Another cracked window screen

[Joiner]

Call Hilton Windscreens. They have just done mine and paid for the excess. I literally gave them my policy number and address and they showed up and fitted it. They arranged the whole thing. Dead easy - handed them the keys and made them a cuppa.

01279 647776 or 01279 757060. Hilton Windscreens are based in Bishops Stortford but will travel approx 60 mile radius. Luton is definitely covered.

If anyone wants any more info let m know.

[minicabrio]

Strut braces didn't make a blind bit of difference to my MINI Despite having all three GTT braces

3.5 years.... three screens

Just one of those things - the screen is very upright, and is always going to be subject to missiles!

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by minicabrio (original)

Strut braces didn't make a blind bit of difference to my MINI Despite having all three GTT braces

3.5 years.... three screens

Just one of those things - the screen is very upright, and is always going to be subject to missiles!

Ah, but Jon - yours was a convertible... and it wasn't so much the missile penetration we were thinking about when asking about strut braces - it was more the stress fractures that crack in from the edges of the screen towards the middle.

Stress fractures will be more prone to the convertible than the hardtop, I would assume - though someone put me right if I've got that the wrong way round. Strut braces will help the convertible more than the hardtop with stresses to the windscreen, but probably will not achieve the same total rigidity (in my mind) as on the hardtop. Just wondering what sort of measurable or semi-quantitative way we can assess just how much benefit you might receive.

Also, regarding the impact of projectiles - if you don't drive so close behind other cars, then you get hit by less debris. In four years, I've only had to replace the windscreen once - and that was only because I wasn't happy with the sun glinting and dazzling me from a small repair in the middle of the windscreen.

All the best,
Andrew.

[minicabrio]

Stress fractures are very uncommon as cracks are usually started by a small chip impact within 1" of the edge of the screen. The edge of the screen is under the most stress, thus even the slightest impact here can start a huge crack. A stress fracture would mean a crack occuring without any 3rd party impact

The convertible is actually no more prone to it than the hardtop.... in fact on the hartop the body is attached to both the top and bottom of the screen, so is more likely to put stress onto the glass than the convertible which is only attached at the base Plus the a-pillars in the soft top are are made of a much higher tensile steel, so flex far less.

In 9.5/10 cases, a crack will be caused by a chip, and can't be classed as a stress fracture

[85NIXMIN]

I have a few stone chips on my windscreen... and bonnet... I think the MINI's are bad for it... hehe But ahh soo much fun to drive

[COOPERSPEC]

My first cooper s (2006) eventually had three new screens fitted before I changed the car for a new cooper s (2008). This has now developed a crack from a tiny chip to the screen about 1" from the top of the screen. All the screens had 'L' shaped cracks (co-incidence?).
Long term, I can see insurance companies having problems providing cover if my experience with so many screens cracking is typical.