Do those bug shields make a difference? They look awful, but do they really help control bug damage? Which ones are best?

Thanks again

 

i think they look rad, and yes they keep the bugs off

 

yea.. I like em myself and save the front of your hood and windshield from unneccesary chips.

 

I'm not sure if they make much of a difference with bugs or chips in the windshield, but the do make a huuuuge difference with stone chips on your hood.

 

I went with a low profile model for looks. I don't like the ones that stick up to far or run up the hood 4"+. This one still protects the hood from chips.

 

Mine does absolutely SQUAT. I get pelted nonstop with bugs, and my hood is peppered with rock chips. I've had it since day one and I think it's worthless.

 

mine does it job...other than making the hood flop up and down when you go 55+mph, i say it's great...

 

Xpel is great.

http://www.xpel.com

Search the forum for xpel. sorry leaving for home too lazy to post pic.

Bob

 

Mine on my 98 4Runner has been awesome. Held up for 5 years and still going strong. And it has savedmy hood big time.

There is no way I would have a 4Runner without one.

Scott

 

They are only good for rock/stone chips.
Bugs wipe off.

Find a clear one and have it painted to match your ride if you
do not want it to be noticed.

just my 2 cents worth...

When it comes to chips in the hood from rocks, they can't be beat.

 

I had one on my truck (picture can be seen in signature) but it cracked after some of the crazy weather we had down here, rain one day and 80+ deg. the next day, then rained the next day again. it cracked right down the center

I liked the look of it, but i like the look of it even better without it

as for stone chips... it may have helped a little

 

BeforeI bought my current 4runner, i had a '99 Expedition, the summer after i bought it i took a trip to Mexico City from Houston Texas (NOT a walk in the park), anyway before I left i bought and installed a bugshield. Yes, I know they look :pig: butt ugly, especially when put on a spruce green expy. Anyway, it was totally worth it, I did not get a single rock chip, though I did get a hell of a lot of bugs . As soon as i got back I took it off and put it in storage until the next trip.

In my opinion, its worth the money if you will travel and actually use it.

 

ill say it again... mine works good, my dad put it on my truck in 87, i just recently got the truck from my dad last year. It works beautiful

 

:pat: :pat: :pat: :pat: :pat:

I have a nice deep gouge on my hood from a rock.
Right at the TIP of the hood towards the grille.

:cry:

 

If you do this, make sure to have them paint the back of the bug guard. That way the paint will not chip as you get pelted with rocks.

I have had very good luck with the one from Toyota. It looks great and does a nice job of protecting the hood.

 

So this past monday as I was driving home from the beautiful beach community of Santa Cruz, I found myself on a lonesome stretch of the 101 when suddenly I find myself driving along another 4Runner. Always a fan of fellow 4runners, I gave it the standard "Hey, nice truck" glance, when I noticed the rear of the vehicle. Immediately upon seeing the 4wd symbol on there, my apprection of this fellow 4runner went up a notch. I decided to speed up a little to get a glimpe of an obviously intelligent motor vehicle enthusiast. To my surprise, as well as delight, it was a lady. Oh yes, that's right folks, a fine looking gal at that. Well I looked over, smiled, and she must have obviously been deep in thought pondering her next mod (or something like that) because she didn't look back. Anyway, at that point, I was distracted by some noises - little, repetitive smacking sounds.
Well it didn't take long to realize what these were, the same sounds that happened on the way up to Northern California - bugs getting the living crap smashed out of them by a roughly 4,000 lb wall of death hurdling down the highway. It was at that moment that I thought "There has to be a better way." So I considered buying a bug deflector. Anyway, as chance had it this fellow runner and I shared the same route for quite sometime, all the way down the 101 to the 46, and eventally down south on the 5. It was somewhere around Paso Robles that I noticed she had a bug shield on her rig. So my eyes then moved to her windshield, and what a difference. While my windshield looked like a one of those paint splattering spots paintings with the occasional clear space to see through, hers was relatively clear. Okay, there were a few bug splats, but hardly anything like mine. So on that very day I decided to arm myself on my next road trip with such a simple, yet effective device.



anyway, the point is i'd have to say those things work.

 

you didnt get a number did you

 

wow cant believe i havent thought about getting one of these earlier. I get pelted by bugs all time and those huge trucks kicking up rocks and stuff dont help either. Anybody here got a close up pic of the oem one? i'm thinking of getting one of those and wanna know how they look.

 

Has anybody seen/have any pictures of these on a 03? I would think with the way the hood is, it would look kind of strange. I will not drill into my rig to put one of these things on.

 

EGR!



It really helps keep rock chips down!