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KNOW
CHIPS
Will Replace Your Cracked/Broken Windshield To Meet And Exceed
Manufacturers Safety Standards |
WINDSHIELDS 101 FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE CHALLENGED
Know The Facts of what you’re
buying, before you buy.
A windshield is not an
accessory
Your windshield is one of the most
important safety components of your car. It can be up to 70% of the
rollover protection in an accident, it also helps the passenger side
airbag to deploy in an accident, holding your family members inside
the vehicle.
Urethane ( the glue or adhesive) holds
the windshield to the vehicle. If you are going to have your
windshield replaced, you should always ask to see a
"Safe
Drive-Away Chart" (see link below) for
the urethane the installer is going to use. Some urethane takes
time, heat and humidity for proper curing and others, advanced cure
adhesives, just take time. We here at Know Chips use DOW
BETASEAL ONE that requires 1hr to achieve safe
drive-away. Other shops use urethanes that will NOT cure many days
or even weeks in winter conditions, this is less expensive for those
shops.
The primers, one for the glass and one
for the vehicle, that glass shops use do not work properly under 40
drgrees F, this is why we require vehicles to come to the shop
during the winter monthw, it's simply for your safety.
Another of the ways glass shops use to
hold down their cost is to use glass that was manufactured in far
off lands like China, and as we all know now, China has a hard time
even painting wooden toys for use in the USA.
We here at Know Chips use original
equipment (OE), or better glass for your car. It is a bit more
expensive at first, but is much more repairable (rock chips repair),
so in the long run it's less expensive. We have served many fleets
that had been bitten by the "cheap bug", but now see how many $$$
that are saved over a year.
So is the cheapest guy in
town the one you really wish to use?
***YOUR SAFETY IS OUR MOST IMPORTANT PRODUCT***
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Approximately 35 million OEM
installations annually
BETASEAL adhesives restore
windshield structures to their original strength. BETASEAL adhesives are
used to install auto glass in 70 percent of all new vehicles worldwide —
over 27 million factory installations per year. In North America,
BETASEAL adhesives are used in 98 percent of all vehicle production.
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To View The Safe Drive-Away Time Charts
For The Urethanes That We Use
CLICK HERE |
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No one should
drive around with a cracked/broken windshield...
***and here is why***
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Since the '70s, in
an order to save weight and meet more stringent safety standards,
windshields became a critical structural support component of the vehicle
not just something to keep the bugs out of your teeth.
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CALL
US at: 515-238-9025
in Des Moines, Iowa to get your windshield replaced by our qualified techs.
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at KNOW CHIPS are trained and dedicated to your safety. We replace
all windshields with OEM or better glass, use industry approved
procedures, and use DOW Automotive/Essex adhesives and chemicals. We will
not finish a replacement just to finish the job if the windshield
pinchweld (window frame) won't hold the windshield due to rust, metal
failure, etc.
WE DO IN-HOUSE RUST REMOVAL AND REPRISE WITH DOW CHEMICAL ESSEX 5201,
WHICH RESTORES THE E-COAT AND HAS A RUST INHIBITOR. IF NEEDED KNOW CHIPS
HAS THE ABILITY TO WELD IN NEW METAL TO THE PINCH WELD, EVEN SOME OF OUR
COMPETITORS HAVE OUR TECHNICIANS TAKE CARE OF RUST PROBLEMS THAT ARE
BEYOND THE COMPETITORS ABILITY.
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The U.S.
Department of Transportation mandates all vehicles pass the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard specifications
These
standards include:
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FMVSS 212 measures
windshield retention in a barrier crash. Every make and model
vehicle is accelerated to 30 mph and crashed head-on into a
concrete barrier. The automobile must retain 75 percent of the
windshield along the pinchweld perimeter. Some vehicle
manufacturers require 100% retention in this severe crash test. |
FMVSS 216
is the roof crush performance test. It measures the structural
strength required to protect occupants in the event the vehicle
rolls over. One and one-half times the unloaded vehicle weight or
6,000 lbs. (whichever is less) of force is applied at an angle to
the roof. The roof structure can depress no more than five inches to
pass.
FMVSS 208
occupant crash protection specifies equipment requirements for
active and passive restraints, including air bags. There can be no
separation of load-bearing safety assemblies in a 30 mph barrier
crash. This pertains to the windshield because the passenger side
air bag deploys off the windshield in order to perform its safety
function.
FMVSS 219
windshield intrusion test measures the windshield's ability
to keep a 15 lb. object traveling at 30 mph from entering the
vehicle cabin. The glass and adhesive bond protects occupants from
intrusion of external objects. The windshield can displace no more
than 1/4" to pass.
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is an example of these standards at work, primarily the FMVSS 216
standard. We at Know Chips replaced this very windshield 2 weeks
before this 3/4 ton Chevy Van rolled over in the ditch after leaving the
road at highway speed. As you can see, the windshield cracked
extensively but it stayed in place and held up the front of the top and
protected the driver. We are happy to report that the driver only
sustained minor cuts and bruises.
This is the very reason why we use only the
strongest adhesives and the best quality glass products. 
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Here is a later 90's vintage G Series Chevy Van
that we replaced the windshield approximately 2 years ago. At that
time there was considerable rust along the top pinchweld due to a poor prior
install (not by us). At that time we used the Dow Chemical bare metal etch
primer #5201 for rust removal and
restoration to treat the pinchweld and installed the new windshield using
Dow Chemical One urethane.
Now, 2 years later the van rolled over in an accident, the windshield
maintained it's integrity and supported the roof from collapsing which kept
the driver from injury. The rust removal process and the use of top
grade adhesives proved to hold up under the toughest test. |
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WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT FAQ's
Q. How much does it cost?
A. It depends mostly on the year/make/model of
your vehicle, but we do guarantee competitive pricing. Call for a
free estimate. After looking at the picture of the van above would
you want to trust your life to the lowest bidder. We only use the
best advanced cure adhesives available on every replacement.
Q. How long will it take?
A. Usually for most vehicles it takes about an
hour for removal and replacement. With the adhesives we use there is
at least another hour until it is safe to drive away. We use Dow
Betaseal One which is the same urethane used by the hi-end European cars
such as Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche. This new urethane provides
additional torsional stiffness to quiet and stabilize the vehicles
ride.
Q. How do I know it won't leak when it rains?
A. Upon request, for no additional charge, we will test every
windshield we replace for leaks with an ultrasonic transmitter that
detects the smallest leak. |
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ULTRASONIC LEAK
DETECTION
Here is one of
our technicians testing for leaks in a replaced windshield. |
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| Q. My windshield does not
need replaced but can I get it tested for leaks?
A. Yes, for a nominal fee we will ultrasonically test for and
pin-point any leaks you might have in your windshield. Repairing
of any leaks on windshields we did not replace is not included in this fee.
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| Q. What warranty do I get
with a replaced windshield?
A. Know Chips provides a lifetime guarantee on our workmanship
and defective glass is covered by the manufacturer of the glass.
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glassman@knowchips.com
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