Trouble with a bug deflector

Guys, I'm looking for advice from owners with bug deflectors. It's almost October and soon the snow will be here and the City will be spreading their 3mm rocks on the highway for traction in the ice and snow (They don't use salt here - its too cold, the salt is ineffective, so they use 3mm rocks to provide traction <sigh>)

Last night I went to the dealer looking for an OEM deflector - I read that these were better than some of the after-market ones. Believe it or not, despite asking for OEM the dealer sold me Perfect Fit. When I pointed it out, they stated that they don't carry the OEM in stock!! I point out that ... ur, they were a Honda dealer .... they said that its twice the price ($249 CAD) and requires drilling. (Which I corrected them on - of course it does not require drilling.)

I'm not sure I want this Perfect Fit - I read a couple posts about people having issues with glue that is needed to seal the rubber strip?

Much as I hate to spend 2x as much for an almost-the-same product, what is the best deflector out there for keeping rocks off the hood and preferably the windshield too (or at least minimizing the rock damage). I hate spending more than I need to but I only want to buy and install this thing once.

Any help or experience would be appreciated, thanks.

I'm considering a deflector too. I've never used one before.

Do all deflectors mount the same... ie, do they all required some sort of support on the hood exterior? Or are some deflectors free standing... using only the mounts under the hood for support?

IIRC, the OEM Honda deflector uses some sort of external support for the deflector which has to be d/s taped to the hood... or so I understand. I'm not crazy about that method of attachment and support.

I have a Lund bug shield and it attached from the underside of the hood in 4 square holes. The hardest part of the install is removing the honda clip already in the hole.

Took me 10 minutes from unboxing to driving away.

I have a Lund bug shield and it attached from the underside of the hood in 4 square holes. The hardest part of the install is removing the honda clip already in the hole.

Took me 10 minutes from unboxing to driving away.


how's the fit? does the lund bugshield hit any part of the grill? i had one on another truck and it rubbed the paint away on a portion of the grill.

Buy an OEM bug deflector from College Hills Honda or Majestic Honda. I did and it only cost $100. College Hills Honda has a video on installation.

I put the round protector 2 inches up in the center of the hood.

the Lund does not touch the hood except on the front edge. No paint damage after 40 months.

I put the round protector 2 inches up in the center of the hood.

the Lund does not touch the hood except on the front edge. No paint damage after 40 months.

How effective is it for avoiding rock chips. Also, how's the road noise with the Lund, did you notice any difference?

I have a Lund bug shield and it attached from the underside of the hood in 4 square holes. The hardest part of the install is removing the honda clip already in the hole.

Took me 10 minutes from unboxing to driving away.

Thanks for that suggestion. Got a link for the Lund deflector?

Anyone know if the AVS deflector needs any external hood support?

I love the OEM's look, fit, and finish none of the others look as good to me and they do work well. It does not require any drilling It's an easy install and it is very sturdy.

I love the OEM's look, fit, and finish none of the others look as good to me and they do work well. It does not require any drilling It's an easy install and it is very sturdy.

The problem I have with the OEM deflector is that you have to install a support on the external hood... or so I understand. Is that correct? Plus, it seems a bit more pricey than AVS or Lund from what I can tell.

When I bought my new 2007 RTL I immediately installed a WeatherTech.com bug shield--as I've done for my previous vehicles. Easy installation and the hood remains in pristine condition.
Cheers,
David

The problem I have with the OEM deflector is that you have to install a support on the external hood... or so I understand. Is that correct? Plus, it seems a bit more pricey than AVS or Lund from what I can tell.
I removed the plastic center support from my RL. Looks better and no problems at all. Two years and still looks great!

How effective is it for avoiding rock chips. Also, how's the road noise with the Lund, did you notice any difference?

no noise, no marks on the hood or windshield ( knock on wood ).

Nothing is going to stop a determined rock from hitting you windshield.

I have had bug guards on almost every vehicle I have owned. Never had any issues with any of them. I did break a couple, but that was mostly my fault. I was very impressed with the Honda bug guard. It does cost more, but I am not unhappy with it. It is designed really well.:cool:

That is true you do install supports, but that's why it is so sturdy. It does cost more but all of the OEM stuff cost more $$$

I like the option of getting a clear deflector and getting the inside painted to match the car. I may check a local shop to see what they charge to paint it for me.

Seems like there are fans for OEM, AVS, Lund, etc. So like Toyota and Honda, you can't lose going either way. Do they all offer clear deflectors?

My factory installed unit has worked great for about 40 months.
Last year one of the main screws fell out on the driver's side. I could not find one and Honda was going to have to special order the screw.

I fixed it with super glue and it has worked fine.:):):)

I'll side with Larry's pts on this one....

Lund... no problems... no paint loss... seemed to help reduce the number of direct rock hits...

Easy to wash behind.. no pegs in the way...

Real Truck a sponsor of the site is where I got mine from.... The $25 dollar gift certificate I won at the Cape May meet in 2006 helped!! :cool:

:)

I have never owned a truck before. This may sound stupid, but what arethe real benefits of a bug deflector? Just to keep bugs off the windshield, or is there more to it. Is there an aero benifit?

I put a deflector on my RL... first time I've ever used a deflector. I wanted it mainly for stone chip protection. Bugs come and go and will wash off.

My main concern with the deflector is if it will survive a trip through the car wash. I'm sorta past the point where I enjoy spending 6 hours on a wash, wax and clean-up job.

We've had a deflector on the wife's RL for 10 months and its been through a few car washes with no damage but seeing as how not all car washes are the same thats no guarantee

I have the Honda installed bug deflector...had the truck about a month and was driving along heard a heckuva whack...got out looked all around didn't see anything...couple of days later noticed a crack in the deflector - thought dam - but then realized it would have been worse if it had smacked the hood.

I did some patchwork and it was barely noticeable - then a truck backed into me broke the BD in another place - they replaced it, but I never installed it - just patched it again... that was two years ago...still have the new one in my shop.:D