What 1/2 ton are you towing with? (no diesels and 2014+ newer)

[Falko]

I had a 3M clear shield on my last car. You really should replace them every 3-4 years. I went 6 years, it looked like crap and it was a horrible experience removing it. But it did work very well. 

[malibu2004]

12 hours ago, nyryan2001 said:

Yep Jackie Springer got me on a 2011 Wakesetter with the MTC touch screen.

I don't have any idea what you are talking about. 

[85 Barefoot]

1 minute ago, malibu2004 said:

I don't have any idea what you are talking about. 

Ryan blames CEO of Malibu for his bad experience with his 2011.  Corporate greed, poor QAQC, poor dealer response to his issues, etc.

[oldjeep]

50 minutes ago, Falko said:

I had a 3M clear shield on my last car. You really should replace them every 3-4 years. I went 6 years, it looked like crap and it was a horrible experience removing it. But it did work very well. 

Call me old fashioned, these still work great and cost about $100

 

[ahopkins22LSV]

Just now, oldjeep said:

Call me old fashioned, these still work great and cost about $100

 

#oldmantruck 

[oldjeep]

Just now, ahopkinsTXi said:

#oldmantruck 

Yeah, the truck is functional.  Bug guard, big rubber mud flaps on all 4 wheels, 17" wheels, tires with lots of sidewall, rubber bed mat.

LOL, even worse I just noticed that was mid mirror swap right after I got the truck.  It only has one hand up.

Edited October 28, 2016 by oldjeep

[Stevo]

I can't do bug guards. Not a fan.

[RyanB]

1 hour ago, Falko said:

I had a 3M clear shield on my last car. You really should replace them every 3-4 years. I went 6 years, it looked like crap and it was a horrible experience removing it. But it did work very well. 

I have a clear shield on my Cayman.  Was on it when I purchased 4 years ago.  It is starting to get cloudy.  Is that what happened to yours?  Any advice on removing it?

[Pnwrider]

28 minutes ago, Stevo said:

I can't do bug guards. Not a fan.

Agreed. I would spend 2k on a 3m clear shield 100 times before I put a bug deflector on. But I don't drive a 25 year old Silverado so I guess I wouldn't like the look. 

[Falko]

1 hour ago, RyanB said:

I have a clear shield on my Cayman.  Was on it when I purchased 4 years ago.  It is starting to get cloudy.  Is that what happened to yours?  Any advice on removing it?

Sheesh, I'd say you're screwed and the car is a total loss. I do feel bad for you so I'll give you like $100 and take it off your hands.

Get it off now while you can. I waited too long and it started to crack and dry out. That is the problem. Once it dries out it comes off in itty bitty strips, not pieces. I used  plastic razor blades to remove it along with a bottle of acetone. Heat helps a little but I found the upper layer of plastic releases from the adhesive and it stays on the car. A soaky rag of acetone loosens that. But becareful with the acetone it will turn plastic white, which you then have to spray paint black again. I didn't have a Cayman, if I did, I would probably have a pro do it. I had an 8 yo station wagon, barely justified buying that $6 can of black spray paint. But seriously, I'd get it off now and have it re-applied.

[Falko]

2 hours ago, oldjeep said:

Call me old fashioned, these still work great and cost about $100

 

Yep, and doesn't do thing to protect the painted bumper, the front fender corners, the lower cowling...  The clear "bras" do a lot more than just the front of the hood. My wife's truck came with a hood protector like that and I never took it off. It does its thing well no doubt, just limited in its protection.

[h2oratJR]

Long  term problem with those is they rot your hood out 

[1HELLUVALIFE]

It is just a truck after all, 1700 for clear film? That's crazy.

[oldjeep]

5 minutes ago, h2oratJR said:

Long  term problem with those is they rot your hood out 

Not when your hood is aluminum   (Ram hoods have been aluminum since 2009)

Edited October 28, 2016 by oldjeep

[DAI]

27 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Not when your hood is aluminum   (Ram hoods have been aluminum since 2009)

Why not go the whole body . . . Oh wait 

[Falko]

Why would they rot your hood? Getting stuff down in there?

[oldjeep]

16 minutes ago, Falko said:

Why would they rot your hood? Getting stuff down in there?

