So I just received my second rock to the windshield right below the wipers so now I have another 3 inch crack creeping its way up. As much as I love shelling out $250 for windshields, I want to make this stop. Do bug shields help with this? What is a good one that looks good? Whats the difference between the interceptor ii and the x-terminator?

 

In my experience bug shields usually aren't able to even deflect good size bugs, and definitely do nothing against rocks that are capable of cracking your windshield.

If you're sick of shelling out $250 for new windshields, get full glass coverage or $100 deductible on your insurance.

 

Ditto

 

I heard using Rain-X prevents it.



Seriously, ditto on getting full glass coverage and low deductables.

 

Here is another thought: Go with “Safelite” and replace your windshield for $165.00. That what I had to do about 5 month ago.
I would just recommend go with gold tinted windshield instead of clear with blue top.

 

Bug shields do keep the edge of the hood in good shape and deflect alot from the scoop and IMO AVS makes the best for the Runner since it fits the contours of the hood nicely and still allows plenty of room to clean behind.

With windshields I like to use PPG glass since it really resists cracking.

 

+1 I had a bug shield and it didn't do anything but change the look. I was still getting whacked by bugs.

 

Suprisingly on stepdads it works well for bugs, I can def tell the diff between his and min cause he has fluid in his resevoir, I am always out...

As for rocks, really really tiny one mostly...
But for anything bigger go for the insurance or any of the speacil glasses listed above...
Not even a month after step dad got his Runner, Mom was driving him to teh airport when a huge as rock came flying from a dum truck and shattered the windshiled....
Boy were we pissed about that...

 

It works for bugs, my T100 gets very few bugs on the windsheild.

 

It still catches some and it's 100% effective protecting the leading edge of you hood.
My friend has a '98 with about the same miles as mine and he's never had a bug deflector and his hood is pitted pretty bad.

 

It doesn't save your windshield from rocks very well (or large bugs for that matter), but it does keep you hood looking brand new.

A couple buds of mine have 4Runners w/o bug deflectors and their hoods look like crap all the time. They both have rock chips in their paint on the hood where as I don't.

 

I have to be honest...your posts crack me up.

The question I have is why isn't it covered by your insurance? For what you shelled out (or will be shelling out) already, it would have paid for itself.

 

i dont have one, and the edge of the hood is pretty bad. only flaw on my truck is that....

 

If that question is gear towards me...
I honestly don't know...
He was under diffrenet inssurance at the time (tech. him and mom weren't maried yet and he was at a job that was suppling him his own insurance, but later got laid off by that job and recently is on our insurance since mom and him are married...)
I think they covered it...
Still pissed off...

 

From my experiences they do work,,but only at a certain angle, and do not make a huge protector from all flying debris seeing how they are only like 3-4 inches in height. I know it works as when i hit the highways in a bug zone, i see dragonfly after dragonfly hit it and get shot up 90 degrees into the air. There are also rock marks on it. So yes i think they work at protecting your hood primarily, but can also reduce the numbers to your windshield.

 

Nope...to the original poster, my bad

 

Well im getting both today, the bug deflector for $69 and the windshield for $159. The lady at the glass shop was nice and said since I had it replaced recently, they were gonna give me a little off. They did a good job too so i'm not worried.

About insurance- i'm 20 and still riding under my parent's insurance, thats about the only thing they pay for nowadays and also since of my age and truck choice, its expensive as hell without any additional coverage. Since I'm co-op'ing and working full time, I can afford the windshield, its just one of those hassles i'd just like to avoid.

 

Those old-school big / flat / vertical deflectors *do* help. I personally had such deflectors save my windshield from fist-sized rocks back in the 1980's (of course, both deflectors were shattered in the process ...). And those big wind-walls *did* elevator most bugs up and over the windshield.

The current (lower; more aerodynamic) deflectors are really just hood protectors. I still use 'em on all my vehicles to protect that part of the front end, but I'm not under the false impression they serve as 'deflectors' the way the old ones did ...