Previous owner installed one. I can tell it is affecting the air flow as I can see the air jostle the wipers when they sweep and can hear the changes in air flow when the vent is selected.

It may kick the occasional bug higher and probably over the windshield, but is this better for my milage?

 

No. They hardly do their job as a bug deflector

 

Depends what model is it. One I got with my tailgate I bought last year, just looking at it, makes me wonder how the hell can it work. The one I had on my F250 worked pretty good though, still had bugs hitting my windshield, but not nearly as much without it.

 

Nice to see pics of a tough ole truck.Mine is very similar but a little more rust I think.

 

In the last big lovebug season(last year) I noticed less bugs on the windshield where I see through. It does disrupt the air flow so the MPG probly will be down a little. Sounds like a good Mythbuster's test here, Does it work and what does it to the MPG?

 

I liked mine because rocks would hit the deflector and not my paint.

 

That does seem to be one positive. If I remove mine I may get some of that nascar clear film to put on the front.

 

I dont see how it would affect MPG. If it does its very minimal if any at all. The only thing I didnt like was how they flopped in the wind. I ended up going with a 3m clear bra system to prevent rock chips and bug guts sticking to the paint.

 

Front end bra, although really ugly, is the best thing for protection. Especially for someone that does alot of highway driving.


I am going to get one from LMC when m y F250 is restored.

 

They also hold moisture against the paint for extended periods of time speeding up rust..

OP; Does it help your mileage? No, it hurts it for sure, you have the proof of that already in the way you can see it affecting your wiper blades etc. I have one for styling more than anything, IMHO the right deflector really dresses up the bricknose.. The old ones (think blue plastic that was flat and stuck straight up) were true bug guards, but ugly as sin and really bad for mileage.

 

Mine seems to work well enough for deflecting bugs. I don't know about its effect on mileage, however.

 

I have a low profile bug guard made by Lund. Its called an Avenger. Its nearly invisible on my truck. You can't even see it from inside the truck. I just wanted it for stone chips.

Those taller ones I think do help with bugs a tiny bit, but I don't see how they can be good for fuel economy.

As for the bra type things. I'd never used those. If any dirt etc gets behind them, it will ruin your paint. I've seen cars that looked like someone took sand paper to them. I'd never use one on anything. Besides they look terrible.

 

Those old straight up bug deflectors are the ones I love! Blue or Red plastic with a chrome strip at the bottom. But yes, horrible for gas mileage. Sure add 70's styling though

 

There was a streamlined Lund bug deflector on my truck when I bought it, looked pretty good with it laid back almost touching slope on the front of the hood(old square body style) so I figured it wouldn't disturb the air much. But I noticed a curious thing when driving in the rain at highway speeds.. water would roll down the hood(from back to front) against the windblast if you can believe that, and there was a lot of turbulance around the wipers. At one point it got a big chunk broken out of it so I took it off and then rain water moved as you would expect again, it rolled from the leading edge back over the hood and turbulance on the windshield was also reduced dramatically. The aerodynamics of these trucks is sooo bad I don't see a little piece of plastic mounted on the hood helping, it will prevent bug/rock chips but if anything it produces even more drag so any claims of reducing fuel consumption are bogus.

 

2X on that! That's why I didnot take mine off. Hides that bricknose.