How Is Side or Back Glass Replacement Different From Windshield Work?

Summary:

Mike explains that side and back glass are tempered glass, which behaves very differently from a windshield. The first difference is cleanup: tempered glass shatters into pieces that end up everywhere, so cleanup is a big part of the job. He also notes the safety design behind it. Tempered glass is the only glass in the car meant to break away so you can get out in an accident, while the windshield is designed to keep you in. The work itself involves taking apart door panels, A pillars, C pillars, and other interior parts to reach the bolts and pins that hold the glass in. The preparation and products are similar to windshield work, but side glass does not carry the same structural importance as the windshield.

Answer:

The difference between doing tempered glass and doing a windshield starts with cleanup. Cleanup is a big thing, because there is glass everywhere. Tempered glass is the only glass in your car meant to let you out in an accident, versus your windshield, which was meant to keep you in. The tempered glass breaks away so you can get out, which is why it shatters into all those small pieces. As far as the work, it is more or less me taking apart door panels, A pillars, C pillars, and other interior parts to get to the specific bolts and pins and everything else that holds these side glasses in. So there is a lot more disassembly involved to reach the glass. It still uses the same kind of procedure as far as your preparation and the products that you are using. But it is not as important, or does not have as important of a job, as the windshield does. The windshield is structural, and side glass is not carrying that same load.