Chevy & GMC Vans

Hey folks, anyone ever tried to permanantly bond the tilting middle side glass panels? I have a really powerfull audio system in excess of 160dB and those side glass panels are moving alot. I put some regular sealant on them and clamped them close, but it only held for a few months. Maybe I should remove them completley and along with the rubber and bond them in as you would a windsheild?

Any tips would be useful!

Thanks

I've never done it but...
I'd remove the weather stripping and clean the metal really well with brake cleaner or rubbing alcohol. Then I'd use something like Dow 795 black silicone to wet seal it. The 795 isn't a sealant you can get in your local home depot, it's the stuff they use to seal windows in 60 story office towers. As for a source, dunno where it can be had retail. Short of that, silicone adhesive with the same prep might do it.

[edit] wait. what am I thinking... use the same type sealant that is used for windshields.

To get back to factory fixed glass, and get it right,,you'll need to clean out all adhesive and re-apply. The glass has no rubber seal when installed fixed so you'll need to remove what's in the window for the swing out.

Good advice. I was thinking along the same. Clean up the back of the glass and same with metal on the window flange with some pre-clean, and use the glue (polyurethane) used to bond windshields. Bet that sucker aint coming out in a hurry lol

other thoughts: after removing the weather stripping run your finger along there and make sure there are no burrs in the metal. The side windows are tempered glass. If the glass rests against metal, and there is sharp point in there anywhere, vibration is highly likely to drive the point of the burr into the glass, thereby breaking the surface tension and causing the glass to shatter. I suggest putting some small spacers behind the glass with the window closed so a gap exists behind the glass, and a bead of sealant can be tooled in between the glass and metal.

OK i'll check to see how flat it is. I'm guessing there will be a series of spot welds along the flange but then could be joins where metal sits slightly proud.

I'll take pics while I do it over the next couple of days

I've a better, and less expensive, solution -- TURN DOWN THE VOLUME!

A jet engine at 30 metres puts out a piddly 150 dB. Threshold of pain is at 130 dB and you already have PERMANENT hearing damage. You can NEVER recover lost hearing; it is NOT temporary.

Cap'n...I think he is pumping 160 db in competition only.

Mr Singh wrote:Hey folks, anyone ever tried to permanantly bond the tilting middle side glass panels? I have a really powerfull audio system in excess of 160dB and those side glass panels are moving alot. I put some regular sealant on them and clamped them close, but it only held for a few months. Maybe I should remove them completley and along with the rubber and bond them in as you would a windsheild?

Any tips would be useful!

Thanks

Not sure but here's some irony... I was just about to post a question on where to find replacement hinges (outside of a dealership) for those very windows! I'll buy yours if you seal them up!

CaptSquid wrote:I've a better, and less expensive, solution -- TURN DOWN THE VOLUME!

A jet engine at 30 metres puts out a piddly 150 dB. Threshold of pain is at 130 dB and you already have PERMANENT hearing damage. You can NEVER recover lost hearing; it is NOT temporary.

lol. All to aware of the damage. It is purely competition use.

OK, the window turned out to be an easy fix. hinges remain, rubber remains. Got some PU Flex glue from a guy that installs windshields. He ran a bead through a lip on the rubber that moves, he ran a bead over the rubber. Keyed the back of the glass with some special primer and we clamped it back in.

After 24hrs I was shocked how solid it is, theres a tiny about of give which is probably a good thing as it will probably never shatter. It was never an issue of shatter it was more the issue of constraining the flex! The glue is lethal, it sticks like shit to a towel, its not coming off in a hurry.

I'll be testing it out again today so I'll let you all know how it copes, but I dont think its going to bother us again. Next we need to control the doors, they flex out almost 2"

heh..once you get that bad boy sealed up goodntight one bar too many on the volume will make it blow up like a metal blowfish

now you know why people use cargo vans for boom contest trucks.

Update.

Something broke, BAD. I'll get pics up later, it wasn't the side glass we bonded in something else

Can't wait to see the destruction pics!

CaptSquid wrote:I've a better, and less expensive, solution -- TURN DOWN THE VOLUME!

A jet engine at 30 metres puts out a piddly 150 dB. Threshold of pain is at 130 dB and you already have PERMANENT hearing damage. You can NEVER recover lost hearing; it is NOT temporary.

tell me about it. My ears have been ringing for 34 years. The story started with a 44 mag, and a beer can at the end of the days hunt and ended with...huh? what?

unfortunate thing about advice. It's often given and seldom taken.