Eliminating the metal windshield trim aka rust maker
 

My windshield is starting to get a small leak and I would like to remove the metal trim around the windshield and replace it with rubber. Is this possible? I don't want my truck to rot, but this metal trim sucks.

I would like to know about this too... anyone?
Bump

Clarification I know the windshield will have to come out and be re-bonded, but my trim has seen better days and I don't feel like getting raped by the dealer and buying new trim.

My theory is the trim does not sit tight enough against the body in the first place and allows water to sit in the cracks and crevices. On my Honda the trim around the window was a piece of rubber.

Im in the windshield buisness, the trim on your truck is merely cosmetic and serves only that purpose. I hate it and have often pondered a alternative. Biggest problem is that the windshield is alot smaller than the space it fits. So adding a flexable trim around it that would fill the space would look even worse( and would pull out quickly anyway). I havent tried but thought of maybe trying, grinding clips for moulding, then body filler in spots needed then using a wide flex but in reverse. So in a way would act like an actual rain channel. There is a little more to my idea but you get where I am going with this.

Is a reputable glass shop going to try to sell me a windshield, when it's only a leak? Do any companies make the trim in the aftermarket that are not as bad as the dealer?

The glass is PPG and is like new.

Well a leaker is just that a leaker, but more to the point why is it leaking.

If rust is the issue or cause, stopping the leak with urethane or slicone only masks the problem and lets it get worse.
If the problem is a urethane or primer failure adding more wont fix it(why did it fail in the first place?
Was it installer error? (Is the glass original?)
so on and so forth

At our shop when it comes to windshields we dont put in used glass for numerous reasons IE: Compatability with previous product like primers and contamination of the previous urethanes.(bolt in tempered peices obviously dont apply).

It is possible to pull a windshield without breaking it but the extra time and labor isnt worth it, so when a shop says you need a new piece of glass make them explain why. If you feel comfortable with their explanation then proceed.

PPG and Pilkington are quality peices of glass and I have little complaints overall with either. I dont know what priceing looks like in your area but that glass is cheap(cost). So replace imo. It fixes unknown problems, make sure they warranty their work and product.

But in the end somtimes.....somtimes you get a leaker by weird circumstance and can be just back filled to solve the problem. But if rust is an issue, it needs to be fixed right or the problem will just keep coming back.

not sure if this will help you but I saw this on 4crawlers site.

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...rim/index.html

can't hurt to read about some other options.

http://humboldt.edu/~pke1/Site/Libra...s/DSCN1428.jpg

I had the windshield place get rid of mine the last time I had my windshield replaced. Basically it's a universal trim that goes around the edge of the window before it is glued in.

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Kind of looks like that in profile, with the part to the left going around the windshield and the other side covering the gap between the window and the cab. The glue still does all the water sealing, but the flange part does reduce wind noise slightly at speed. Just cosmetic otherwise.

This is the wide flexi trim I spoke of in my earlier post, who ever used it did a nice job from what I can see, I still wonder long term how it will hold up(due to gap that needs to be filled). If it was done the way I would, if I dared I expect it would last quite awhile.....only problem I see with that method is the next time it needs to be done the tech(installer) may have a real bitch of a time getting the job done, I suspect alot of glue was used. But otherwise nice seeing it has been done by someone.

Yeah, I wouldn't trust anyone but this guy to do it, he's a real pro. He owns and runs the business, and still does a couple installs himself, something I really admire.

This guy isn't any desk jockey ordering his workers around, he's right in there with them.

That install above is freakin awesome!

Damn i want that. I have a cracked and SCRATCHed to hell windshield. Every friend i have pisses and moans to me about my windshield. Ok ok it is beyond bad.

Get this, i bought hte truck the windshield wipers were crap. one side was missing the blade.. and it was obvious the pre-owner didnt care and ran it without the blade! .. the driver side had a blade.. anyways... there are three nice scratches where the arm connects to the blades scratched into the windshield...

ya ya its pretty bad, ontop of mass water spots and a massive crack from the top to the bottom directly down the cetner of the windshield then it spans over to the driver side door.

narly.. tho i've gotten so used to looking through the scratches and crack im transparent to the problem.

anyways.... ill have to call a few shops to see if they'll do that seal job. thats nice. beats the stupid plastic chrome trim thats non existent on our 2wd 87 pickup.

lil story on that truck, apparently the last windshield installer decided to drill holes in the sheet metal to install the window???? wtf? ya.. windshield leaked bad and water would puddle in the driver side foot well every morning after it rained (Western Washington). anyways trim is long gone because of this.

I want to bring up this dead horse. Has anyone else had luck getting a windshield installed with the universal trim? I am going to look around tomorrow and see if any local shops are willing to install a new windshield this way. And be able to remove the windshield, and let me fix the rust under it, and then reinstall it. Is the PPG places better quality? or does it just matter about what kind of shop it is?

Stupid molding!!! yet another thing to do on my long list to do..:( i pulled the molding off and grinded the rust spots and than sanded them, cleaned the area really well and use a liquid metal to temparily fix it,let it dry for a few days, sanded it smooth and put some primer on it, than used a window silicone for the seal that i razer bladed out, it jsut happed to leak onto my nuts...im serious, so it looked liked i pissed myself if i drove long enough. Im going to cut the whole peice out once i get to replaceing the window and make new peices, weld them in and primer them and so on. Attachment 172738

So i walked into the local auto glass palce to talk with them about my 4runner windshield. The guy I talked to wasnt a "auto" tech but he got my number, i told him that i want to get the windshield removed, then i fix the rust, and then they replace the windshield and use a universal gasket instead of the Toyota chrome stuff. He got my info and said he would talk to his auto glass guru and call me todat. Fast forward botu 20 mintues later his auto glass guru said know problem he can use the universal gasket. But he suggested not to because he said it would look Ugly. I think anything would look better than my chrome trim.

And if it looks like this
http://humboldt.edu/~pke1/Site/Libra...s/DSCN1428.jpg

I would be stoked. The guy on the phone said, he beleives it is just personal prefernce of the tech because he does alot of high end cars and i guess likes chrome trim better. So I got a quote of $163. So i just have to take a day or two off of work to be able to do this without interuption. So it looks like i will be getting rid of the current setup and get rid of my little rust build up. I want to do it now so i dont end up with huge holes in the windshield frame. I will psot up pics when it happens :)

Here is what I did on my '85:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...rim/index.html

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...m/p1020605.jpg

That looks really nice!

I think I might have to ask the glass shop if they can do that, as my windshield has a crack now, and a couple chips. They aren't in my line of sight, but they're there, and that's enough to bother me.

Chainlink - Do you think that a glass shop would warranty something like that? or is that out of the question because it's kind of custom work?

I was planning on replacing or painting all the chrome trim anyways. I am slowly going to get rid of all the chrome crap on my truck. It's just tacky, IMO grey and black looks much better than grey, black, and chrome.

4crawler yours is much wider than the others. Did you choose that width, or was that what the glass guy just decided to use?

Does anyone think the trim/rubber from a 89-95 pu/4run would work? They look close in shape but I have not seen what the 89-95 piece looks like out of the window.

He did it himself, purposefully overlapping.

my clips are all broken and halfway hanging off. could you just get some of the sealer for the windshield and use it like a caulk and smooth it out or would the sunlight and weather attack it and cause it to peel? i'd rather not put anything in place of those pieces at all, quick and easy; if it lasts.