So the other day I performed one of those classic "guy stunts," namely thinking with my rather than my head . Was pulling a tree down and after I got it down (at little more than an idle) I gave it a little go juice, stretched a 3 foot section of chain solid, and finely one of the links made like the Red Sea and parted. So anyway I've knocked out the whole left side of my rear window.

I've made some calls to some local auto glass places and they all quote me $400-$600 for the replacement glass(the whole thing slider and all)!! I'm having trouble swallowing that, I mean I had a 2000 Land Rover (read BRITISH = EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN) and I got a new *heated* windshield for $200 installed and they came to me! Is this really true?

If not, is there anywhere that sells a rear window for less?

Thanks for the help guys!

Ed

 

Don't know about the window but consider yourself lucky. Coulda been alot worse I'd imagine...

 

O yeah trust me I do. I felt the truck lurch and I immediately became very much closer aquainted with my 4 wheel shift lever!

 

I always use straps but I've been told that guys that use winches with cables will hang a blanket or heavy jacket over the cable to dampen the force if it snaps. Doubt that would be effective with a heavy chain though...

 

Yeah I've seen that but the one time I saw a log skidder part a cable and there were 4 heavy Carhart jackets on it and they didn't do much...the cable still hit the heavy chain link snapback guard around the cab.

I'm always scared of straps and cables cuz of that nasty snapback. I tend to use chain cuz it aint elastic (this one got me because the tree gave it a slingshot effect). I guess I watched one too many 5" hawsers part while onboard ship

I was mostly stupid in that I didn't check all the chains we were using. I knew my two chains were good but the other guy's chain I didn't check and it was the one the broke. And it was pretty corroded to the point I wouldn't have used it had I looked at it.

I did a little more pricing and that $600 seems pretty normal...almost low. I think its rediculous but hey what can I do. Guess I'll just jury-rig some plexiglass in there until I decide I can justify new glass.

 

check out a local auto wreckers might have a used one cheap then youd just need to install it.

 

just went thru exact same ordeal... so I've got answers for you.

got careless and threw a 2x10 into my left rear window section. rest of sliding window was undamaged.

thought no big deal... I'll just order a pane of glass and be done.... WRONG!

no one stocked glass separately. only option was factory slider glass assembly or go to a one piece glass. prices were $600-$950 for factory slider. believe it or not dealer was cheapest.

I said... screw that and got busy calling salvages. spent an entire day calling with no luck. found several available out of town. but they wanted $250 shipping charges. price was reasonable at $90, but add shipping...

finally found one at local salvage. went there and they told me bad news... when they went to pull it. right glass was busted out. just so happens, left was what I needed.

got out of there for $50... salvage was glad to sell a broken slider for that. got home and removed old slider. carefully unscrewed and replace broken left pane with good pane of glass.

reinstalled ... worked perfect! total costs $50....

 

take it to a glass shop and have them cut a piece of the right thickness and the right radius, they will either temper it or send it out for tempering.... it should cost not more than a hundred dollars

 

Cool. I'll be checking the glass shop and the yards. Thanks for the posts guys!

 

Consider it a lesson on life and a cheap one at that. A wire rope can cut a person in half.
Straps have less recoil energy but they will still do serious damage when they break- no matter what you pull with you should always lay absorbing material on it- that's a basic rule of off roading. Jackets, floor matts, blankets, anything to try to absorb the energy when that breaks.

I have straps and also prefer chain or wire rope. Straps seem to be too elastic and I've seen some seriously knarled tailgates from those straps.

At least with the proper chain if you size it correctly the only weakness is when you fail to inspect it. BTW, don't use the tie down chain or "tow chain" you get commonly- you should be using Grade 80 or Grade 100, anything less is not rated for recovery use which means not pulling things, just holding them.

 

Oh yeah straps will mess you up all right. And what's real scary about em is when they take a hook or other chunk of metal with them.