Stretching A Windshield frame

[69Sport]

Is it possible or has anybody done this before. I would like to add about 2" to the windshield frame to gain more visabilty. I am in the middle of a family cage install and just mounted the seats to the cage. Now when I sit in the seat your line of sight comes a few inches from the top of the windshield line. I guess a good body man could make anything happen and you could get a custom piece of glass made but what about the windshield gasket. I did some reading abot the SS set coming out but it sounds a little pricy and I already have the dash set up and don't want to cut it for the WW motor. Just a thought. Any ideas. Thanks 69sport

 

[DebosDave'72]

I was thinking that you could add a little at each end. I would worry about stretching the whole thing too much, because no hard tops would fit right again. However, if you kept the whole thing the same height and just increased the glass area, that would be a good deal. the problem is there isn't much room at the top, without addressing a different way to attach a top. I suppose if you were going to never put a hard top on, you can do anything. As to the gasket, it is glued together at one corner, so I am sure you could glue in an extension. I would glue two in, one in each of the verticle parts. I also thought about going to a glue-in windshield, think that may be easier... but would need to look at the frame when the glass is out...

Dave

 

[SaddleUp]

It's been done but I don't recall the details. I think there are two possible ways to go about it. One is to extend the space under the windshield which wouldn't require changing the glass and gasket. The other would be to extend the sides.

 

[TJK74]

What seats are you running? Just curious cause some seats sit really high and others pretty low. I just mountes my seat to my cage and they sit lower than the stockers did

 

[69Sport]

seats

I am running a set of steel horse high back seats they look just like the besttop cj super seats. With the best top seats brackets that adjust. There really is'nt much room between the bracket and the seat spreader. About 1". And the spreaders are about 1.5" off the floor. Thanks 69sport

 

[TJK74]

So are you then running a seat slider between the cage and the seat? Any way to mount the seat directly to the spreaders. Just sounds like alot of work to stretch and windshield if a lower set of seats would cure the problem. Any pics of your set up?

 

[69Sport]

Seats

Yes I am running a slider between the seat and the spreader, if I just mounted the seats to the spreader you would lose the abilty to move the seat back and fourth. Which is pretty nice. I guess I have to decide if I want to beable to move the seat or have a little more view out the front. Thanks for the help. 69sport

 

[Pa PITT]

WELL a lot of guys do many thing to different to their trucks.....But as I've seem lots of things done ..as I ran a parts house that sold a lot of paint ....
I'd say that if one of my old customers wanted to do this He'd have 2 window frames cut both long and at a 45 degree angle to help square ...and then decide how much you want to add....in length..or higth....and then cut the top back till it lifts enough to get angle correct an maybe the ....you'll have to bend at the top of the doors.....put in a metal piece that looked like a long piece of pie....french it all in and it looks like great ....
.....

 

[scottmcwms]

Just add a piece of square tube under the windshield, between the windshield hinge and the cowl. Bolt it in so it is removable. Then you can get the right height. No modification of the windshield necessary. As mentioned before a hard top won't fit right but if you aren't running one anyway then it won't matter.

Scott

 

[TJK74]

Just add a piece of square tube under the windshield, between the windshield hinge and the cowl. Bolt it in so it is removable. Then you can get the right height. No modification of the windshield necessary. As mentioned before a hard top won't fit right but if you aren't running one anyway then it won't matter.

Scott

Sounds like a good simple fix but what do you do for the windshield bolts to hold the windshield up?

 

[scottmcwms]

Sounds like a good simple fix but what do you do for the windshield bolts to hold the windshield up?

You should anchor the top of your windshield to your roll cage if you are running a soft top or no top. If it is anchored at the top then you don't have to worry about the bottom. I will probably run something similar to this setup (item #4207). I installed my seats this past weekend and I am looking directly at the top edge of the windshield. I'm about 6'0" and my seats are mounted as low as they can be. I don't like the vantage point so I think I will go with the square tube install and windshield braces.

Scott

 

[DebosDave'72]

Just add a piece of square tube under the windshield, between the windshield hinge and the cowl. Bolt it in so it is removable. Then you can get the right height. No modification of the windshield necessary. As mentioned before a hard top won't fit right but if you aren't running one anyway then it won't matter.

Scott

This is a great idea, and an easy fix. If you want to run the hard top, just remove the spacer. Wouldn't be too hard to make the spacer and the windshield removable! Great idea Scott!

Dave

 

[scottmcwms]

This is a great idea, and an easy fix. If you want to run the hard top, just remove the spacer. Wouldn't be too hard to make the spacer and the windshield removable! Great idea Scott!

Dave

I already have a bolted windshield. My '72 came stock with a welded hinge, but the hinge like everything else on the Bronco was rusted to pieces. I replaced the hinge and made it bolted instead of welded because I knew one day I would want to remove it for some reason. All you would have to do is bolt the square tube to the windshield and the hinge and off you go.

Scott

 

[trailpsycho]

Yes I am running a slider between the seat and the spreader, if I just mounted the seats to the spreader you would lose the abilty to move the seat back and fourth. Which is pretty nice. I guess I have to decide if I want to beable to move the seat or have a little more view out the front. Thanks for the help. 69sport

Try this rather than mounting the slider to the top of the spread, make the spreaders wider--longer front to back-- (so that the sliders can sit down inside the spreaders), then weld tabs to the bottom of the spreader tubing--instead of the top--and you've just gained 1.5-2" of clearance. We did this on my install. We used 1/8" flatstock welded to the bottom of the front and rear spreader braces--they ride just off the tub--I then tapped the flat stock and mounted my seats directly to the flatstock with short 3/8 grade 8 fasteners. Sliders are functional and the ride height is almost identical to what it was when the seats were mounted to the floor. Good luck.


I attached a pic, but it wasnt intended to show what I am describing--its all I have at work. If you look at the passenger seat/cage, you can tell that the whole seat is dropped down between the tubing. This puts the front side-to-side spreader about 1 inch or so behind the hump in the floorboard...you wouldnt want the seat any closer...and there is plenty of room to back the seat away. It was the best I could do and retain the sweet BMW seats. Hopefully, its an option you can take advantage of...I, personally, would rather cut and move my cage spreaders forn or back a few inches than mess my windshield frame. Again, good luck.

 

[JKrieg70]

I dont know exactly where I saw it, maybe in Bronco Driver, but someone was installing a stock windshield frame upside down. If I remember right it gave an additional 2-3 inches of visibility because the wipers and assemble were all at the bottom.

 

[scottmcwms]

I know what you are talking about but I can't find it right now. There is a windshield out there that is designed for the wipers to be installed on the bottom. I can't find the vendor that sells them though.

 

[az_shootist]

Did you ever decide on a solution for this? I've just put in my cage and new seats, and now I have the same problem. I'm 6'3" and don't want to be hunched over everywhere I go. ...I'm in dire need of a clean solution.

 

[69Sport]

No Dice

No I have not come up with a solution yet, we just dropped the seat brackets to the floor and will just deal with the limited line of sight. I guess you just get used to it. 69sport

 

[pmctighe]

Wild Horses has one with wipers on the bottom buts it's made of Stainless and it's pricey.

I'm tall too and would love to find one converted to bottom wipers made of regular steel so I can paint it.

Keep us posted if you find a solution.

Patrick

 

[cbearly]

Wild Horses has one with wipers on the bottom buts it's made of Stainless and it's pricey.

Where did you find in on the Wild Horses site? I looked but didn't see it - even did a search on "windshield" but only found their standard replacement frame.