Windshield chips or cracks are virtually impossible to avoid with daily driving. Without repairing them correctly, they can begin to spread and gradually get worse. However, by using a windshield repair kit, you can prevent any further damage.
The best windshield repair kit is the Rain-X 600001, which is a DIY kit that repairs all types of laminated windshields in minutes.
Windshield repair kits are designed to tackle chips and cracks with the insertion of a resin into the defective glass. If you are looking at repairing scratches, your best option would be to use a suitable glass scratch remover polish.
Table of Contents
Best Windshield Repair Kit
Depending upon the location and size of your chip or crack, you may not be able to pass the vehicle inspection in some states. Depending upon the extent of the damage to your windshield, you will need to choose between a replacement or repair.
Replacement windshield can costs thousands and even if you claimed on your auto insurance, there will still be fees to pay. Considering that a windshield repair kit costs very little, its worth your time attempting to fix it yourself.
Below is a list of the best windshield repair kits that can be used to remove chip or crack damage to the defective glass.
Rain-X 600001 Windshield Repair Kit
Rain-X are a popular brand worldwide and their windshield repair kit is one of the most popular available. By using a high quality advanced resin, it is able to minimize the appearance of cracks and chips with ease.
Other features of the Rain-X Windshield Repair Kit include:
- Suitable for all laminated windshields
- Fixes cracks, chips, bulls-eyes and stars
- Resin can be used for multiple repairs
- 4 piece complete kit
- Takes minutes to repair chips and cracks
Rain-X state that this kit will only fix chips that are less than 1 inch in diameter and cracks that are less than 12 inches in length.
After using the advanced resin formula, air will be removed from the break and it will be stronger than it was before. Overall, it is the best windshield repair kit for the money that can be used for multiple repairs and stops cracks spreading instantly.
Permatex Windshield Chip Repair Kit
The Permatex is another popular repair kit that is able to make permanent repairs that are air-tight. The ready made formula requires no mixing and is suitable for repairing damage to most types of laminated windshields.
Features of the Permatex 09103 Windshield Repair Kit include:
- Cures by natural sunlight
- Repairs bullseye damage up to 1.25 inches in diameter
- 9 piece kit that includes instructions
- Advanced spring lock feature
- Can be used within other applications
Compared with the Rain-X formula, this formula is not ideal for cracks and more suited to chipped windshields. However, the Permatex windshield chip repair kit is cheaper and includes everything you need to fix a range of chips.
Clearshield Professional Windshield Repair Kit
Features of the Clearshield Professional Windshield Repair Kit include:
- 12 piece kit that includes a UV light, drill set and other accessories
- Produced by a reputable windshield repair brand
- Included dremel and polish produces a fine finish
- Used by professional technicians
- Rugged tool box to store all the kit
The brand provide this kit in several different sizes that are suitable for 200, 600 or even 1,000 windshield repairs. If you are looking to expand your business into windshield repair or simply want the best possible kit, this package is perfect.
Blue-Star Windshield DIY Repair Kit
The Blue-Star repair kit is another affordable method of repairing a chip or crack in your windshield. It is a 6 piece kit that stops damage from spreading via the deep penetrating resin, which can be used for multiple repairs.
Other features of the Blue-Star Windshield DIY Repair Kit include:
- Easy and cheap solution
- Requires sunlight to cure the formula
- Instantly prevents cracks from spreading
- Made in the USA
Overall, the Blue-Star repair kit is a cost effective solution to repairing both chips and cracks in your windshield. Due to the low cost, it will not be as high quality compared with other alternatives but it is the cheapest available.
J-B Weld Windshield Saver Repair Kit
The J-B Weld brand are known for their automotive adhesive products that are all proudly produced in the USA. Their “Windshield Saver” uses a patented step-by-step system to minimize the appearance on chips up to 1.25 inches in size.
Other features of the J-B Weld Windshield Saver include:
- Suitable for small damage repairs
- Advanced resin formula works for all laminated windshields
- Easy to use 4 piece kit
- Sun activated formula for fast curing
- Developed by a reputable brand
- Made in the USA
This repair kit does come with a slightly higher price tag but it’s worth paying the extra. The patented pressure lock controlled pedestal and syringe system allows for the best results from using a basic DIY solution.
Windshield Repair Kit Buying Guide
For those that regularly drives on the highway or off-road, the likelihood of picking up windshield chips are fairly high. Replacement windshield are expensive and if you claim via your insurance, you are going to have fees to pay.
