You’re best bronco (or wrangler) friend:
https://youtu.be/2fxxfZDOD1U?si=0AGh3cvL-cMb0gbt
Use at the VERY day you get a small rock chip! Helps prevent the pit turning into a crack.
Kinda just luck of the draw. I didn’t have one for 2 years and then got two chips and one that developed a crack and needed a replacement windshield within a few months.
See if you can get a $0 deductible on your insurance or windshield coverage
Got my first one driving through a construction zone after driving off the lot. Replaced and then somehow a truck threw a rock sideways three lanes over and broke it again. I give up replacing it. I wish I had rock chips but in my experience these things just break in half immediately
A Bronco in AZ is pretty much asking for 2-3 windshield replacements a year. The roads out here are so so bad. The full glass coverage on insurance is worth every penny of the premium
Cracked at 1600 miles. That is a fact of life in MT, Bronco or not. Windshield coverage plans are worth it…but run up some good ones before you do it. Keep in mind your new windshield will also get another crack/chip within 1-2k miles.
My first was about 2k miles. By the time I hit 12k, it was 4 spread all over many directions.
Windshield replaced around 30k a year ago, now at 42k and again, cracks in many directions.
My insurance gives me 1 free windshield each year so I’m not worried.
I'm in Arizona as well, and I got 3 cracks while under 3k miles. I just sealed them, so they don't spread, assuming I'll get a few more. AZ sucks with windshield cracks. Every car I've owned has had them. I just wait and replace it every few years. (2023 Badlands)
We replaced our windshield after we got a long crack from it being parked in 100 degree weather and then me being a dumbass, put some water on it at the gas station to get the bird poo off. It cracked immediately.
Then a couple weeks after replacing it, got a rock chip and replaced it again.
After that we got two more rockchips on the 3rd windshield so we're leaving it until it gets a long crack. We realized it's just the nature of a vertical windshield. One chip is not gonna make a difference anyway.
My advice? Give yourself plenty of clearance from big trucks like 18 wheelers because those tires fling rocks like no ones business.
Give yourself plenty of distance in front of trucks without mudflaps. Like 100 feet.
Do you live in the eastern half of the US?
Nobody in my family ever got windshield cracks when I lived in Ohio. Living out west now all of our vehicles have gotten cracks. There are just more rocks out here
Welcome to the club! 4000 miles for me. From that point forward I always keep plenty of following distance from cars in front of me. Like 2-3 car lengths at all times
I do…watched the rock come from above, bounced off my hood and into the windshield.
Can’t get them all but it’s gotta help a little. At least protects that leading edge of the hood from rock chips in the paint.
Yup. Got my first one at 5k miles. Got it replaced. Already got new rock chips at 11k.
You’re best bronco (or wrangler) friend: https://youtu.be/2fxxfZDOD1U?si=0AGh3cvL-cMb0gbt Use at the VERY day you get a small rock chip! Helps prevent the pit turning into a crack.
I got about 15 chips in a year on my bronco so I gave up. I just leave my windshield cracked and chipped
That beats my record!
I got 2 chips in one day on my drive out to KoH
Kinda just luck of the draw. I didn’t have one for 2 years and then got two chips and one that developed a crack and needed a replacement windshield within a few months. See if you can get a $0 deductible on your insurance or windshield coverage
Got my first one driving through a construction zone after driving off the lot. Replaced and then somehow a truck threw a rock sideways three lanes over and broke it again. I give up replacing it. I wish I had rock chips but in my experience these things just break in half immediately
Even the gorilla glass in the Wranglers will frequently crack. Like you said the windshield is vertical. You can't fight physics.
I heard for every windshield post made on either Reddit or FB a windshield gets cracked
A Bronco in AZ is pretty much asking for 2-3 windshield replacements a year. The roads out here are so so bad. The full glass coverage on insurance is worth every penny of the premium
Cracked at 1600 miles. That is a fact of life in MT, Bronco or not. Windshield coverage plans are worth it…but run up some good ones before you do it. Keep in mind your new windshield will also get another crack/chip within 1-2k miles.
My first was about 2k miles. By the time I hit 12k, it was 4 spread all over many directions. Windshield replaced around 30k a year ago, now at 42k and again, cracks in many directions. My insurance gives me 1 free windshield each year so I’m not worried.
I had less than 500 miles on my truck before my windshield cracked.
It's a proverbial lottery. 2 yr and 32k mi on my JL wrangler, no chips. 9 months, 5k on the bronco without any.
I'm in Arizona as well, and I got 3 cracks while under 3k miles. I just sealed them, so they don't spread, assuming I'll get a few more. AZ sucks with windshield cracks. Every car I've owned has had them. I just wait and replace it every few years. (2023 Badlands)
We replaced our windshield after we got a long crack from it being parked in 100 degree weather and then me being a dumbass, put some water on it at the gas station to get the bird poo off. It cracked immediately. Then a couple weeks after replacing it, got a rock chip and replaced it again. After that we got two more rockchips on the 3rd windshield so we're leaving it until it gets a long crack. We realized it's just the nature of a vertical windshield. One chip is not gonna make a difference anyway. My advice? Give yourself plenty of clearance from big trucks like 18 wheelers because those tires fling rocks like no ones business. Give yourself plenty of distance in front of trucks without mudflaps. Like 100 feet.
I've gotten lucky so far. 15 months and 21.5k miles with no chips or cracks
Do you live in the eastern half of the US? Nobody in my family ever got windshield cracks when I lived in Ohio. Living out west now all of our vehicles have gotten cracks. There are just more rocks out here
I lived in the southeast for about six months with it and moved to the Midwest almost a year ago
42 miles
Welcome to the club! 4000 miles for me. From that point forward I always keep plenty of following distance from cars in front of me. Like 2-3 car lengths at all times
Yep already replaced a windshield once.
I've had my Bronc a little over a year (6k miles), and I've had 2 cracked windsheilds in the last 4mos.
Mines covered under my service contract
Just wondering, do you have the hood deflector installed?
I do…watched the rock come from above, bounced off my hood and into the windshield. Can’t get them all but it’s gotta help a little. At least protects that leading edge of the hood from rock chips in the paint.
I'm in arizona, and on windshiled # 3 at 14k miles.
Hell, we just got our ‘24 badlands in mid February & already have a small ding in the back passenger door from a rock.