Aeroskin II hood deflector fail

[lwilliams34]

I purchased and installed the Aeroskin II Black Textured Trail Armor Hood Deflector.
My thoughts were that it would assist with protecting the hood from rock chips, bugs, and provide better aero for wind deflection/noise.
Unfortunately it was not a good experience overall. The fitment was a bit off and left gaps on both ends.
The surface was prepped properly but after a few days the edges of the deflector started to pull up from the adhesive. I've read a few reviews stating that the plastic was a bit warped making it difficult to lay flat in terms of fitment and adhesion.
In terms of aerodynamics and wind noise it seems that the deflector moves the wind pattern higher on the windshield/roof of the bronco which created a lot more turbulence/flapping when using a soft top (bestop sunrider). I also noticed that the amount of wind and noise was greater with the soft top pulled down, even at lower speeds.
overall not a great experience for me. I think if you are primarily going to run with the hard top on it might be a better experience in terms of wind deflection and noise.
Just wanted to share my experience. Your experience may be different.
I wish I would have taken some pictures with the deflector on. Took a picture after the unit was taken off and cleaned up.

https://accessories.ford.com/bronco-2021-aeroskin-ii-black-textured-trail-armor-hood-deflector
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[HighVelocity]

It's times like these where tinnitus and deprecated hearing are wonderful things.

 

[Brian_B]

I have the deflector and both a soft top and hard top

It does move the air stream up - this is true. Kind of what a deflector is supposed to do

I did have to put some weatherstripping on the covers for the roof mounts as it caused them to rattle

It fit on my Big Bend just fine, does what it says it does on the box

Would help if you had installed photos though

 

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

I've found that it does deflect bugs fairly well. And now that you mention it, the ones that do hit my windshield land on the top 1/3 or higher.
I can't comment on windnoise. I have the Trailrax TRMX with the 40-inch Heretic lightbar, so I have (as I expected) increased windnoise. So: no opinion on the Aeroskin's involvement.

My problem is that the hood-side edge (as opposed to the leading, grill-side edge) has lifted a bit, on the driver's side especially. Water collects in there, and sprays out when I hit highway speeds. I'm worried about water getting in there, freezing & expanding, and damaging the Aeroskin's fit and the hood paint. (Regarding the paint, I suppose I'm never supposed to remove it and rip enamel off the aluminum?)
So what to do? Seal it down with a bead of silicone or something?

On the positive side: I installed the Ford Performance corner armor (front and back) which match the Aeroskin very nicely. The corner armor also (combined with MEKMagnet body armor) did a great job protecting my truck from a very heavy--and long--trail through deep Canadian brush.

 

[lwilliams34]

I have the deflector and both a soft top and hard top

It does move the air stream up - this is true. Kind of what a deflector is supposed to do

I did have to put some weatherstripping on the covers for the roof mounts as it caused them to rattle

It fit on my Big Bend just fine, does what it says it does on the box

Would help if you had installed photos though

Thanks for the input. I talked to the ford dealership where the part was purchased and they acknowledged some quality control issues with units being a bit warped.
I would have ordered another unit and tried again, but the air turbulence was so much more noticeable with the sunrider top open even at low speeds. That combined with the increased rattling and turbulence with the top up just tilted the scales towards taking it off and going back to oem.
Was a bit distressed by the whole experience and had a short window at my detailers shop to remove that I completely forgot to take photos.
Just sharing my experience and not trying to slam the product.
I'm sure the fitment has been good for most owners and maybe I am a bit more OCD about the wind noise and air flow. I did like how it looked for sure.
I"ve found that sometimes it's best to leave things alone. Less is more...

 

[lwilliams34]

I've found that it does deflect bugs fairly well. And now that you mention it, the ones that do hit my windshield land on the top 1/3 or higher.
I can't comment on windnoise. I have the Trailrax TRMX with the 40-inch Heretic lightbar, so I have (as I expected) increased windnoise. So: no opinion on the Aeroskin's involvement.

My problem is that the hood-side edge (as opposed to the leading, grill-side edge) has lifted a bit, on the driver's side especially. Water collects in there, and sprays out when I hit highway speeds. I'm worried about water getting in there, freezing & expanding, and damaging the Aeroskin's fit and the hood paint. (Regarding the paint, I suppose I'm never supposed to remove it and rip enamel off the aluminum?)
So what to do? Seal it down with a bead of silicone or something?