In my previous truck 02 F150 the cheap hardware combined with the holes you had to drill in the hood promoted a lot of surface rust/paint bubbles.

Edited October 28, 2016 by oldjeep

[nyryan2001]

99% now are no drill.

 

i guess I'm in the old man category, had one from the beginning. No rot and no rust.

[jk13]

Bugshields have never been my thing, but back in the 90s I wouldn't care to count how many we sold. Now I remove as many as I sell each year (which isn't many). Where the plastic touches the paint on the pinched front edge of the hood (sandwiched between the grille when you close the hood) and underneath by the mounting points it will wear through eventually. It can't not, just like the factory bed caps on top of the boxes and plastic drop-in bedliners for those that use them, there is constant shifting and flexing causing paint wear. As long as you don't remove them and the wear continues, the action of the wear keeps the bare metal clean and not actively corroding, basically sanding regularly like you would a long term bare-metal project. Also, as quiet as the new trucks are they (and other exterior accessories) are causing enough wind noise and vibrating mirrors and trim to be a problem for some. 

Aluminum body panels corrode too--it just comes in the form of white powder instead of orange flakes. Only paint issue I ever had on my old Expedition was the aluminum hatch. 

For me I'd chance one or two rock chips rather than having something guaranteed to rub the paint (besides being far outside my style). But I still sell them to those who ask. If everyone's style and opinion was the same the world would be a pretty boring place. 

Edited October 28, 2016 by jk13

[oldjeep]

3 hours ago, nyryan2001 said:

99% now are no drill.

 

i guess I'm in the old man category, had one from the beginning. No rot and no rust.

I'm pretty sure the one on my ram was no drill and plastic expansion fasteners with rubber bushings, but it has been 7 years since I installed it.  Doesn't rub on anything but it does protect the huge leading edge of the hood and flings everything just above the windshield onto the paint there

[nyryan2001]

Peppered rock chips everywhere. And I'm on my 3rd windshield due to rocks flung from other vehicles. I believe much of that was while in TX and OK.  Same with my painted boat trailers- peppered. Now mines Rhino-lined.

thats a big con against the Platinum Tundra for me. Paint matched front bumpers get eaten by rocks.

i would seriously consider the 3m film if you plan to go 100k+ miles on it.

[Cap305]

3 hours ago, nyryan2001 said:

Peppered rock chips everywhere. And I'm on my 3rd windshield due to rocks flung from other vehicles. I believe much of that was while in TX and OK.  Same with my painted boat trailers- peppered. Now mines Rhino-lined.

thats a big con against the Platinum Tundra for me. Paint matched front bumpers get eaten by rocks.

i would seriously consider the 3m film if you plan to go 100k+ miles on it.

That's one of the biggest reasons I chose to not get the Z-71 package on my GMC 1500.  It comes with the color matched front end.  I hit GM-Trucks.com a bunch to do research before I purchased my current ride and that was an issue frequently reported if you didn't get some sort of paint protection immediately.  

[DAI]

@Fman The options in group 502A are definitely worth it.  the LED headlights are worth the upgrade alone, and the LED mirror spot lights come in handy when getting off the lake in the dark and lighting up the surrounding area preping the boat to be trailered home  (I have a 4 and 3 year old so it's nice while they are walking around).  As I stated prior, don't expect the front seat backs to cool; this is my biggest complaint that Ford will do nothing about and some one on tbe F150 forum is 3D printing a fix http://www.f150forum.com/f118/cooling-seats-issue-tsb-feedback-304154/

As much as I would want to lift mine (inspired by @IXFE old F150), I would lose the ability to park in O'Hare's parking structure when traveling domestically.

The F150 also looks good with a 23 LSV hooked up

[shawndoggy]

Man call me crazy, but the F150 looks real good lowered too.

(if my interwebing is correct, this is 1.5 front, 3 rear ground force kit)

Plus you probably end up getting better mileage too.

[oldjeep]

16 minutes ago, shawndoggy said:

Man call me crazy, but the F150 looks real good lowered too.

(if my interwebing is correct, this is 1.5 front, 3 rear ground force kit)

Plus you probably end up getting better mileage too.

Not to mention better towing stability as long as they did it in such a way not to lower the spring capacity.  Although with no rake they had better have installed bags if there is ever a load put on it.

Edited October 29, 2016 by oldjeep