Winshield frame differences???

OK so I did a search and I just can't seem to find what I'm looking for. For some crazy reason, I swear I remember someone (maybe Boyink) stating that the glass sits higher in the intermediate (wipers on bottom) frames than they do on the older style (wipers on top) frames. In my Jeep, my eye level is about 1" below the top of the glass. I'd like to be much lower. I am going to build new seat frames to put me lower in the Jeep but if I could also gain some visibility by swapping in an intermediate windshield frame, I'd be all over it...

So can anyone tell me if the glass sits higher in the intermediate windshield frames?

If so, does anyone want to trade for a cherry early style frame with new seal and glass???

Thanks!!!

 

I just bought one for my '60. The glass is 2 inches taller. The reason for this is because there is room to do it without the top mount vacuum wipers in the way. The extra 2 inches is nice to have. Below is a link for the one I bought off ebay. Note that the glass goes right up to the channel that the soft top would slide in. Mid '68-'75 were the bottom mount wipers with the taller glass. It's a nice upgrade to do on any pre '68 cj5. The one I got is off a '75. It'll work on any '55-'75 cj5.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7924801950&category=33686

 

Maybe what you are thinking of is the shape of the glass, not that it sits any higher. When you move the wipers to the bottom, the top of the windshield frame can be thinner, and the glass extends up further to fill that space.

 

it's true... but then you lose all the crazy stares of the people passing who have never seen the wipers up top... you'll still get the "paint your windshield" stares though, so it might not be that big of a trade off.

 

I'm with you about looking thru the very top of the windshield...it sucks. I'm stuck with it for a while because I've spent money on glass, seal, wiper motors, plastic coating....I had the frame plastic coated, just like powder coating except much thicker. Supposed to be very corrosion resistant...time will tell.
BTW, I drove me jeep for 2.5 years before fiddling with the overhead electric wiper motor wiring and discovered they had a park position!! It used to be wait, wait, WIPERS OFF! Timing it so they were out of the way HAHA!
The stock switch actually keeps the power circuits for each motor completely separate. When I changed to a toggle switch I put the 2 power wires together and they would backfeed each other and keep running till they both hit park at the same time. I had to put a diode in one wire, that cured it.

 

My '68 has the bottom mounted wipers with the smaller window/thicker top portion and my '69 has bottom mounted wipers with the larger window/ thinner style frame.

Jim

 

This explains the confused looks I got when I was shopping for a w/s. They would ask "how tall is it again?" "We show several different ones for that year". I thought it was the postal jeeps from around that time or a little later.....didn't they have a hardtop and fixed w/s......bet that glass is different than the others.....

 

So from then responses I got, I can assume the later windshield will make visibility better for me but is it the glass or the frame (or both?) that is different???

Thanks!

 

The glass is a different size ( taller, arched a little) in the later model windshield frames.

 

not to hijack this thread but will an intermediate windshield frame fit a hardtop for an early 5?

 

When did the windshields go from straight up and down to the slightly angled version? Will the wiper on the bottom version frame have the "angle" to it?

 

The angle did change in '76. The '75 and earlier windshields are tilted back, but not as much as the tilt in 1976 and later CJs. The later windshield also narrows as it goes from the cowl to the top, so the vertical edges on each side are not parallel.

The wiper mechanism is part of the windshield (in the bottom of the windsield frame), so the angle of the windshield with the cowl does not matter wrt the wiper operation.

 

'72-75, yes. Not later though.

 

ok cool. thanks tim

 

i'm with boyink on the straightness deal... my 67 sits straight up no problem, but the 71 looks like an intermediate. it almost seems like a car to car basis.

 

I've got all 3 styles of windshield frames in the garage. The '72-75 style, I'll call it that 'cause it's different than the rest, although they probably started using them in '69, '70 or thereabouts has the bottom mount wipers, taller glass, and the glass is curved at the top. The '68 or early bottom mount style has shorter glass, in fact it measures out the same size as the top mount wiper style, sits lower, just like the top mount style, and is flat on top. Then we all know about the top mount style. They are all interchangeable with regards to soft top and hard tops as the overall outside dimensions are the same and the height, and angle are the same. Nickmil.

 

Thanks Nick. As usual, you've done a great job of clarifying things!!!

mruta