Bra or Bug deflector?

Xao · May 7, 2004

Just curious on opinions on which one to protect my new (or soon to be) 2004 Silverado.

I plan on keeping this truck probably until it dies, so I would like to keep it looking nice as long as possible. Although I do realize it's a truck and I will have 4x4 for a reason. ;)

I think I have decided so far on the Bedrug vs. LineX or other similiar product, at least for the next few years, can't really beat the price and some of the reviews I have seen.

I think I have decided on a nice soft rolling Tonneau for the bed, since I only want items out of site and easy loading etc by myself. However, I haven't decided on the brand, any suggestions?

Thanks!

TROYROBO · May 7, 2004

i've got bed rug- -bra- -hard cover- -love all of them and get quite a few complements on how it looks--check out my pics for a idea on how it will look

Xao · May 7, 2004

NICE TRUCK!

What bra and hardtop are you using?

TROYROBO · May 7, 2004

the bra is original equipment item--bought it off e-bay 2 years ago----the hard cover is ---A.R.E. --i can't say enough about using a bra on the front end --been using one on the front of my vehicle's for years- -and i have never had any problems with then--you do need to remove them every once in a while to clean out from under them--so far i have never had any scratches or chips on the frontend

carguru · May 8, 2004

Judging from the sig pic, congrats on the new truck. Great color combo.

Here is my $.02 on the bra or bug deflector. As a personal preference, I don't really like either. I think that they offer limited protection (usually only to the front edge of the hood), spoil the lines of the truck, and have a tendency to collect gunk underneath that can do more harm to the finish. As for which one offers more protection, a wrap around bra probably offers more protection because it has pieces that protect the fender edges. The drawbacks to having a bra is that they all eventually leave scratches in the paint. It is more apparent on darker colors than lighter colors. Plus unless you have one of the color matched bras or a black vehicle, they stick out like sore thumbs.

The drawbacks of having the bug deflector are they usually stick out like sore thumbs (unless you get a color matched one), they protect the front edge of teh hood only, they tend to collect leaves and trash between the bug deflector and the hood and can cause some wind noise issues.

With that being said, I am using 3M Scotchcal tape on mine. From seeing the vehicle, you can barely tell it is there. The advantage is that I am not only protecting the leading edge of the hood, but the exposed edges of my fenders, the exposed front edge of the doors and the exposed leading edge of the roof. I also have the stuff on my rocker panels, lower door, etc to protect from rocks thrown up by the tires. So far I've been very happy with it. So happy with it that I did our new Tahoe with it too. On it, I have the same pieces as on my truck, but also covered the painted mirror caps, the painted grille and the painted front bumper. Here is a link to one of the distributors for the tape:

Invinca-Shield

Here are a couple of pictures of the front ends of both the Silverado and the Tahoe:

airbalancer · May 8, 2004

I go with the bra as it will hide more of the Chevy front end (ugly)

On my next truck in about 4 years I like the 3M idea. I price it for this truck but the 3m dealer want about $100 to do the front.

You can not go wrong with a GM truck!

BuiltNotBought · May 26, 2004

I would go with the bug deflector I think they look better than bra's.

jcebruin · May 26, 2004

Bug deflector or bra....

I'm a big proponent of the bug deflector, and here's my reason. If you live somewhere that they put sand on the road, you can actually get some help for your windshield from your deflector.

I've had one on all of my vehicles, and I noticed that on my jeep that had a VERY contoured shield, the windshield got sandblasted. On my Z71, the shield was exactly opposite, and stood almost straight up, no windshield damage... On my Yukon, i've got one somewhere in between, and it's doing well. It hugs the curves on the front of the hood nicely, and barely stands out. The black on blue is hardly noticeable.

My knock on bras is that once it comes loose, if you don't stop immediately, you run the risk of rubbing everything off the body where it continuously flaps in the wind...Also, if you have a white or light colored car, you run the risk of "yellowing" where the bra is.

J

Supurban · June 2, 2004

I agree with Carguru, 3M paint protection film is a great product. Have it on my 04 Sub's leading surfaces and mirrors ($395 is still cheaper than a repaint). On Silver Birch, it blends in nicely - most people don't notice it. Must be patient with wax on the seam for dark color paint.

If you are still skeptical about this film, order a couple of strips for your door edges and try it out.

Bug deflector could help keep stuff off the glass.

Supurban · June 14, 2004

In fairness to the bug deflector, I would imagine that this could help keep some bugs and rocks from hitting the windshield.

Just as an update on my preferred alternative : I took some photos of the paint protection film on my Sub - click on the link below. This will give you an idea of how little (or how much - depending on your point of view) you can see the film and seams.

If you have a custom paint job with a glass/mirror finish, then you might want to try Llumar or other types of film. But for factory GM finish (really isn't that smooth anyway), you won't be able to tell the difference.

The best looking piece is the hood - pro did this, and with good reason. But my favorite piece is the rear liftgate bottom edge - I put that on myself.

I'd like to hear from those of you that have tried this film. Very interested in appearance, damage, color, and general observations after a couple of years in service.