Bug Guard Mounting Hardware

[jac100]

My bug guard broke (front hod mount) and a friend fortunately had an extra he gave to me. I went to Toyota and bought the mounting kit to put the new one on.

I was really let down by how cheap of hardware it is. The kit comes with 4 rubber bumpers to keep the bug guard from rubbing on the hood and 4 plastic screws and expanding inserts for the screws to go into. I snapped one of the heads off the screws as I was putting it in and am now looking for alternatives.

Does anyone know of alternative hardware I can use to mount the bug guard on my '97 4Runner?

Plastic screws suck. I'm fine with expanding plastic inserts to go into the holes on the hood but would rather have a beefier mounting set.

 

[inshore4runner]

do those bug deflectors really work that good?

 

[txt4r]

I would also like to know how much the mounting kit was from Toyota. Thanks.

 

[jac100]

Price

The screws, expanding portion (part that goes into the hole in the hood that the screws go into) and the rubber bumpers all together was around $15.

I'd say if I had to do it again the rubber bumpers are worth it but the screws are a waste.

 

[LINY4Runner]

do those bug deflectors really work that good?

they work good for protecting the hood

they dont do jack shit to protect the windshield

 

[Ron Helmuth]

those little stick on bumps?

[

How much was the mounting kit from Toyota? I want to sell my deflector but lost all the bumpers (never put them on). I have the screw inserts, the screws would be easy to find at Ace, so I just need the bumpers. I wonder if there are any places other than Toyota that sell bumpers. [/B]

You can get those little stick on dots at the auto parts stores. I got some in my garage bootown and never used em.

$3 or so at the store.

You want em? I could mail em to you. Give me a reason to reorganize the tool drawers in the garage.

 

[jac100]

Hardware

I took off the Toyota mounting screws & inserts last night. Went over to Lowes and bought 2 bags of plastic inserts (.92 cents) and a bag of #8 screws ($1.92) and put those in. The hold on the bug guard is much better.

For future note - skip the mounting hardware that Toyota sales. You're better off buying the parts separately from a hardware store.

For other questions - the bug guard does great at protecting the hood and adds a little wind deflection. It does absolutely nothing in terms of protecting the windshield (as can be evidenced by my cracked and bug splattered windshield)

 

[mendozer]

what kind of inserts did you get? I went to HD and got the smallest anchors I could but they're the tubular kind and don't really expand. There isn't much room for other anchors

 

[mendozer]

I just went to the store and got the plastic toggles (the ones that look like they do the splits after being inserted). the two inner holes needed to have them be trimmed slightly at the tips but otherwise went in snug.