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windshield keeps cracking, NEED HELP!!!
Hello, I just purchased CCX8083 about 6 moths ago. It had been sitting for 11 years outside and needed LOTS! of help. I replaced the windshield with a new one from Cobra Restorers. and it cracked! replaced it again and cracked yesterday after about 100miles. I have gone through the front suspension fully and rear has new Eibach coil-overs (old ones were frozen solid). now she rides perfect! I am getting chassis flex at the point where the underdash bar mounts to the firewall. I have redrilled (2 bolts on each side) and put a plate on the engine compartment side, which samwiches the fiberglass. It still squeeks and flexes. Yesterday my new 480.00 (second) windshield cracked again. I am installing the glass just like it came from the factory and I am stumped! does anyone have any suggestions on chassyflex, causing the windshield to crack? HELP!
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Quite a few are using Fast Freddies windshield.
Fast Freddie's Fabrications - Fast Freddie's Lexan Roadster Windshield |
This is a longshot....but have you put the car on scales?
Maybe the car is twisting? When I first got my car it looked/sat right, but the corner weighting was Way off |
Rumor has it there are 2 manufactures of replica W/S's so its a problem that also effects other makes. It has been disscussed and cussed quite often. Some claim and are probably correct it is caused bu the screws that protrude in and contact the glass. Some are reversing some screw and turnthem into studs and putting acron nuts on the outside and cutting off any screw that can come close to the glass.
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Assuming it's not the screws, another problem can be how the windshield frame mounts to the car. Do not flex the frame to fit the chassis. If there is a gap add a spacer. If it's too tight and has to stretch over the chassis the modify the chassis.
If it's cracking right down the middle and you have a center mount remove it or use shorter screws. |
I'll be watching this threadf. I bought an older EM in 99. It had a small ding at the lower edge. I lived with it for several years I bought a new windsheild from Classic Roadsters. I had it installed in the frame and I mounted the assembly. It was sitting in the garage and the next weekend we had a party so I let a friend look and he said sorry about my windsheild . I asked why and he said it was allready cracked. I looked for my self and bigger than ---- I had a crack starting from the top. It has since gone to the bottom and back to the top a couple of times. All the cracks are on the passenger side.
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If the glass has cracked a couple of times I would be checking for improper twist or pressure on the glass/frame. Check for the mount to chassis rails that hold the windshield frame somehow being mis-aligned or the body hitting the glass frame.
The body should not be touching or putting force on any part of the frame around the glass. The rubber across the bottom of course contacts the body but the chrome frame around the glass should not be sitting on or touching the body. The very corners are close to the body but not applying any real pressure or body flex and movement may cause cracking. The frame of the windshield should be supported by the side rails. These rails need to be mounted or attached to the chassis. The rails when mounted properly should be firm and properly aligned so not imparting any twist or force against the windshield frame or that may cause cracking of the glass. These things are not manufacturer specific just common things to verify. you will get it whipped. |
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Sounds like someone sat in your passenger side and used the windshield as a grab bar to get out. Or had a hand on the corner of the winshield when leaning in to look. That's a really big no-no. |
I am not a expert on this subject but I have read a lot about it. I just installed my windshield today. My windshield was made by International Wholesale. I believe they changed the design. The side screws do not go through the frame now. They screw into a brass strip in the channel. A few other things I have read. Don't let the side legs be tight against the body. Make sure there is a gap all the way around. Don't pull the side legs tight with the bolts to the frame mounts. This will distort the the frame. Use washers to take of the gaps.
If your frame is flexing you may have to add an X brace behind the trans. If when you go over dips and bumps slowly you can see the margins at the top of your doors change your frame is flexing. Good luck. |
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wanted to thank all you guys for your answers. I found a lexan with MDR, for 350.00 precut for a cobra. I also noticed as one of you said that the windshield frame "is" touching the body slightly. so opening up those slots is on the to-do list. NOW???? any ideas on chassy flex? I have a issue where the under dash bar attatches to the firewall I have movement. I drilled another hole on each side and as i said samwiched the firewall between metal plates. IT STILL CREEKS AND MOANS! I do realize that this is one of the first contemporarys made. and its old. but do I need to reinforce that underdash bar. or??? any ideas? also are any of you guys running a body type bushing or a strip of rubber between the frame and body?
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3038 would not be one of the early cars as they started with build dates first. My old car was from 1982 prior to CCX3-3XXX system being put into place. Check my gallery....... :( I miss it....
CCX cars are usually very sound, mine was perfect after many years of New England roads. Maybe someone made mods to body/tub? Skip the metal plates and use a high quality seam sealer for OEM automobiles. It is flexible and great bonding power. Used in new cars for the same reason plus it helps seal out water. It comes brushable and also caulking gun tube.... Use this in a squeeky seem and say by by to the noise....... ;) |
The cowl tube shouldn't be flexing anywhere near that much. If it is bolted through at the firewall how can it? Does it have the small support tube under the body edge at the back of the cowl? The cockpit is molded into the CCX body and should not be moving unless something has broken or separated. Check the windsheild hardware and mounting method as previously suggested. Does it have a bracket in the centre attaching it to the cowl? You should have some welting between the body and chassis I believe.
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The underdash hoop is attached to the main frame (at the floor) with bolts and the top of the hoop is attached to the firewall which is fiberglass. The original cars had long tubes running for the dash hoop to the front suspension and these tubes were also attached to the top of the foot boxes. The problem with the ccx is the brake pedal assembly is mounted from the top of the pedal box and would interfere with the long tube. In order to properly reinforce the dash hoop you will have to convert to floor mount pedals. Hope this helps Rocco |
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I have been through the whole car and have it fastened as good as can be but over a bad pot hole the dash "moves". I know that its not a new car but the design is wrong, fiberglass is weak and must never be used as a supporting device. A pedal assembly bolted to 3/8" thick fiberglass foot box! I don't consider that safe, besided the extra weight! I was little dissappointed at some of the engineering of the ccx or lack of. The original car was nothing special as an engineering exercise but if your going to make a copy or replica, contemporary should of done it right. |
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I must add that my car has 12k miles and still has the original front screen. If his window is constantly breaking something is wrong.
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I'm suspecting just what you said. The car was in the proscess of getting interior and convertable top when the apolster calded and told me that my windsheild was off center. Uppon inspection the windsheils was about 3/4"more to left. I moved the location to the right by moving the right side from the inside to the outside of the cars bracing to the other side of that brace 1/8" and windsheild frame leg !/4"= 3/8".I made a spacer for the leftt side. When I get in motion I plan on starting at the side screws that hold the windsheils frame to the down legs that go through the body and see what happens. Is it clamping,pulling or is it twisting?
Money is tight and I just got barked at for buying 12 gal of gasoline. I received an email joke that told of a guy that came home only to have his wife demand to be taken out somwhere expensive. So he took her to the Gas station. |
About 3 years ago I had a stress crack appear overnight vertically from top to bottom after a drive on a very hot day. It happened while parked, it was NOT there before being parked. I have often wondered if the bodies "Grow" a little and can possibly press upwards on the bottom of the frame, effectively creating more "Curve" in the windshield frame, temporarily?? While at a car show recently a guy asked if all the Cobra winshield had the vertical "Seam" in the glass???
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