This may not have been the area to post this question, but here goes. A friend and I have argued over whether bug shields, even the sculpted ones, decrease the fuel milage of a truck when driving. I have had three Ford pickups, used a bug shield on two and when I discarded the bug shield, my mileage increased 2-3 mpg. Seemed as though the power increased also, especially if pulling a trailer. My friend says it is all in my head. Anyone else experience this?

 

2-3 mpg???? I seriously doubt that a bug shield would make any difference at all. Towing trailers, driving into the wind, cold weather, blend of gasoline are going to make a 2-3 mpg difference.

 

I drove with my bugshielf off (needed to replace some of the hardware) for a few weeks, and my mileage did not change any.

I also seriously doubt it would make 2-3MPG worth of difference.

 

I'm in the "doesn't matter" camp. Added a Ford bugflector to my '01 XLT and noticed no change in mileage.

In fact, the single biggest effect of the deflector seems to be to ensure that the bugs hit the windshield right in my line of sight instead of below it ;-)

It looks cool though ;-)

 

I thought that bug deflectors did nothing more than protect the paint from chipping from road debris.

 

My vote is `Doesn't mattaer, wouldn't care if it did.` I love my bugshield.

 

Well - they do protect the front lip of the hood from gravel and grit in the airstream a bit I suppose, but they mostly call them bug deflectors, not rock guards so I think they're marketing them as deflecting oncoming insects up and over the cab top and keeping the windshield clear. I don't think mine deflects the bugs over the cab - they seem to hit in the upper third of the windshield, and if they come in at a slant they can hit anywhere.

I would point out that the $70 Ford bug deflector I bought doesn't fit particularly well on my '01 XLT Sport. I thought by spending the extra $ for the official FORD accessory, I wouldn't have any fit problems but it ain't so. Abrades against the top of the grill and I have to slam the hood to get it to latch.

 

menchar, your installer should have moved the hoodlatch up alittle for the deflector

 

Lost mine last year and have not had to fill up since.

 

Well, the installer was me ;-)

Didn't realize I could move the latch up - but wouldn't this affect the alignment of the hood to the fenders? The problem is that there's too little clearance between the lip of the hood and the top of the grill. The bugflector has to compress a bit for the hood to get down to the latch. I have Sport so grill treatment may be different than other models.