Many people tend to focus only changing engine oil and performing other maintenance checks. We should be able to see signs of problems and this should allow us to avoid costly problems. One component that many car owners tend to neglect is the windshield and its important can’t be understated. It is important for us to immediately repair damaged windshield. There are damages that could affect our windshield and even if we have very durable models, windshield is relatively more fragile than the car chassis itself. Small rock chips could cause long streak of cracks right in the middle of the windshield.
Windshield is essentially a kind of laminated glass, with two special composite glass layers laminated with one another. The laminating material is a very strong plastic, typically vinyl plastic. The plastic acts as a sticking material for the outer and inner glass layers. Other than making sure that both glass layers can be held together, shattered glass fragments won’t injure the driver and other occupants after an intense impact. The outer edge of the windshield also has a black frame that protects the glue that bonds the windshield to the rest of the car chassis. Without the frame, the urethane molding could melt and it won’t be held properly by the body frame.
We should be aware of the stresses that the windshield could endure. The windshield could endure plenty of abuses, such as impacts of road debris, shears, constant vibration and significant temperature changes. During the day, glass shrinks and expands constantly, depending on the overall temperature. When the ambient temperature increases, the metal components and the windshield itself could push against one another. A sharp drop in ambient temperature could loosen the windshield, if it is not installed properly. It means that edges of the windshield could be affected by the highest amount of stress.
Car owners may think that so far so good, but a rock can be thrown by the truck in front of them, causing a small opening in the windshield. Like any glass, tension will continue to form and accumulate at the edge of the crack and it will travel down, causing the crack to spread. Extra tensions could cause the intact glass to separate when there is an additional impact. Cracks are the weakest point of the glass and further damages could happen. In this case, we should make sure no further damage could affect the windshield by making enough repairs on specific spots. Windshield plays an essential role in our car’s drivability and safety.
The most obvious role of our windshield is that it should block the wind and airborne debris from affecting the driver and other occupants. Without windshield, we could have drivability issues and there are safety-related things that they need to consider. Windshield is also required for the airbag to be deployed properly. Flying glass shards could be quite dangerous and very sharp, so it is important to make sure that we use proper windshield.
