This is a common and repetitive problem with "stick on" deflectors. Just think
about all the stress from the air flowing over it, and contraction and expansion
due to temperature changes..etc. That's a lot for the tape to endure. In my
experience, the only solution is to use brands that have metal mounting hardware
of some type. Some even mount without having to drill holes under the hood, if
that is your concern.
Don't have any hard answers about re-adapting your current model. Maybe look (in
person) at some other brands and see how they mount. It may be possible to
fabricate some hardware to create a more durable mount. The idea is to rigidly
mount the bottom edge of the shield underneath the hood, out of sight.
Here is a desktop engineered, "sight unseen" suggestion: find some rubber
mounting biscuits (the kind that have threaded inserts) at the local home fixit
place. The idea with them is they compress to fit an opening and provide threads
for a screw. The rubber provides some vibration isolation, which is important.
Use a size that would require about a 3/8" or 5/16" mounting hole and provide
about a 1/8" threaded opening. Get enough to mount one about every 6" along the
length of the shield, starting about 2" from one end to about 2" from the other.
Get large flat head screws (or also use flat washers) to match the threads.
Reinforce the plastic shield where the screws go through, maybe a flat strip of
thin aluminum across the width, or large "fender washers". Mount the
reinforcements under the plastic between the shield and the mounting biscuits.
The large head screw or washer will provide strength for the other side. Don't
forget to use a high speed drill with a sharp bit to drill the plastic. Make the
hole in the plastic slightly larger than the screw you use, this is important so
there is little chance of the screw chipping the edge of the opening. The plastic
is under stress because it is formed, so it may chip and crack easily.
Stainless or brass hardware will look good without corrosion, and look around for
hardware that is durable but provides the clearances you need. Don't forget to
measure for clearances..or the equivalent of "bolt through the hood?" Confused by
the words? Give it some thought, take a look at the underside of the hood, maybe
it will make sense. In the mean time, I will look at my 97 hood to see if
something else might work - I don't have a shield, but...
Of course you are also likely to get a response from someone who just mounted one
2 hours ago and says "just love mine haven't had any problems with it, must be in
your head." Get real people, such is useless help.
Dkota4by4 wrote:
> new problem..the Deflecta Shield l installed...only half of the
> tape was still attached to the hood.
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