Toyota Hood Protector (bug guard)

K9trainer

K9trainer

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I installed a Toyota hood protector on my 2015 TEP, the question I have is, has anyone experienced any damage to their hood from the way the little brackets mount the shield? The kit does include mylar tape to wrap the hood where the brackets mount but I'm now t sure it's enough to prevent the paint from being rubbed off.
 
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don't use the oem bug shield. those mylar strips will walk eventually and the metal clips will rub the hood.

get aftermarket shields that mount to the underside of the hood and use existing screw holes.

all Toyota bug shields have metal clips that attach to the leading edge of the hood. and everyone I have seen the strips will walk out from under the clips and rub the leading edge.

from experience on the 12 Tacoma that I caught before that happened. removed it and swore off on the 4runner.
 
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I went with an AVS bug guard and it only touches underneath the hood and wont rub any paint off. I would suggest to go with their design.
 
One thing I noticed when researching is many people complained of whistling noises at higher speeds on aftermarket shields. AVS was one of them but I don't remember which model.

I have the Canadian OEM shield and it has brackets that mount to the hood. I ended up getting extra mylar strips and doubled them up to be safe. Having said that, I ran the OEM mylar strips for the first 5 months and nothing of concern. You could tell the bracket was pinching a but no penetration. Anyway, I have had the shield on since July 2013. I last inspected/replaced the mylar strips in the fall and everything was fine.

If you go OEM just be sure to inspect regularly and pick up some extra mylar strips from a bike shop (as suggested by 1engineer).
 
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Mistaken said:
I went with an AVS bug guard and it only touches underneath the hood and wont rub any paint off. I would suggest to go with their design.
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I went with the AVS too. I install it at the beginning of winter and remove it during spring.

Very good price and easy installation.

BUT: keep in mind before buying that the AVS creates a whistling noise at highway speed. You won't hear it with your radio at medium volume but it could get easily get irritating to some people. Personally I don't care but definitely hear it.
 
diverscale said:
I went with the AVS too. I install it at the beginning of winter and remove it during spring.

Very good price and easy installation.

BUT: keep in mind before buying that the AVS creates a whistling noise at highway speed. You won't hear it with your radio at medium volume but it could get easily get irritating to some people. Personally I don't care but definitely hear it.
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Weird. I dont have that noise.
 
I've only had the Toyota protector on for a couple weeks, upon inspection I could tell it was pinching the Mylar strip on a few of the mounts, and it was so close to rubbing on the front where the hood meet grill I decided to remove it and return for it for a refund.
I did like the look but wasn't willing to take the chance of it damaging the hood and grill at this time
 
I have had mine (oem) for almost two years no issues, no whistling, no rubbed off paint.

I made sure that when I originally installed it I had equal spacing on all of the tabs. After 9 months or so I had the hood wrapped, I removed it, check all of the mylar strips, only one had a small crease in it. No issue, I have had the hood wrapped for over a year now, I looked at it the other day, still no issues. In fact none but one of the clips even rests on the vinyl.

I would chalk up most issues to a hasty install or user error and any others to maybe defects in materials. Just my experience with it.
 
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sigbrown1297 said:
What does the AVS bug guard do? Keep bugs off your hood? windshield? or both?
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mostly to keep rocks from chipping the leading edge and to protect upwards of 1/4 of the hood from the leading edge.

it does nothing for keeping bugs off the windshield.
 
Anyone out there with the weathertech model? Have you compared it to the avs and does it mount the same (ie underneath the hood with no clips)? Just trying to decide which one is better.
 
I went with clear bra on my new TE. I had the Toyota bug shield on my 3rd gen and not sure how much it did or didn't do. I do know the one one bullseye I had on the windshield nothing would have stopped.

I was on a country road and this psycho woman in a beat up Subaru came flying at me the other way. I could see the rock flying as it skimmed my hood and hit the windshield.

Thats the one bad thing about my gun club. It's out in the middle of nowhere and you have to do about 4 miles of dirt road to get to it and most of the locals drive cars that are beat to hell and do 70 on the gravel roads. They don't care about their cars. :-)
 
I have the WeatherTech on my 15 Trail Ed. Took 5 minutes to install. I don't hear anything but my tunes. just a leading edge rock chip protector.
 
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