[James1911]

I've only had my truck for a month now and already have 2 half inch cracks in my windshield and a bunch of tiny chips. Before I bought this truck I was driving my brother's old honda coupe and it never got any damages to the windshield, and I drove that car till the wheels fell off.

Is this a normal thing with trucks?

 

[yesterdaysradios]

Nope. Just bad luck on your part. Try not following the vehicle in front of you so close. Can't happen, if you back off a bit.

 

[m_bisson]

I've been driving for 10 years and I've only ever gotten one chip. I'd say it's just bad luck.

 

[tumbleweed]

If there is any difference cars probably get more chips because their windshields are lower and closer to the road. Your just having a run of bad luck.

 

[shift_RUSH]

Trucks in general have a more upright windshield angle = making for harder impacts. Whereas more sloped windshields can result in a more glancing impact.

 

[centercab]

I recently started a thread on this...

http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f8/wth-windshields-238922/

My current windshield has cracked a bit more, but it is up high and mostly out of my line of sight. I'll replace it eventually, but I want to get the most use out of this one that I can.

 

[juto]

Nope. Just bad luck on your part. Try not following the vehicle in front of you so close. Can't happen, if you back off a bit.

Good advice for myriad reasons. Speaking of flying debris, I made a lower grill mesh guard from the same material. Post a pic, I'd like to see how yours came out. But before I stray too far off-topic, maybe try having the cracks repaired. Our previous Frontier had a 1/2" crack (maybe bigger) which was repaired using that heated resin/epoxy and it worked great. One shop wouldn't do it, declaring the crack too significant too repair. The second shop decided they wanted the cash and did it.

 

[Cusser]

Here in Arizona they "chip-seal" the roads with small rocks/gravel, windshield breakage is real common, plus semi trucks full of rocks (and flying rocks) are not uncommon.

All my vehicles have chips in them from rocks, and the 2004 Frontier has a 6-inch crack. I actually have insurance glass coverage on that vehicle, will get that fixed soon; if I have a shop in Phoenix fix it under insurance, I'll get like $75-$100 gift card, there is a lot of competition, and the glass companies really must ream the insurance companies to be able to do that.

If you're paying out of pocket, be sure to specify non-insurance price when calling, believe my '98 Frontier windshield was about $130 a few years ago, and done in my driveway.

 

[Izerous]

I didn't even make 1000km before getting an non-repairable crack in the windshield. In Alberta the roads are sanded come winter and the sand isn't always as fine as it should be containing larger chunks of rock etc. Even if you avoid chipping and cracking after a while it will be sandblasted enough that you want to replace it anyways due to the micro chipping and etching from the sand.

The more vertical windshield in a truck does play a big part of it too as already mentioned. Older jeeps for example are really bad for it as well etc.

found a place where my 2012 Windshield cost me $260CAD (CrackMasters) w/ new molding compared to $350-400CAD from other chain companies (Apple Auto Glass, Speedy Glass, Crystal Glass).

 

[Zero Six LE]

It has nothing to do with following distance in some cases. If a pebble comes out of a tire and flies into the air, it can land on your glass even if you are at the proper following distance. I have had something hit my windshield while driving on I10 and there was nothing in front of me for well over 100 yards. Most if not all of my windshield chips and cracks happened when I was driving on I10. I had my truck for about 8 years before having the windshield replaced due to a crack that started above the tint band and spread down below it. I had plenty of small pits before then on all of my vehicles. Even had the windshield replaced on my 2011 Avalon already a couple of years ago. I just got a rock chip in my driver's door last week on I10 when a semi truck was passing me.