Strategies to avoid windshield rock chips

[MachNroll]

Reaching out to the Mustang community to get some feedback regarding how you all avoid/reduce the likelihood of receiving windshield rock chips. I've just received my 3rd bad chip encounter in the last 6 weeks after not having any on my prior 2 Mustangs. That said, the 3 I have received were from a 3 laned highway, 2 from pickup trucks and one from a dump truck that suddenly pulled onto the freeway before I could change lanes. Darned dump truck hit a bump and dislodged rocks from between the rear dump door and payload floor (and of course no company identifiers on the rig so no way to call and chew someone out). I always give pickup trucks and dump trucks distance but I'm still getting hammered. I'm thinking about avoiding highway driving now since I don't daily my Mustang and primarily use it for recreation. Anyone been in a similar situation with these rock chips and have an approach that has worked for them? Thank you!

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[Mike Pfeifer]

About the only surefire way that I know of is to wrap the car in bubble wrap and park it away somewhere. Honestly, it’s just the luck of the draw.

 

[MachNroll]

About the only surefire way that I know of is to wrap the car in bubble wrap and park it away somewhere. Honestly, it’s just the luck of the draw.

Ha, I've thought about wrapping it in bubble wrap - not!!! If it is the luck of the draw, then my luck stinks right now!

 

[ORRadtech]

Highways aren't the only danger. I once took a dump truck recap in the grill (not the Mustang) on a 35mph side road.
It really is the luck of the draw. And it does come in waves, bad and good.
If you're going to enjoy driving it you just have to hope for the best.

 

[WildHorse]

Meh, band-aid and it'll fix itself ...

 

[radar]

Been driving over half a century. Only ever smashed 2 windscreens. Back in the 70s. Same month. Different cars. Different states.

 

[MachNroll]

Highways aren't the only danger. I once took a dump truck recap in the grill (not the Mustang) on a 35mph side road.
It really is the luck of the draw. And it does come in waves, bad and good.
If you're going to enjoy driving it you just have to hope for the best.

This makes sense re comes in waves. Never had this problem until now. But bleep happens. Thank you for your response.

 

[xcm77]

not much you can do. I got a pretty hefty one 3 hours after I picked my car up from the dealer. It was so severe I had to get it fixed :(

talk about luck ...

 

[paulm1]

Reaching out to the Mustang community to get some feedback regarding how you all avoid/reduce the likelihood of receiving windshield rock chips. I've just received my 3rd bad chip encounter in the last 6 weeks after not having any on my prior 2 Mustangs. That said, the 3 I have received were from a 3 laned highway, 2 from pickup trucks and one from a dump truck that suddenly pulled onto the freeway before I could change lanes. Darned dump truck hit a bump and dislodged rocks from between the rear dump door and payload floor (and of course no company identifiers on the rig so no way to call and chew someone out). I always give pickup trucks and dump trucks distance but I'm still getting hammered. I'm thinking about avoiding highway driving now since I don't daily my Mustang and primarily use it for recreation. Anyone been in a similar situation with these rock chips and have an approach that has worked for them? Thank you!

get good at using the chip crack filler kits from autozone, works for me

 

[Tucker80]

Best and really only strategy that works is to increase your following distance.

 

[Cloudy5.0]

Drive slow, avoid trucks, don’t drive crazy on the highway. PPF it. I’m now about to be on my third windshield, about to be second in a month.

 

[Oakley]

keep it garaged, that's about it. learn hot to fix chips in glass and paint and just take care of them as they happen. I had to replace my windshield 6 months after i got the car cause of a chip right in my line of sight that gave me a headache everytime i drove it.

this is the life. embrace it or live with the chips.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Best and really only strategy that works is to increase your following distance.

No, it doesn't. The only chip I had so far with the Mustang, since 2020, was from a pebble thrown by a car coming the other way. Fortunately it was small and easy to repair.
Nothing works, except keeping the car in a garage and taking the bus instead.

 

[sachmo133]

There is film you can put on the outside that you protect you. This is an example and not a recommendation.

https://www.getexoshield.com/products/windshield-protection-film-gt3

 

[gvn49]

Best and really only strategy that works is to increase your following distance.

This doen't always work. Just replaced windshield. Wife was driving her Mustang nice warm sunny day top down on a 2 lane devided higway doing speed limit which was 70, no one on the road either side except 1 dump truch at least 200-300 feet ahead right lane wife was in the left lane somthing came off the truch and hit the windscreen fron that distance had to replace the windscreen and have everthing that need to be caliberated done. Top was down on the rag top, luckly it did not come over the windscreen as grand child was in the back seat, seen that happen before, das cam on high res still too far to get any info off truck as wife got scared and slowed down. Only way not to get a chip is to bubble wrap park in garage and never drive. It's the luck of the draw.

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