Roping in a windshield - bottom or top?

[p38fighter]

1959 convertible

I have put in a few windshields - mostly on 55/57 Chevys. The wings of the Chevy are smaller than the TBird's. I am concerned about the corners because of that fact. The shop manual says start from the top of the glass but I'm wondering what practical experience people have had? Did you pull in the top or the bottom first? If the bottom was there any particular reason?

Thanks as always for the advice....

[Joe Johnston]

I've always pulled in the bottom first. Just seemed easier to hold everything together with the weight of the windshield sitting on the lip to get started. Pushing down is easier than trying to push up also. Just my opinion.

I use insulated electrical wire because it seems the plastic insulation will slip and lift the gasket easier than rope because it is slippery and smaller diameter. Either works however.

[simplyconnected]

I used to watch the guys on the assembly line install windshields. Two guys worked together. One guy was half in and half out of the car as he reached in and grabbed both ends of the rope. He jerked the rope in a rhythmic tempo while both slapped vibrations on opposite sides of the glass from the outside.

The rope came vulcanized into the weatherstrip so it didn't come out very easy and no lubrication was used. You can imagine, as the rope was jerked, it became long in the guy's hand. That's why he jerked it out in 'bites'. Then, I noticed a box full of spent ropes.

At a rate of 1,000 windshields per day (one per minute), they sent the used ropes back to be re-vulcanized in new weatherstrips. Each rope had splotches of black on the surface; evidence of little pieces of the many weatherstrips from whence they came.

If memory serves me, I believe the ropes started at the top. Of course all their actions were meticulously orchestrated but it seemed to me that their slapping actions were the most important in seating the glass in the weatherstrip and in the aperture of the car body. These weren't little love taps and every once in a great while a windshield would crack, especially when they weren't in unison. - Dave

[p38fighter]

Successful installation

1959 convertible

My son and I put in the windshield. Decided to start at the center bottom and let gravity help. It took about 15 minutes start to finish. We only had to apply some judicious slapping to the driver side top corner to get it to seat. I found the lip slipped easiest when I pulled the rope at 90 degrees to the gasket and kept my hand close to the window. I used soapy water for a lubricant.

In my opinion this is a job that can be handled by two careful people.