Why buy a deflector?
When you care about your automobile, you want to keep it looking its best. However, nothing takes away from your vehicle's great looks like a windshield full of smashed bugs or gouges in your paintjob. Likewise, you want your vehicle to be as comfortable as possible. But, you can't roll down your window without having to put up with a number of obnoxious side-effects. Loud wind, rough turbulence and soaking rain are the primary culprits, but there certainly are others.
Thankfully, you won't have to put up with these common issues with a deflector mounted on your vehicle. You'll enjoy amazing front-end protection, improved driving comfort, and many other benefits. That's because deflectors:
- Redirect bugs from splattering against your windshield
- Deflect rocks, gravel and other airborne debris from scratching your hood, fenders and windshield
- Greatly reduce wind noise and turbulence from open windows and sunroofs
- Shield rain, hail and sleet from pouring in through your open windows
- Contribute to your vehicle's fuel economy
- Add a sleek, stylish finish to your vehicle
Before we learn about how deflectors perform all these amazing feats, let's take a quick look at the different deflector types.
There are three basic types of deflectors, and each kind brings a unique benefit to your vehicle. Let's take a closer look:
As their name implies, bug deflectors are engineered to keep insects from smacking into your windshield and hood. However, these tough deflectors pull double-duty. They also shield rocks, gravel and other debris from colliding with your hood, fenders and windshield.
Bug deflectors mount right on the leading edge of your hood, one of the most punishing positions on your vehicle. In order to withstand the harsh conditions, they're built from rugged materials. Most are made from high-impact acrylic plastic. EGR, AVS and Lund all manufacture bug deflectors from robust plastics. For even greater strength and durability, you can get a stainless steel bug deflector. No matter which type you go with, they all easily mount using either OEM-approved 3M adhesive or hidden screws.
While bug deflectors are designed for protection, window deflectors are specifically engineered for comfort. When your windows are rolled down, they greatly reduce the deafening roar of wind and the annoying thrash of turbulence. They also shelter your interior from rain and wind drag.
Window deflectors fit around the perimeter of your windows and alter the aerodynamics of your vehicle. For long-lasting strength and durability, they too are crafted from high-impact acrylic. And, installation is a breeze. They firmly mount using either automotive-grade 3M adhesive, micro-thin flanges or by tucking right into the window channel on select vehicles.
Having a sunroof is the next best thing to owning a convertible. However, the shrieking noise and hair-mangling gusts might make you think twice about opening your ceiling hatch. Sunroof deflectors solve these problems. They modify your roof's aerodynamics to dampen the racket and redirect the wind out of your cockpit. Moreover, installing a sunroof deflector is like adding an overhead sunshade. They're tinted to reduce harsh light, so you don't have to squint while you're motoring about at midday.
These sunroof deflectors mount right in front of your sunroof. They're crafted from high-impact acrylic plastic and mount using either 3M adhesive or no-drill clips.
Now that we have a clear understanding of the different types of deflectors, let's examine how they make driving less dangerous and more enjoyable.
Whether you're headed out on a cross country road trip or driving down the block to the grocer, chances are you'll run into a bug or two on the way. It seems unavoidable—their flight plans are always set on a collision course with your front-end. More than just disgusting, their gooey carcasses can impair your driving visibility by mucking up your windshield.
Stop the splats by mounting a bug deflector onto the front of your vehicle. It alters your front-end's aerodynamics to launch wind up and over your windshield—not smack-dab into the middle of it. That way, when bugs zero in on your front window, the new wind current will send them sailing over your cockpit.
What's more, a bug deflector will help prevent those plump pests from crash-landing onto your hood. You may think that their slimy corpses are harmless, but their guts can be quite damaging to your paintjob. Most insects have very acidic remains, which will fuse to your vehicle's paint if left unwashed for a day or two. Even worse, bug juice can cause pitting and etching, the two gateways to surface rust and a lengthy invoice from a hairy guy named Saul down at the body shop. However, you won't have to worry about this type of damage when you install a bug deflector.
Aside from their acidic innards eating away at your paint, bugs don't pose much of a physical threat to your vehicle. The same cannot be said for other airborne debris. Kicked-up rocks, gravel and other road rubble can leave nasty gouges, nicks and dents in your finish. Your hood is extremely vulnerable to this type of damage, along with your windshield and fenders. That's where a bug deflector comes to the rescue yet again.
Mounted to the nose of your vehicle, a bug deflector acts like a broad shield. When pebbles come flying in at your hood, they hit the deflector instead of your automobile. That way, stones and debris ricochet off the deflector and go whizzing harmlessly away.
No one likes sitting in a stuffy automobile, but an open window or a gaping moonroof causes more annoyance than it cures. Howling wind, whipping turbulence and rain-soaked door panels are just a few of the bothersome effects of driving with a sunroof or windows open. How do you expect to rock out to Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama over the gale force air stream whistling in your ears?
These problems arise because of an interruption in your vehicle's aerodynamics. Your automobile is specially shaped and contoured to allow air to flow freely across its surfaces. When you crank down your windows or pull back the moonroof, you create an aerodynamic pothole. The wind can't help but get sucked into the hole, and you're stuck with its ear-piercing shriek and hair-tussling rush.
With a deflector fixed to your vehicle, you remain streamlined even with your windows or sunroof open. It alters the airflow, causing it to jump across the gaps instead of rushing into them. This simple shift in the wind's course will dramatically reduce wind noise and all but eliminate pesky turbulence.
From calm drizzles to torrential downpours, rainy days mean only one thing to drivers: the windows must remain up. Unless you want your clothes, carpet and door panel soaked, you can't even have your window open a crack. With everything closed up like a tomb, the air in your cabin will quickly turn stuffy and stale, especially if you have passengers. Even worse, foul weather almost always leads to a build up of fog on your windshield. But, the natural remedy for this automobile ailment, rolling down the window, just isn't practical during rain storms.
The remedy to this plague of on-the-road annoyances is simple: install deflectors around your windows and sunroof. These sleek accessories act like little umbrellas, blocking rain, sleet and snow from sneaking into your cockpit. Even if it's raining cats and dogs, you can open your window to let in fresh, clean air. And, the circulating air will help clear up dangerous window fog.
Benjamin Franklin once wrote that "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." In these modern times, we can add one more item to this list: the high price of petrol. Yes, it seems like every time we pull up to the pump, the prices have shot up yet again. While we cannot simply stop driving altogether, we can take steps to improve our fuel economy. A deflector is an easy, effective tool for eking out as many miles as possible from every tank.
One of the biggest drains on fuel efficiency is your air conditioner. The added energy your AC draws to run its compressor zaps power from your motor, which then has to work harder and use more fuel. However, if you shut off the vents and roll down your windows or open your sunroof, you create another problem: drag. The wind flies into your cockpit, crashes into the rear window and creates a backward thrust. Like a marathoner with leaded shoes, your engine has to exert more energy to do the same job, so it burns more gasoline or diesel.
The solution to these woes is deflectors. They adjust your vehicle's aerodynamics to compensate for the opened windows and sunroof. Instead of rushing in, the air blows innocently over the openings, so you avoid drag. Cruising around town with the AC off and the windows down will help give you the most bang for your fuel bucks.