Long Crack repairs without Drilling.

Post your windshield repair tips, questions, advice! Note there is a sub-forum specifically for business development questions.
Anonymous

Re: re: DefiantOne

Post by Anonymous »

True, a new windshield does give the customer a brand spanking non chipped, non sand pitted windshield. But, it also cost them alot of hard earned money. Repairs work. Period. Whether its a stone shot or a crack, if repaired correctly, it will hold. I've seen welds break, and be re-welded. I've seen engines break a timing chain, but I don't see the mechanic trying to sell a replacement engine. Sure, if you are a replacement shop, the profit margin is greater on a replacement than that of a repair. But, as a repair only shop. I can say that I personally can repair a 10 inch crack in under 30 minutes, give the customer a warranty, not worry about air and or water leaks and be on the road to my next job with cash in my pocket. I'm not against replacing windshields that need it.But way too often, the shops do a "hard" sell just to make the money because thy do not know the correct way to repair a certain break or are just not confident enough in the equipment they use. I know of a local bodyshop right up the road from me. He spent $2200 on a windshield repair kit 4 years ago. He does on average one repair a month. Generally they fail.. Why? My guess is outdated resin, lack of knowledge in repair, and lack of confidence in trying. He probably watched the video one time, 4 years ago and now thinks he knows how to do a repair. I am a firm believer in repair of windshields. Its my opinion, my choice and my livlihood. But best of all, its my respected profession. And as long as there are cars, trucks and buses on the road. I'll be in business.
Anonymous

re: defiant

Post by Anonymous »

I am not intending to offend you, defiant, but I would like to know what would motivate a person spend 13 years at an occupation that s/he doesnt think works? Do you tell your customers that you dont believe in the process? Do you call it "windshield repair" if you dont think the windshield is really fixed? I understand your reluctance to work on long cracks (I consider anthing over 3" to be a long crack)... I hate to do them also. But when I do repair a long crack, it stays repaired, and it does not advance further. If it were still 'broken', there would certainly be the potential for the damage to spread.
Anonymous

re:defiant

Post by Anonymous »

We have been doing long crack repair since 1987 without drilling the end of the crack. The secret is to force the end of the crack to the surface with a crack expander from the inside. Once the end of the crack is in the shape of a point, start filling the crack 1/4" from the tip. Once the tip is filled, fill the rest of the crack normally to its origin. Very simple and effective. Plus the repair looks better because there is no drill mark at the end. Our crack resin is of a thick viscosity and holds up for years. That's our story and we're sticking to it.

Darin Blatner
The Windshield Doctor Repair Kit
Anonymous

Long Crack repair

Post by Anonymous »

gold star, i believe that w/s replacement works very well, and that rock chip repair works, it's the "long" crack repair that i don't think that works or should be done. i didn't get in to the w/s repair business, i got in to the w/s replacement business.


Covering more ground than Lewis and Clark........
Anonymous

Re: Long Crack repair

Post by Anonymous »

Safety is also an issue here. I think repair is almost always a safer option over replacement. There is no way to reproduce the strength of a factory seal. Back in my auto body days I saw many wrecks where replacement windshields seperated from the vehicle, allowing the air bags to deploy outside the vehicle. Sometimes with disastrous consequences for the occupants. I've also seen roll overs where a replacement glass seperated and allowed the cab to crush more than it would have had the windshield stayed attached. A windshield supplies a major part of the rigidity to the passenger area of any vehicle. I have no problem recommending repair over replacement as the better option on a factory windshield.
Anonymous

Safety

Post by Anonymous »

I am new and would think 3 or more would be long.
Most people I know of have 500 deductable in Michigan and would rather pay nothing to have chip repaired then have a 500.00 deductable to pay for replacement.I am new though so maybe I don't know much.I need to learn all I can. My friend had a ford Explorer 98 windshield replaced and it was about 350.00,, used.
Anonymous

chip repair

Post by Anonymous »

defiant888,

As a windshield "replacement" specialist, Im sure that you know that a large part of a vehicles structural integrity rests on that front window. so if a crack can be fixed (no matter the length) and is safe and unobstructing for the driver why would you risk the vehicles structural integrity if you dont need to?

oh yea thats right because its several HUNDRED dollars more that the customer ends up paying you.


Just my 2 cents
(I mean no offence, just my oppinion)
Anonymous

Re: Long Crack repair

Post by Anonymous »

defiant... just remember its all about making money, no matter which method we all use to " fix " a windshield it should be done by industry standards, quality work and the result to be a happy customer and a safe vehicle for them to drive away with... 21 years of experience in the installation area including repairs has taught me that is the bottom line....
Anonymous

long crack repair

Post by Anonymous »

I would have taSay its more like a Mend , because allot of you may have already found that you can peel off the cured resin with a razor blade.. I'm not talking about perpendicularly scraping off the resin.. I'm speaking of peeling it up by turning the razor sideways.. It is then you realize after picking up this thin sheet of resin that it is in fact resin and not glass. It also is very apparent that it has not fused to the outer surface of the glass so therefore it must be likened to a patch rather than semantical "repair" rhetoric.
Anonymous

Re: long crack repair

Post by Anonymous »

I disagree with your "mend" theory. My point being that if the resin only filled in the area this would not prevent it from spreading it in fact would precipitate spreading.

www.ohnonotagain.com
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