The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop window glass replacement

How difficult is it to replace the door and vent window glass on a 53 half ton. Where is the best place to purchase the glass. I read somewhere that the newer glass thickness varies from the original, is this a problem?

Can anyone help here?

I had mine made for the 48 at a local glass shop.The light smoke tint is legal and looks good,,, too bad the rest of the truck is rusting severely now

Coach-Frank: Glass can be found from any of the multiple suppliers that we all know, use and love.
However, unless you've done this before, removing and installing the metal frames that surround the glass (especially the big door glass) is extremely difficult, at best. My sincere suggestion is have it done by a competent glass shop. Find one where the guy doing it is older and has done this before - don't want to pay someone ta screw it up..you can do that yourself for free (Just kidding!!) The metal surround frames are pressed onto the new glass with setting tape squished in between. This is HARD to do!! Just take your old windows out of the vehicle and go to a glass shop..pick your tint ....and have them do it. New glass for your truck will be just like the original was - laminated. They cut it out from a pattern (which hopefully they have - cause they are old and have been doing this for a while) or copy your glass for a pattern. Then they remove your old glass from your frames (the glass usually breaks during this procedure) and install their new glass in your orig frames. Yer off to the races!! Good luck and let me know what you find out. Steve

I got my glass from ChevyDuty and it installed without too much difficulty - mostly of my own making. The roll down windows had no frame that PickleBus is talking about - just the track at the bottom. Piece of cake. The "glass setting tape" (more like a cloth gasket) fit just fine, and that oil works even if it is counter-intuitive.

http://www.chuckthetruck.homestead.com/page14.html

I bought mine from the local glass shop in town. They used the originals as patterns. They had some old patterns but not back to 37, they stopped in the 40's somewhere. Its pretty easy to change glass and set the new in the tracks. The setting tape is kind of a rubber tar mix, and comes in different thickness. Take the track with you to the shop so you can get the right tape. I used WD-40 on the tape per instructions from the glass guys. It went right together and after the oil soaked it it set like glue! The oil makes the tape expand some and really hold tight.

If you can get the glass out of the truck, you can change the glass. I paid $130 for all the glass in my truck, sides, front, and rear. Joe

I did the same thing as Chuckthetruck, bought glass from ChevyDuty and used bandclamps to press the glass into the frames. Be careful not to overtighten the clamps or the glass will seat too deep into the wingvent frame and leave a gap between the vent glass and the guide post (doh!). :p

Thanks Guys!! One more question, The vent frame must come out? Do you drill the rivet out ? Are rivets available?

http://home.attbi.com/~sworfktn

Remove the whole vent frame assembly from the door, if you haven't already. It's held in by a bolt on the bottom of the vertical guidepost and 5 screws (if I remember correctly) around the vent window. Then you can remove the nut, spring and spacing washers on the pivot (don't lose the washers!) I used a Dremel to grind the rivet out of the hinge; you could drill it if you're careful, just don't elongate the hole. I ordered new rivets and a setting tool from ChevyDuty, although once you've flared the rivet you'll probably only get it snug (so it doesn't rattle) with a vise or some other form of press.