Ok, My bug deflector on my 96 4runner, causes massive rubbing on the hood. It started to rust a little bit, and continues to rub. So I finally got some touch up paint and took off the bug deflector and got rid of the rust and painted it. Now I want to put the deflector back on without it rubbing the paint off again. What do i need to do? I don't care if it keeps rubbing and i get something on the paint to protect it (like some special tape that i could put down), or if i can make the deflector more solid and keep it from rubbing. Anything to keep the paint from rubbing off again. Thanks for any help

 

Get those clear colored, peel and stick, half-sphere shaped rubber bumpers, and put four or five of them between the bug deflector and the hood to keep them separated. That's how mine came installed.

 

mine came with some little round clear plastic circles that you stick there to prevent just that. shouldnt have beeen so excited when you got it and thrown them away! anyhow, check at a hobby shop for something like it. mine is about an inch long, two circles per piece and there is two of them

 

My Toyota OEM deflector has 4 or 5 square black rubber bumpers mounted on the backside of the deflector. They look like the self-stick items you can buy at Home Depot, Lowes, etc..

 

nother vote for the rubber bumpers... mine came with some when i installed it.

 

thats just the thing... i have those little rubber bumbpers.... i have one on the hood itself (i bought it used with the deflector already installed) and the rest are on the deflector..... but the ones on the deflector rub the paint off also... so the rubber stoppers are rubbing the paint off and so is the deflector itself.

 

You have to put the rubber bumpers on the hood, or they'll rub just like yours are.

 

when I had my bug deflector on, the rubber stoppers were attached to the hood, not the deflector.

 

ok, how do you attach them? these are like glued on.... i don't want them glued on..... unless i can take them off later

 

They come with peel and stick adhesive on them, they'll come off fairly clean, maybe a little residue that can be removed with some WD-40, laquer thinner, or whatever. A little wax on the area and it looks as good as new.

 

I went with the AVS bug guard since it does not touch the hood at all (it does include little bumpstops just in case) but still contours the hood nicely and it's the only guard that does this without loking too tall. It sits far enough away you can also run your hand behind it for cleaning.

 

I wish I had $50-$100 to spend on a new bug guard... but i don't, so fixing this ones problem is my only option. Thanks for the help, i will look for some new stoppers

 

I got mine for $45 from Pep Boys.