2011 Hood Protector - Question - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

meteng · 03-04-2011, 09:59 PM

Hi all.

I installed the Toyota OEM hood protector tonight. Install was pretty easy... but it sure seems to stick out pretty far - I expected it to tuck a little tighter to the hood. Does this look right to everyone?

Thanks everyone!!

Chris

bingo883 · 03-04-2011, 11:15 PM

Are you sure those metal clips on the hood will not do more damage??? Even ir they have some sort of foam protection, it will not withstand the weather.
My suggestion is to go to a auto store and buy some clear film protection for the connecting area.

That's why I went with the all plastic AVS on my 09....

high09ltd · 03-04-2011, 11:38 PM

Perhaps for 2011 Toyota changed the mounting. But the clips use to mount under the lip of the hood ... between the weatherstripping??? Is there wind noise /vibration at highway speed from the gaps? Just in case. I would check with the dealer to make sure you installed it correctly. The 2011 looks really sharp.

craftydad · 03-05-2011, 05:35 AM

Looks correct to me. I just installed the OEM on my 2011 HL Ltd yesterday. There is space between the hood and the protector... didn't hear any noise when driving last nite. It's different than the AVS one I had on my 08 (which is up for sale for $40 on craigs list :-). I hope the OEM one keeps the bugs off the hood come spring.

meteng · 03-05-2011, 06:29 AM

The 2011 hood must have changed quite a bit from the previous years - there is no weatherstripping along the bottom of the hood. The brackets just mounted directly to pre-drilled holes in the hood. The brackets do curve just right, and fit tightly to the hood. There was a small plastic sticky piece - a rectangle about 1" x 1.5", that went onto the hood, over the lip of the hood, before the bracket was installed - so technically the bracket is not touching the hood.

I don't see how it could be wrong - but I needed a bunch of educated opinions from you guys. I may still swing by the dealer and just have them peek at it quick.

We are very happy with our 2011... it has been fun shopping for the little accessories to make it personal! It is my wife's car - so we'll see how often I get to drive it (3 times so far!!)

THANKS everyone!

Chris

rcash · 03-05-2011, 11:30 AM

Your installation looks correct. I installed the OEM protector on my 2011 HL about 6 weeks ago after getting tired of waiting for Bugflector to put one out. I personally like the Bugflector better because it did sit closer to the hood on my previous vehicle. Having said that, there is much less clearance between the hood and headlights and grill on my 2011 than on my old SUV. Maybe that's why the OEM protector uses the thin metal brackets rather than just wrapping the plastic (which is much thicker) around and under the hood to attach. In fact, there is very little clearance between the hood and headlights even with the metal brackets. At first I tried to adjust the hood up slighly higher to increase the clearance but then the hood was not flush with the fenders. I did put several layers of clear tape (plus the tape included in the kit) under each bracket to make sure it doesn't scratch or rub the paint (made the brackets stick up very little from the paint surface). Overall, the OEM protector seems to work just fine for me.

jus_crzn · 03-09-2011, 12:10 AM

Its installed wrong. If you need some pics of the correct install send me a pm with your e-mail. There should only be about 1/2 inch gap between the deflector and the hood. I would say you installed the metal brackets backwards. You are also missing the bump-ons that stick to the hood.

limitedblizz · 03-23-2011, 01:33 AM

i think mine is closer than yours, but mine's a 2010.

jack63 · 03-23-2011, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meteng

Hi all.

I installed the Toyota OEM hood protector tonight. Install was pretty easy... but it sure seems to stick out pretty far - I expected it to tuck a little tighter to the hood. Does this look right to everyone?

Thanks everyone!!

Chris

yeah it seems like you have a big gap between the hood and deflector, is that the right one for 2011 HL? I have a Canadian version deflector an it fit nicely when installed, I will post a closer picture of my hood next time.

craftydad · 03-23-2011, 04:47 PM

Here is the OEM clip on my 11 HL so you can compare.

Loudog2 · 03-25-2011, 01:28 PM

How easy is it to line up the hood protector for install?

***TrailDust*** · 03-25-2011, 02:00 PM

And how is the paint on the hood protected from the clip?

vsansal · 03-25-2011, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrailDust

And how is the paint on the hood protected from the clip?

right, I am pretty sure he put the clips the wrong way. Those clips should stay inside the hood I think.

mctommy · 03-25-2011, 02:54 PM

From the looks of it, it seem that there is something between the clip and the hood.

vsansal · 03-25-2011, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mctommy

From the looks of it, it seem that there is something between the clip and the hood.

Well if that is the correct way to install it, I didn't like that hood protector at all. So many screws visible. Also it looks too further away from the hood. On my 2010, the part where it curves, goes under the hood.