DO BUG DEFLECTORS REALLY WORK????

[MattStarr]

I have a 97 xlt with a bugflector on the front of it. It seems to keep the bugs off the hood, but when driving on the highway, bugs just seem to find their way to my windshield. I thought the bugflector was supposed to keep the bigs off the windshield. It is a pain the to keep the windshield clean when driving on the highway. I have top of the line wipers with bosch blades, but they just seem to smear the bugs around. Any tips to keep a clean window when driving 80 mph?

 

[rvitek]

I have a bugflector and it behaves the same as yours.

What I can say about the bugs... don't use your winshield wipers to 'clean them off'... as you already know, you can't. You'll only smear them. Best thing to do is wait until you fill up for gas (which is only a few hours in your X, LOL), then clean them off there.

You may want to try RainX, it's supposed to make things a bit slicker, but I'm not sure.

Hope this helps!

Ry.

 

[ChuckyD]

Bug deflectors do work, and i was going to suggest rainX as well.

 

[zavetsky]

bug guts

Around town and at speeds around 55 mine seems to work on my 94, but at highway speeds >55 I have the same issue....

I use the Prestone windshield fluid (the one made for the winter) year round and it does a GREAT job of cleaning off bug guts.....That blue water stuff is exactly that....blue water with a smidgen of alcohol.....

 

[mattadams]

bug deflectors work to keep bugs from hitting the front of your hood, but don't project em over your window like you'd like

 

[andypinto]

The theory is that the design of the bug deflector creates a high pressure air stream over the hood and deflects all that crap flying over there in order to pass over the windshield.

However, that's a theory. Some bugs (specially the big ones) are too heavy to be deflected and crashes against the windshield anyway.

I agree with rvitek, the wiper only spread the things all over the windshield.

Andy.

 

[ChuckyD]

I remeber awhile back when we first got the X we didnt ahve a shield. We took a road trip and there was bug everywhere. my dad then decided to get a deflector, and the next time we took a trip it worked great! Maybe its the type of deflector i have??? Mine is kinda just a ramp, its not the kind that is molded to the hood.

 

[jjue]

It's the type of deflector. The low prifile ones don't work nearly as well as the ones that stick almost straight up into the air. I have a Bugflector II, which is low profile. I know that I get nowhere near as many bugs and stones hitting my windshield as I would without it, but I still get plenty of them here in Mississippi. In several cases I have seen rocks hit the bug deflector and send them over the vehicle, and in one case I saw it hit the vehicle directly behind me. The front of my Mountaineer looks so bad that I had to get something to cover it until I can afford a paint job. Even after the paint job, the bug deflector is going back on.

 

[zavetsky]

bd

Very good point.....

The deflectors, if nothing else, save the paint on the front edge of the hood, for sure.

 

[Brian1]

My bug deflector definately works. On road trips there are usually no bugs that get on my windshield. I have a profile + shield.

 

[Hartman]

Bug deflectors are designed to keep bugs off your hood and your windshield. They change the aerodynamics of the truck just enough that any bug that you hit will not just go right up the hood and hit your windshield, but the deflector directs it up and over your roof, if that makes any sense.

If you want to test it out, just take a high pressure sprayer and spray it directly at your bug deflector, you'll see what I mean.

 

[Billabong02]

I had a bug guard and yes it did keep the bugs from messing up my windsheild but i noticed that it held water in the bottom which rusted the underside of my hood. Now i wouldn't put one on my new one if you payed me. Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[ksaldibar]

they also protect the front of your hood from nicks from things that get kicked up while driving around