Windscreens. Laminated or toughened?

[John]

When I cleaned out the shed one day here a while back I moved my screen and the edge caught the concrete and you guessed it *bang*
I found another toughened screen locally (tassie) and after cleaning it up I noticed the dreaded wiper arm scratches on both sides. They aren't too bad but maybe cause me grief at rego time.
So I have it sitting all ready to go in, new rubber on, moulds in. BUT, I am now thinking about a new laminated screen. I can get one new, supplied and fitted for $370.
I think it's a reasonable price.
Yes?

[Blacky]

Absolutely yes, that's one of my pet peeves. , you fully rebuild your car from the ground up, hop in for your first drive and can't see where you are going for the scratches on the old screen I always put new screens in my cars

[EKjimmy]

Blacky, do new ones fit as well as originals?
It's one of the things i can see bothering me way off into the future when mine is finished and am considering a new one - for around $400 fitted saving all the b/s of doing it yourself it sounds okay.
New door glass is probably on the order too, can't stand scratches in glass

[muza]

How do scratches in side glass go for a roady, anyone know?

[vmx-mxr]

How do scratches in side glass go for a roady, anyone know?

In NSW I am pretty sure it is only the front screen that the inspection get tough on. If the scratching (or birds-eyes etc on a laminated screen) is in the line of vision and impedes it in the view of the authorised inspector then it's a fail. It's all down to how tough they want to be and how bad the damage is.

I doubt side glass would be an issue other than aesthetics unless we are going down the window tint road and the rules are pretty clear on that, or if the damage was so bad you couldn't see through the glass !

I suspect the rules would be much the same in other states now the pricks in Canberra are trying to run all our lives from there

Dave Mac

[inkilstr8r]

How do scratches in side glass go for a roady, anyone know?

they wont pass a scratched drivers window in Vic , just make sure you keep your window wound down.

[RobinGi]

the roadworthy shop dandenong tests for scratches by turning the lights off in the garage and uses a UV light to detect any scratches on the windscreen, in normal daylight the scratches are undetectable, any car that has used its wipers would fail that test, then he had the ordasity to recommend a mate that would fit a new windscreen for me
i had bit a a heated discussion over it and told him he could stick his UV light where it won't shine
took the car to another garage where they passed it without problem
so here's my get back - stay away from the roadworthy shop dandenong.

[zl296]

l hear what you are saying...
l had a roadie done in dandy 3 weeks ogo...
all good....
vic roads inspector drove from the city to country vic,about a 2 hour drive to look at the car....
waste of our tax payer money...
dont think they like old cars on the road...
living in nazi germany would be better than victoria....

[rosco]

In answer to the OP question and subject - if you have seat belts fitted for all passengers - laminated would win hands down....
On club runs/tours etc - we all live in fear of one vehicle getting a shattered windscreen - "safety glass" usually disintegrates if hit by any sudden shock.
Laminated also affords windscreen repair for "bulls eye" chips - the same "chip" in a toughened windscreen will almost always result in it shattering.

But, the two great areas where toughened dominates are wear and safety. Wear - because the glass is of a harder composition. Safety - because any un-restrained persons will pass through a shattered windscreen with far less physical damage than running through the "shredder" of a laminated one - sorry about the brutality of the statement - but that is what happens..... the plastic sheeting in the "lamination" makes the windscreen very resistant to fragmenting.... a body attempting to pass through it from either direction will most certainly suffer considerable "shard" damage....

There is an up side to laminated windows in this regard - a 'roo strike - will afford the most protection from the animal actually entering the vehicle... saftey glass will probalby just anger it a bit... and those great rear legs and claws will be doing their utmost to escape....... hmmmm... bad thoughts..... now people - go and have a nice drive in the country - don't let my words curtail your enjoyement....... equation : vehicles on road/vehicles hitting 'roos = insignificant.....

I had a RWC done on the '09 Hilux for sale purposes done three weeks ago. There were a few very small stone blast spots over the entire front window (road trains)... I was preparing to have to use the insurance company "free" window option before I cancelled the policy - but the tester told me that although there were a lot of them - none were sufficient to warrant a replacement... apparently, they have relaxed the sand-blast criticality.... which, I find perplexing.....
It would seem some very unhappy customers decided to play the "fair trade" card - and won... it was getting very silly here - and the post above with the UV light probably refers to a method now not used... unless you have an ulterior motive....

PM me if you are in the eastern subs, Melbourne - the bloke I went to was pretty user friendly - $185 for the inspection/certificate.

frats,
Rosco

[vmx-mxr]

I had a RWC done on the '09 Hilux for sale purposes done three weeks ago. There were a few very small stone blast spots over the entire front window (road trains)... I was preparing to have to use the insurance company "free" window option before I cancelled the policy - but the tester told me that although there were a lot of them - none were sufficient to warrant a replacement... apparently, they have relaxed the sand-blast criticality.... which, I find perplexing.....

Your above mentioned situation is why sling shots were invented - a decent birdseye would solve your insurance problem

As for the laminated glass injuries, you are soooooooo correct. After 25yrs as a firey and most of that as rescue, a body passing through a laminated screen suffers shocking trauma, firstly from the initial impact and then the severe lacerations as it passes through and there have been many (mostly fatal) that have only partially gone through - very ugly business !

Hence, if you don't have seatbelts in a good working condition you should make sure you have VERY good medical, life and funeral insurances which are up to date.

Dave Mac

[rosco]

Hmmm.... Dave - I just "couldn't" - my conscience would not allow it.... and, my luck - the projectile would rebound and dent body work..... or someone else's vehicle..

Yes, sadly have been witness to many such events - once seen, seatbelts go on automatically.. even if just moving on driveway - it's a pretty traumatic experience to view the result of......

Safety glass has its merits - but readers should not percieve that it is "safe" to pass through...... take a trip back down memory lane and view some media pix.....
Just to support this opinion - next time you have to "kick" out a front or rear screen for some reason - imagine doing this with your head....... it's a more compressive instrument to use than a pair of boots........ seat belts folk - for everyone!

frats,
Rosco