Searched and couldn't find anything comprehensive...

Took ownership of a 2019 STX on Friday and in the first 300 miles this weekend got DESTROYED by love bugs (fellow Floridians know the horror) and a nice rock chip on the leading edge of the hood. Noticed it when I washed the truck last night. I need protection.

Started to order a bug deflector this morning and reviews on various store sites are all over the place. Seems like nobody makes a quality product that lasts or comes with adequate hardware. Signed up for this forum and hoped I'd find something definitive, but searching finds me more of the same.

Looking for something that doesn't require 10 trips to the hardware store to install, doesn't fly off at 85mph on the highway, and you know, deflects stuff. It'd be nice if it didn't look like a 70's poker dealer's visor too. Am I asking too much?

Thanks in advance...

 

AVS Aeroskin II Hood Protector. I have this on my 2018 it sticks on no hardware. Looks good

 

Have no clue why that is so big? Did copy pasted it.

 

Yep, OP, you are asking too much. Bug deflectors of today only deflect consumers who don’t t like their particular look. They don’t deflect bugs. Not any more. Most all are low profile which relocates bugs from the wiper area of your windshield to your field of view. High profile deflectors that actually worked years ago went away with mpg concerns of today. They do protect from chips in the leading hood edge.
Good luck, and hopefully you see a doctor if that raging $&@? lasts longer than four hours.

 

I've had the aeroskin on two vehicles, eventually the double stick tape will let go and the corner will begin to vibrate in the breeze and then it'll snap. The cool thing when it snaps at highway speeds is it typically scratches the front end and if you're really lucky, it'll catch the car behind you. Nope, nada, can't recommend this product but it looks great while it's in tact.

 

Yep, that's what I'm finding. Back in the day I got one on my '98 Ranger and it was held on with like 6 screws, gone are those days apparently. Weathertech seems to be the best bet, but it's about the most expensive and is guaranteed to not have working hardware with it... and I'm still a little foggy on how it attaches. Seeing some saying it's stick on plus 2 clips and others saying all of that and some nylon hardware. And the hardware doesn't fit, holes don't line up - crap is all over the place.

Truck will be mine for ~10 years, so I'm hoping for something that I just have to do once. If none of them deflect bugs, maybe I'll just Line-X the front edge of the hood, bumpers, and maybe a few other things and be done with it.

Still looking for opinions though. There are a ton of different options, they all can't be garbage.

 

Best option, live with it.
Buy an Areoskin to cover the dings when your ready to sell.

I'll put 3M on my next one first day of ownership.

 

Well, this is super disappointing.

 

My 2015 with almost 74K miles has several dings on the leading edge. I agree with what KJ said, live with it. I find even the Areoskin to be Fugly.

 

Well, I bought a Weathertech for my '17 Lariat since I've had Weathertech deflectors on previous trucks bit it wasn't quite as easy to install as they would lead you to believe. They give you a bunch of plastic push clips (the ones you stick in a hole and then push in the center pin) and tell you to carefully pull away the rubber gasket on the front of the hood, slide the lip of the deflector under the gasket and use the new push clips.

Doesn't work!

The clips are too short to reach through the gasket, the deflector and into the hole in the hood. They're also too small. I actually stuck one into the hole in the hood, pushed in the pin and it promptly fell out.

Rather than screw around trying to find appropriately sized pins, I found threaded inserts that fit the holes in the hood perfectly. I already owned a Riv-nut installation tool, so a couple of inserts and a couple of stainless steel screws and washers and the job was done. I wrote to Weathertech and their only response was that I could ship the deflector back for a refund. They didn't seem at all surprised that it didn't fit correctly.

I'm very happy with the deflector and with a little modification work that thing is never coming off!

 

Kind of sounds like a prep issue. I’ve tried to pull mine off to replace it with a chrome one, and it’s not coming off without major force, so I decided to leave it. In my years of doing auto graphics and application of accessories, I find temperature and correct preparation usually are the problems with adhesion. If it’s too cool, heat up the surface. If sticking something, forget alcohol prep pads. Those are for blood samples. Use a quality prep solvent used in wiping down surfaces prior to paint application. You won’t be sorry. Now, if the tape sticks to the vehicle and pulls off the deflector, that’s a manufacturer issue, and I’d complain.

 

If you use the material provided and follow their instructions, and it fails after a year or so of use, its a bad product.

Tim had two came off, I had one come off.
As seen above, neither one of us would recommend this product again.

Who's problem is it now?

 

I agree with your reasoning AND bad product application recommendations. Unfortunately, the manufacturer will likely deny responsibility UNLESS the tape already on the guard when received separates from bug guard itself, NOT the tape from the painted hood. The factory applied that tape.
Did yours come off the hood, or tape off the guard?
Frankly, it wouldn’t matter if they gave out rivets gor the install. If the rivets fail, it’s on the installer.
I deal with paint issues in the industrial sector all the time, and 99.9% of the time, it’s all about preparation when paint fails. That’s installer (applicator) error.
Again, I’m being practical from the manufacturers POV, and as seen in real world applications. Nothing personal, and I’m not saying you it Tseekins can’t install bug guards correctly. I’ve had great success with these installations, but the isopropyl alcohol prep pads that evaporate dry before they hit the paint are not quality products for a successful install. I highly recommend prep solvents, and application of these taped installations in the heat and summer sun. As for practicality for deflecting bugs? One word... useless.

 

And I understand what you are saying.
Manufacturer is going to see it as a installation failure.
Result is the same, unhappy customers who don't recommend the product.

I put a clear bra on the front bumper of my '13.
When they send out their product, it comes with a list of what you need to install it correctly.

Areoskin should consider the same method.



Tim, was it the front left that came off first?

 

I had a Wade brand on my '10 that I think looked great with the FX4 grill and it was serviceable and low profile. I too have the AVS on my '17. I like it, it looks ok (not as good as the Wade brand looked but I guess they don't make them anymore) and while I sure hope the tape doesn't give and scratch my truck like mentioned above, it does "re-route" the bugs to your line-of-site on the windshield.
Maybe look into getting that coating/tape whatever it is that auto detailers offer as protection against rock chips? Ziebart in Michigan offers it and Im sure detailers across the country do too. It can be placed over your entire truck or just over the front end,hood and bumpers. The dealer I bought my truck from puts it on all the outer door frames at no extra cost to protect the paint and the dealer offers a lifetime replacement for them.