 

I want to change the windshield myself. Unlike most folks, I actually have another windshield. It has to be removed, as would the current 04 driver. Safelight and the others must do a great job. It looks like that is the only method used anymore. Add to this that I am 50 miles from the nearest metro where one of those places are.
The two systems I have seen involve a rubber that goes all the way around with a channel the glass fits in. This is the old school way. Newer vehicles have a windshield that is glued into place. My question was which system does my 04 have? And how hard is it change DIY?
I do all my own work. Who keeps full coverage insurance on a 20+ year truck? If I had full coverage insurance there would be at least $1000 deductible. So again, it makes no sense.

 

They're glued in. As such, my understanding (and it's only that...) is they are very difficult to remove without cracking as you are considering reusing from a different truck.

Here you go, looks like it can be replaced in 1 min 45 sec lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycDWzcC71K4

When I had mine done the shop came to me about a 25 mile drive Changed it in my driveway. I have comprehensive on one of my tacos --- it costs like $14 per year and I have full glass coverage and no deductible.

Good luck --

 

Watching this when my 1st Gen made me decide it would be worth the $160 to buy one, have it installed, and have the old one taken away. PS the company came to me but you may not have someone to do that in your area.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2eG1_1Ed3M

 

Do you have the "All Weather Guard Package" that comes with the windshield rain channels. Can you have it put back on a new windshield install. Just wondering for further reference if anybody knows.

 

My windshield guy in Houston charged $175 installed…including discontinued w/s molding (post covid)

referred 2 members here to him

 

SC requires glass coverage as a baseline - deductible for glass here is $0, which came in real handy when my Mazda's front and back glass both broke within a week of each other. Might be the same in your state.

 

Mine was $180.......they put the blue tape on the windshield for 1st 24 hrs ....
til the silicone glue dries.....so it doesnt pop out when you shut the door(s)

I was told a long time ago....that using used auto windshield is risky.....because bend/warp on the old vehicle
and they dont unbend very well

YOu ever try to liberate anything from silicone glue.........today I just had to multi tool the edge of a deck loose from siding
.....what a PIA


When you get a windshield inspect the glass closely
the quality of things now a days is really slippping

shop caught mine.......they had to send out another couple hours later

 

I can't say for sure, but I'm thinking the OE rain channel rubber molding is not reusable. The first windshield replacement done on mine (many years ago), they replaced it with a universal type rubber molding. I wasn't given any options at the time to source or reuse the original type molding.

 

The best I can find is $285. For 290 I can get safelight to come here, and get free new washer blades. I keep having to buy specialty tools, and I'm still not sure it can be done. The rubber is extremely hard to cut, even with a new blade. I scoped out 3M glue. 2 tubes for my smaller caulk gun, a can of primer, was almost $100! So at this point I am ready to cave, and do what everyone else here who comments. Older cars had rubber all the way around. Like my rear window. But no more. So the glass replacement business was created.

 

with what is at stake.....you dont want a leaking windsheild

sometimes gotta to spend a little .....to save a little more

 

I asked a local body shop down the street who had a guy they recommend who comes to your house. He did it for $220 in 2021 (San Diego), but he did have to come back a week later b/c part of the rubber trim was starting to delam (probably due to a lil bit of body rust at the seam) but he fixed it and was all good.

 

Would have if it was reported in a timely manner. Two years later? No.

But who's to say the windshield came out unscathed from that hood incident only to be cracked 2 years and 3 months later by some random road debris off of a truck so dirty you couldn't see anything? Stranger things have happened. Just sayin.