wolf83
New member
i broke my back window the first day i bought my bronco. on my way home i thought i would try its off-roading capabilities... the window's molding was broken off, so it rattled in its track. i hit a bump pretty hard, causing it to jump off its track. days later while trying to put it back on its track i shattered the window. that was almost 2 years ago.
i finally got tired of duct tape and plastic, so i bought some 3/4" plywood, some black oil based paint, plexiglass, window tint, silicone caulk, and some broad headed screws.
i took the rest of the molding off the window track and removed the window motor.
then i cut the wood panel to fit very snugly -- i had to sand it thin in some areas since the glass is curved and the wood is not. i left about 4 inches at the bottom -- this part will stay inside the tailgate. then i sanded and painted, giving it several coats.
i routed out a section for the plexiglass by hand, then put the tint film on it.
i laid the plexiglass in place to drill holes in it, then siliconed the wood and put the plexiglass in place and screwed the broad headed screws in place -- careful! not too tight! you could crack the plexiglass!
i cut 2 notches - one notch on each side. they extend below the level of the tailgate. then i cut some wedges that when wedged into the notches, keep the wooden frame in place very tightly.
i siliconed the inside and outside of the plexiglass to keep out water, and finally put a handle near the top -- this helps me hold it up while i put in the wedges.
i rubbed a black crayon on the edges of the wood where it rubs the metal of the tailgate and the fiberglass top as it is being raised and lowered. the crayon wax doesn't get messy on my fingers and it helps it slide easier.
the plexiglass expands in the heat of the sun -- a feature i was not expecting -- it makes the window look wavy. and the silicone captures dust, making it look really dirty. but, it keeps out water and wind, and that's what i needed.
how's that for redneck tech!
>-
i finally got tired of duct tape and plastic, so i bought some 3/4" plywood, some black oil based paint, plexiglass, window tint, silicone caulk, and some broad headed screws.
i took the rest of the molding off the window track and removed the window motor.
then i cut the wood panel to fit very snugly -- i had to sand it thin in some areas since the glass is curved and the wood is not. i left about 4 inches at the bottom -- this part will stay inside the tailgate. then i sanded and painted, giving it several coats.
i routed out a section for the plexiglass by hand, then put the tint film on it.
i laid the plexiglass in place to drill holes in it, then siliconed the wood and put the plexiglass in place and screwed the broad headed screws in place -- careful! not too tight! you could crack the plexiglass!
i cut 2 notches - one notch on each side. they extend below the level of the tailgate. then i cut some wedges that when wedged into the notches, keep the wooden frame in place very tightly.
i siliconed the inside and outside of the plexiglass to keep out water, and finally put a handle near the top -- this helps me hold it up while i put in the wedges.
i rubbed a black crayon on the edges of the wood where it rubs the metal of the tailgate and the fiberglass top as it is being raised and lowered. the crayon wax doesn't get messy on my fingers and it helps it slide easier.
the plexiglass expands in the heat of the sun -- a feature i was not expecting -- it makes the window look wavy. and the silicone captures dust, making it look really dirty. but, it keeps out water and wind, and that's what i needed.
how's that for redneck tech!
>-
