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Drill a hold to stop a crack in the windshield?

K

KMinAF

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Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Messages
698
Location
Fairview Utah
It has only been a couple of months since I had the windshield replaced and now I have a rock chip down low near the wiper arm that has a 3" crack developing from it. Could I use a glass/tile bit and drill a small hole to "head it off" and prevent it from getting any longer? I would then fill the hole of course.
 
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p_mori7

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Joined
Mar 23, 2010
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3,340
Location
Montreal, QC., Canada
Nope, too late now. it would have been better to have the chip repaired before the crack started to spread. Nothing will stop it now.
 
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ard

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Joined
Feb 16, 2015
Messages
4,391
Location
Sierra Foothills... California
They sell a repair kit that works as good as the shops use, IMO.

https://www.rainx.com/product/windshield-repair-kit/rain-x-windshield-repair-kit/#.WTDWyNy1taQ

Sold in lots of places..amazon, walmart, etc. About $11

Comes with a jig that lets you inject cyanoacrylate INTO the crack, you can see if penetrate the fractures- stabilizes it to prevent spreading. Ive watched shops do it, this is basically the same thing- just more disposable and cheaper.



Buy it now, BEFORE you need it. That way when the wife says "A rock hit me" you can deal with it before the sun hits it, or you hit a pothole, spreading it....
 
L

like2wheel

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Oct 29, 2014
Messages
1,693
Location
On an as needed basis
Yes it does work, I've done it several times over the years.

I make a dam with putty so I can fill up to the spot to be drilled with water. This is needed to keep the bit cool. Problem is, it hard to see the exact spot of the end of the crack thru the water. Marking the spot with a sharpie helps a bunch. I use a small diamond point in a dremel.
Go slow, & stop drilling when you hit the plastic center. then fill the hole with any clear sealer, preferably something that won't yellow from the UV rays.

Its not easy, but if you are able to get a clean hole dead center on the end of the crack, it will stop it.
 
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H

holdover

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Joined
Feb 15, 2011
Messages
750
Location
VA
Got a stone chip on a week old explorer 2K miles from home in 2002. By the time I got home it was 5" at the very bottom of the windshield on the passenger side out of view. Went with the Safelite crack repair. in 15 years hasn't gotten any bigger
 
B

BlackLS2

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 12, 2016
Messages
143
I drilled a windshield crack with a Dremel...stopped the crack...even through a nasty winter.
 
J

JAPjunky

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Joined
Mar 19, 2017
Messages
125
Location
California
Sounds like a job for a professional bro it's possible I've done it but u have to be really carefull
 
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