Hood Protectors

Exterior

Hood Protectors

Important: To get started, click the blue "Filter Options" button to select your vehicle and then use the filters to narrow your options.

Important: To get started, select your vehicle on the left and then use the filters to narrow your options.

What does a hood protector do?

A hood protector protects your hood from rocks and debris. When you're driving down the road at highway speeds, your car will be in the receiving line of road debris, such as small rocks and stones. For vehicles without a hood protector, the rocks have a higher chance of hitting your hood and dinging your paint. Or worse, the rocks can bounce off your hood and crack your windshield.

The hood protector adds a guard to the front of your hood which deflects these rocks and stones. This helps protect your hood from receiving dings, and your windshield from getting rock chips. A hood protector isn't a 100% guarantee against damage, but they do help.

How do you install a hood protector?

Each vehicle will be different, but generally speaking, installation is about the same. Some vehicles, especially trucks and SUVs, will have mount points under the hood. If your vehicle is equipped with these mount points, most hood protectors will utilize them to bolt in.

In almost all cases, your hood protector will also come with 3M automotive adhesive tape to secure on to the hood. This is an incredibly strong tape specifically designed to tape the acrylic hood protector to your hood.

You will receive vehicle specific installation instructions with your order.

Does a hood protector reduce fuel savings?

It is true that a hood protector will increase wind drag on your vehicle. Some estimates show anywhere from 1.5% to 3% reduction in fuel economy. Keep in mind that this is at highway speeds, you will not receive as much drag when driving around town.

This amount is almost negligible, and likely won't be noticeable at the fuel pump. This is usually offset by less paint repair costs on your hood, or a slightly higher resell value due to better paint.

If you're concerned about this, we would recommend one of the aerodynamic sets which sits closer to the hood of the vehicle.

Are hood protectors effective?

Yes, hood protectors are very effective at protecting your paint and windshield from stones, rocks and other road debris. Keep in mind though, it is not 100% effective. When driving down the road, especially on the highway, your hood and windshield will always be prone to dents and dings from road debris.

The hood shield is just another tool that you can use to help protect your paint. Over the life of your vehicle, you'll notice fewer paint dings than normal, because the shield does a good job of deflecting stones.

How do you remove a bug deflector from a truck?

Removing a bug deflector can be tricky, especially if it was installed using automotive adhesive tape. This will be the case with nearly all bug deflectors.

To remove the bug deflector, you'll need an adhesive remover that is safe to use on your paint. Your local AutoZone or O'Reilly's should have an adhesive remover that can be used. You will want to be extremely careful and work slowly, so that you do not damage your paint during the removal process.