Using the best windshield repair kit that you can get your hands on is a far cheaper alternative. However, you will want to identify the damage to your windshield and decide on whether the damage can be repaired or not.
To help you make an informed buying decision, we have produced the below buying guide regarding windshield repair kits for cracks or chips.
What To Expect?
At ProCarReviews, we love to try and test out as many products as we can. After suffering from a bad stone chip, it was the perfect opportunity to test out a windshield repair kit. From using the Rain-X 600001 kit, we achieved the following result below.
From the left photo, you can see that the chip was fairly deep, which was quite worrying. However, after following the instructions provided, the end result was excellent. The chip has virtually disappeared with all that is remaining is the marking from the gel insertion. You cannot expect the chip or crack to completely vanish but it’s certainly a huge improvement.
How Does it Work?
Unlike standard glass, the windshield is a technological masterpiece. They make use of laminated glass, which consists of three layers and is capable of withstanding a lot of damage from debris on the road. The design also prevents shards of glass shattering in the event of an accident, which can be very problematic.
However, in the case of windshield chips, it means that they can be repaired fairly easily. As long as the chip or crack has not damaged the middle layer, it will is able to be repaired. The resin will fill the gap of the broken outer glass and evacuate air from the chip. If done correctly, the repair will be permanent unless it is chipped again in the same place.
How to Use a Windshield Chip Repair Kit
When it comes to using the repair kit that you have just purchased, the majority will use the same application steps, which include:
- Clean the work area and ensure that it’s free of dust.
- Use a razor blade to remove any debris or tiny bits of glass.
- Setup the applicator over the chip or crack.
- Add resin into the syringe.
- Use the syringe to slowly push the resin into the gap.
- Remove the kit and allow to settle for 10 minutes.
- Use a razor blade to remove any excess resin.
- Finish up by using glass polish to remove fine scratches.
It may look like a difficult task but you will be surprised to how easy it really is by using the correct DIY kit.
Types of Windshield Damage
Before purchasing a windshield repair kit, you will need to ensure that the chip or crack is repairable. As you can imagine, there is a variety of defects that can occur on your windshield but not all of them can be repaired. Below are some of the defects that can be repaired.
- Cracks that are no longer than 14 inches
- Bullseye chip that is no bigger than an inch
- Half moon/partial bullseye that is not larger than 1 inch
- Star break under 3 inches
- Surface pit that is less than 1/8 of an inch
- Combination break that is under 2 inches
There are other different types of damage that may occur on your windshield. Use the sizing of the defects as guidelines because depending on where the damage is may be an important factor. For example, most chips or cracks on the edge may not be repairable.
Replacement vs Repair
Depending upon the extent of damage caused by the chip, you will have to decide upon whether to repair or replace the windshield. Repairing the damage comes with it’s benefits (as discussed below) but sometimes the damage may be too much.
For example, if the chip is too large or has gone too deep, this would be difficult to repair. You may have multiple stone chips and cracks, which would make repairing them all a long process. However, due to technological advances in the resin used for the repair, you can achieve excellent results.
Benefits of Repairing
One of the main benefits of using a repair kit is of course the cost savings. A replacement windshield can cost thousands but even the best windshield repair kit within this article is a fraction of the cost.
During the replacement of a windshield, you will be required to break the factory seal. If the new seal is not applied correctly, it may reduce the safety and structural integrity. Using a DIY repair kit will not effect the factory seal.
Another benefit that is often forgotten about is the fact that you keep the OEM windshield glass. During a replacement, many companies may use a cheaper quality glass, which comes with it’s own drawbacks. You are able to check whether the glass is an OEM part by checking the specification on the lower right or left sections of the windshield.
How To Avoid Further Damage
If you are waiting upon your repair kit to be delivered or are simply avoiding repairing the damage, you should try to avoid further damage. The most common causes of cracks spreading is due to the windshield being subject to adverse temperatures. For example, if you pour boiling water onto a cold windshield and vice versa.
To avoid any further damage, you can use a windshield cover to protect the screen and maintain a safe temperature. Other tactics include using super glue or nail polish to prevent spreading but these are not advised when you consider the low cost of a proper repair kit.
Conclusion
Unfortunately cracked or chipped windshields are very common and hard to avoid when driving. Many will simply replace their windshield but not only is this expensive, it may get damaged again sooner than you think.
Using a repair kit for your windshield is a cost effective solution that require no professional skills to use. Most come with everything you require to fix chips or cracks and are a fraction of the cost of having your windshield replaced.
