Gorilla glass breaking without impacts?

[Murphydog]

I think Gorila Glass has a marketing problem. It does perform better - but it isn't indestructible.

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[The Last Cowboy]

The Gorilla layer is on the inside, not the outside. The outside is just as susceptible to rock chips and such as regular windshield glass. Windshield glass has 3 layers, and outer layer of glass, a mid layer of flexible polymer material and an inner layer of glass. The mid layer helps to contain occupants in a crash, and absorb impact and hold together as much of the glass shards as possible in the event of and object impacting the windshield.

The inner gorilla layer is better at further absorbing large debris impacts and keeping the windshield intact rather than penetrated, makes for a lighter windshield, and and increases structural strength. A Wrangler doesn't need a structural windshield, as there is now a ROPS "sport bar" behind the windshield frame.

 

[Pig-Pen]

Gorilla glass claims to be more resistant to impacts and scratches, neither of which happened here. they never claimed it was spontaneous crack resistant. judgement is for the defendant.

 

[Jtphoto]

It’s very common to have a small stone chip at the bottom edge of the windshield. The heat from the defroster causes at stress crack at that chip. I had the same happen on my JK with regular glass. If you run your fingernail over the edge of the windshield at the crack you can feel the chip.

 

[OSCAR II]

I’m kind of on that route but mine has the internal antenna.

Pretty sure the sport and sport S come without GG but have the internal antenna so it is available.

If its under warranty and you can get them to honor it, get the GG. After that I wouldn't.

 

[Deleted User 38384]

This is my OEM non-Gorilla Glass.

The big crack I got last summer, it started off as a small little rock Chip, I patched it up and the second came to winter and I put the heater on, it just went up to the top of the window.

The massive spider crack there happened last week driving home from work. The window got hit by a marble-sized pebble as I hopped into the fast lane. I did a DIY fix again and it seems to not be spreading right now, but who knows. ?‍

So yeah, 2 years in and my base OEM glass seems to be holding up a lot better than a lot of people's gorilla glass. The only real downside being, if I do replace my window, it's not free or covered under warranty.

That's actually most the reason why I haven't replaced it yet. Also too I want to find something a little more expensive and possibly bullet resistant to replace it with. That way it can maybe will handle a couple of large rocks coming towards it, and not crack up real quick.

Honestly the Wrangler window being the angle it's at, I'll probably go and replace it every 5 years instead of after a crack or two.

I feel like it's a losing battle, a war you're never going to win, so why bother trying to fight it. Just go with the flow.

 

[NewbJLUOwner]

I was just driving to work this morning in my 24’ JLU with 3,800 miles. It was 35° outside and I had my defrosters on because I don’t like heat beating on me while I drive. Out of nowhere my gorilla glass windshield splits from the bottom center with no rock impact on a smooth road.
I’ve read on here these guys are super expensive. Do I have any luck with warranty? What are y’all’s

I feel your pain
I've replaced 3 windshields in 1st year of Jeep ownership (JLURD 2022)
1 was Gorilla Glass and haven’t gone back to GG since
Unfortunately, this is Jeep Wranglers common issue, Broken Windshields
Luckily, I live in Florida where it's free replacement under insurance
Make sure you get that fixed asap @ Dealership & Document
Best wishes

 

[sunset]

If you want OEM Gorilla Glass with the little Jeep on it, etc., my insurance agent told me if I were to let them, the insurance company, replace it, they'd take it to some place like Safelite who would install whatever they install. But, I can instead order OEM GG myself, pay upfront, then present the invoice to him as the insurance company for reimbursement.

FWIW.

 

[AcesandEights]

Is there more to the story?

Why would it not be covered?

 

[sunset]

The Gorilla layer is on the inside, not the outside. The outside is just as susceptible to rock chips and such as regular windshield glass. Windshield glass has 3 layers, and outer layer of glass, a mid layer of flexible polymer material and an inner layer of glass. The mid layer helps to contain occupants in a crash, and absorb impact and hold together as much of the glass shards as possible in the event of and object impacting the windshield.

The inner gorilla layer is better at further absorbing large debris impacts and keeping the windshield intact rather than penetrated, makes for a lighter windshield, and and increases structural strength. A Wrangler doesn't need a structural windshield, as there is now a ROPS "sport bar" behind the windshield frame.

But not as good at dealing with smaller rocks? Is that why they don't put the GG layer on the outside, where a layman like me would assume it would be? Or both sides, actually.

 

[Ratbert]

But not as good at dealing with smaller rocks? Is that why they don't put the GG layer on the outside, where a layman like me would assume it would be? Or both sides, actually.

It wouldn't take much grit between your wipers and the windshield to scratch the f out of it.

 

[sunset]

It wouldn't take much grit between your wipers and the windshield to scratch the f out of it.

So it's weaker for that than regular glass. I guess I expected too much from it.

But, they use it on cell phones, too. For that, is it on the outside while just as scratchable? I wonder.

Thanks.

 

[Ratbert]

So it's weaker for that than regular glass. I guess I expected too much from it.

But, they use it on cell phones, too. For that, is it on the outside while just as scratchable? I wonder.

Thanks.

I never said it was weaker than regular glass. It's thinner / lighter with a different backing. I've had fairly good luck with mine considering how common cracked windshields are here. 33K miles and "only" on my second. Being able to make it through a winter w/o a crack is quite an achievement.

I'm thinking that if you sprinkled sand on the screen of a cell phone, then repeatedly used a windshield wiper to clean it off, that you'd end up scratching it. Most people tend to protect that relatively fragile glass with a replaceable screen protector. Something similar is available for our rigs, but it's also rather expensive and, as far as I know, not covered by insurance.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Tape you cell phone to your windshield and take a 500 mile road trip going 75 MPH and see what happens to it. The most force a phone usually sees is a 3-4 drop. Also, a phone screens area is just a fraction of what a windshield is.

 

[sunset]

I never said it was weaker than regular glass. It's thinner / lighter with a different backing. I've had fairly good luck with mine considering how common cracked windshields are here. 33K miles and "only" on my second. Being able to make it through a winter w/o a crack is quite an achievement.

I'm thinking that if you sprinkled sand on the screen of a cell phone, then repeatedly used a windshield wiper to clean it off, that you'd end up scratching it. Most people tend to protect that relatively fragile glass with a replaceable screen protector. Something similar is available for our rigs, but it's also rather expensive and, as far as I know, not covered by insurance.

No, sorry, I'm not saying you said it was weaker. I am the one saying it is weaker, for grit wiped by a wiper blade. Or maybe it's the same for that as regular glass. After all, I've never taken a regular windshield on a trail to introduce grit between the it and the wiper blades. Although, I've been in many a strong wind in a Wyoming prairie setting and don't recall windshield scrapes.

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