2020 Jeep Gladiator

1. The 2020 Jeep Gladiator looks easy–until you actually start working on it. There is not much space to get a cold knife blade inserted and it’s also quite difficult getting a fiber line through to the outside.
2. The easiest place to get the fiber line through the out-side is the lower center of the windshield where the moulding meets. Use a 35º pick tool to pull down one end of the moulding.
3. Be very careful not to damage the body of the vehicle with the pick tool. Once you have enough moulding separated from the glass, use a pair of needle nose pliers to pull the moulding off the glass carefully.
4. Now it’s much easier to pull the fiber line through; just be sure not to push the fiber line starter into the body of the vehicle.
5. It is very important to separate the gravity stops from the glass, otherwise there’s a high risk of braking the fiber line. I personally used a sharpened chisel and it’s very effective.
6. When cutting through the gravity stops, remove your chisel and insert a fiber stick in, so the fiber line runs smoothly above the clip.
7. It is very important to do the same to both sides.
8. Taping down the windshield is recommended to avoid the glass slipping off onto the body of the vehicle when finalizing the cut-out.
9. prep the glass and the pinch weld as recommended by your urethane manufacturer.
10. This is a good example of a replacement in which I personally apply the urethane to the glass. Since it’s applied perfectly around the edge of the glass, I know I won’t miss any places where the old urethane was applied from the factory.

Alfredo Calva is the president of Alfredo’s Auto Glass in Corona, Calif. He can be reached at alfredosautoglass@hotmail.com.

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