In case you've ever invested a weekend trailing behind a pal on a messy path, you understand that the rock soaring off their wheel can ruin a glass windshield in a heartbeat, which is exactly why a lexan windshield is like a game-changer for those who actually use their vehicles hard. Most of us grew up thinking that glass has been the only approach to take for visibility, yet once you begin getting into racing, rock and roll crawling, or actually just heavy-duty farm work, you recognize that glass is really quite fragile.
Lexan is basically a high-quality make of polycarbonate, and it's the particular kind of things each uses in fighter jet canopies and those "unbreakable" bottles you see at camping stores. It's not just "plastic"—it's a high-tech material made to take a beating without shattering into a 1000 pieces. If you're tired of changing glass every other season, making the switch might be the greatest move you've made for your rig in a very long time.
Why Impact Level of resistance Matters A lot
The biggest selling point for any lexan windshield will be obviously its durability. We've all been there: you're touring along, everything is great, and then BREAK . A tiny pebble hits the glass at just the particular right angle, and suddenly you possess a spiderweb increasing across your field of vision. With Lexan, that situation basically disappears.
Because it's a polycarbonate, it has a level of flexibility that glass just doesn't have. When something hits it, the material absorbs the energy and flexes slightly instead than fracturing. It's rated to be about 250 occasions stronger than protection glass of the same thickness. That's a massive distinction. You could literally take a hammer in order to a Lexan linen and it'll most likely just bounce away, whereas glass would certainly be a stack of shards upon the floor. For anybody who drives on gravel roads or even goes wheeling in the woods where low-hanging branches are a constant threat, that satisfaction is worth each penny.
Getting rid of Weight for Better Performance
An additional reason people love these setups will be the weight cost savings. It might not really appear to be a huge deal if you're driving a heavy diesel truck, but for racing or even nimble off-roaders, each pound counts. A lexan windshield is roughly half the weight of a standard glass 1.
If you remove 20 or 30 pounds from the top of your own vehicle, you're actually lowering the middle of the law of gravity. It might seem like overkill for the daily driver, but if you're attempting to keep your own rig from showing on the steep slope or trying in order to shave a tenth of a following off your panel time, that excess weight reduction is significant. It makes the automobile feel a little bit more planted and a little less top-heavy, which is usually always a get inside my book.
The Trade-Off: Scrapes and UV Rays
Now, I'm not going to sit here plus tell you that Lexan is perfect. If it was, every car on the street might have it. The biggest downside is that will it's a lot smoother than glass. This means it's prone to "pitting" and scratching. If you make use of your windshield wipers while the surface area is covered within dry sand or even grit, you're likely to see fine scratches pretty quickly.
Also, with time, some lower-grade polycarbonates can turn the bit yellow or even get cloudy due to the fact of UV direct exposure from the sun. However, if a person buy a top quality lexan windshield that is "hard-coated" or "MR10" graded, it has an exclusive protective layer that will makes it very much more resistant to scuff marks and sun harm. It still won't be as hard as glass, therefore you have in order to be a little more cautious with how you clear it, but the additional durability against effects usually outweighs the particular scratch risk with regard to most off-roaders.
Is it Street Legal?
This is where points get a little challenging. If you're building a dedicated track car or perhaps a trailer-only rock crawler, you don't have to this. But if you intend on driving your own truck to the food store, you need to check your local laws. In many places, the Department of Transport (DOT) requires windshields to be made of "AS1" laminated basic safety glass.
The reason will be mainly in regards to the way glass breaks—it remains in one piece in order to shatters, and it's stiff good enough to support the roof in a rollover. Some modern lexan windshield choices are actually DOT-approved, but they're more expensive and harder to find. Most people who run all of them on the street do so in their own risk, or they live in areas where the local inspectors are a bit more relaxed about modifications. Just make sure one does your homework before you rip out your own factory glass.
How to Keep This Looking Good
If you decide to make the particular jump, you've got to change just how you wash your vehicle. You can't just pull into a gas station plus use that crusty squeegee in the bucket. That's a good one-way ticket to the blurry windshield.
The best way to clear a lexan windshield is to use plenty of water in order to rinse off the particular heavy dirt initial. Never rub this while it's dried out. Use a clean, smooth microfiber cloth plus a mild soap—nothing with ammonia in it (so avoid standard Windex). There are particular plastic cleaners and polishes on the market that help fill in tiny scratches and keep the surface slick therefore water beads away. In case you treat this right, a great Lexan setup can last intended for years without resembling a scratched-up mess.
Installation: DIY or Professional?
Installing a lexan windshield is different than a glass one. Given that Lexan is versatile, you can't often just "glue" it in with standard urethane and expect this to stay forever, especially if the framework flexes a great deal. Numerous people choose to bolt or rivet them in place using a framework.
In the event that you're handy using a drill and the jigsaw, you can actually buy a sheet of Lexan and cut this to suit yourself. It's surprisingly easy in order to work with in comparison to glass. You can sand the sides down for the smooth finish and use rubber seals to keep the water out. However, if you would like that factory-flush look, there are plenty of companies that sell pre-cut windshields designed specifically intended for popular models such as Jeeps, RZRs, and classic muscle cars. These usually arrive with the appropriate mounting hardware to ensure almost everything stays secure from highway speeds.
The Bottom Series
At the end of the day, choosing the lexan windshield comes down to what you're doing with your vehicle. If you're just commuting back again and forth in order to work on made highways, stick with glass—it's quieter, it's simpler to clean, also it won't scratch if you turn on your own wipers in the rain.
But if you're the type associated with person who finds themselves in the dirt, on the track, or moving over rocks, the benefits are difficult to ignore. You obtain a windshield that will is virtually indestructible, much lighter, and easily replaceable if this ever does get too beat up. It's one of those practical mods that makes your own rig feel even more like a purpose-built machine and much less like a delicate street car. Just remember to get the hard-coated stuff, keep the ammonia far from it, and you'll be good to go.