On the positive side: I installed the Ford Performance corner armor (front and back) which match the Aeroskin very nicely. The corner armor also (combined with MEKMagnet body armor) did a great job protecting my truck from a very heavy--and long--trail through deep Canadian brush.

yeah, this whole 3m adhesive stuff is a bit sketchy. I've heard that water does pool in the back portion and using the windshield washer fluid at highway speeds is a bit of a challenge. There are always challenges and draw backs to every scenario.

 

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

yeah, this whole 3m adhesive stuff is a bit sketchy. I've heard that water does pool in the back portion and using the windshield washer fluid at highway speeds is a bit of a challenge. There are always challenges and draw backs to every scenario.

I'll have to get to a dealer's body shop and ask about a remedy. My current thinking is:
1) pry up the back end of the Aeroskin, and prop it up (full length) with small wedges.
2) Clean the surfaces top and bottom with isopropyl alcohol.
3) Run a bead of clear silicone the entire length
4) Clamp it down a 3-4 spaces
5) Use a proper application tool to make sure there are no gaps in the bead, and
6) Clean off any excess.

You think this'll fix it? But this means that Aeroskin is never getting removed.

 

[Fmuguira]

Use the Radio volume control; problem solved!!

Having a Jeep in my garage also I knew when ordering my hardtop Bronco that wind/road noise is just a given. If a person can’t deal with that then a metal can SUV s/b where you look. 4 Runner, etc …. JMHO

 

[mdahan]

Is your bronco ceramic coated?

 

[lwilliams34]

I'll have to get to a dealer's body shop and ask about a remedy. My current thinking is:
1) pry up the back end of the Aeroskin, and prop it up (full length) with small wedges.
2) Clean the surfaces top and bottom with isopropyl alcohol.
3) Run a bead of clear silicone the entire length
4) Clamp it down a 3-4 spaces
5) Use a proper application tool to make sure there are no gaps in the bead, and
6) Clean off any excess.

You think this'll fix it? But this means that Aeroskin is never getting removed.

Hard to say, it would definitely be a more permanent solution. I was fortunate to be able to pull the deflector off using a heat gun, microfiber rag, and a plastic pry tool. No damage to the hood, but it's not going back on at this point unless I would purchase a more permanent attached solution that would not direct the wind back down on the top of the roof.

 

[lwilliams34]

Is your bronco ceramic coated?

Mine was ceramic coated, but I had my detailer remove it from that portion of the hood and do a proper preparation of the surface.

 

[lwilliams34]

Use the Radio volume control; problem solved!!

Having a Jeep in my garage also I knew when ordering my hardtop Bronco that wind/road noise is just a given. If a person can’t deal with that then a metal can SUV s/b where you look. 4 Runner, etc …. JMHO

It seems like this is one of the catch phrases for any complaints about noise in a Bronco or a Jeep. I get it, it's not a luxury SUV, but that doesn't mean it can't be somewhat civil with the top up. I'm not looking for fix roof Lexus quiet; my previous vehicle (Mazda CX-5) was not very quiet on the hwy. Some of us just have more of a tolerance than others. I was ok with the wind buffeting before the deflector was installed, but the turbulence that it created afterwards was worse in my opinion and did not outweigh the potential benefits of less bugs and debris on the windshield.
Everything is a value vs cost proposition.

 

[MotoVexGT]

Huh, I'd expect the adhesive to hold up better. I had a solid CF aero-wing on my old X6 and it was a bit warped so it didn't match the body exactly (I could easily see through the gaps). It was so stiff I had to mount it with some heavy duty c-clamps to get it to mate all the way. Left it for a few hours, popped the clamps off, and it was good to go. The 3M tape did not quit, and didn't allow it to gap again despite the rigidity of the CF.

 

[CoastieN70]

I bought mine with points from my dealer and installed it myself. I noticed that it had a tendency to want to separate at the outer edges after a day or two, so I used a couple of spring clamps to "press" it back in place. I also used an edge roller, like one used to roll wallpaper edges, along all the deflectors edges. I left it clamped for about an hour in the sun. Problem solved.

 

[BigHoof]

Mine's been installed for over a year. No issues with lifting at all. Put on when new so no wax or coatings on the paint. Wasn't warped, fit fine. Install in warm weather and do not get wet for at least 24 - 48 hours. The only thing I can think of is that if you do not pay attention to how the part was trimmed on the bottom, that could be a big problem. On a few areas, the plastic was not trimmed properly and extended lower or was even with the thickness of the tape. If you do not fix that, the deflector will never stick to the vehicle properly. I realize you should not have to do that but it is what it is. Takes a few seconds with an exacto knife.

I recommend and would 100% install the deflector again. Matches the flares and overall look of the Bronco.

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