How to minimise stonechips?

zey

New member
Argh! I've been trying very hard to avoid stonechips on my brand new Getz by not driving behind the trucks, etc. And after a 200km weekend trip, I found out a few minor stonechips on my windscreen and headlamp. How you guys minimise the probability of getting stonechips?
 
I think most answers will rotate around "Don't drive it". How tall the car is has much to do with this, as I have a 11 yr old Miata with about 2 gazillion nanochips in the hood and windsheild. Only I notice, but I do notice.



I don't think there is anything to do.
 
it's a challenge. You can get the plastic "Lamin-x" material for the headlamps and the car's front end. That does work.



Apart from that, I guess maximize your following distance behind other vehicles when you're on the road and moving at speed - - that's where you receive the majority of the damage.
 
Living in London, with Japanese paint......... In all honesty, I found the best solution was find a good resprayer and get the front end done once a year.... By the time you've shelled out a couple of hundred quid for Armour Fend or whatever equivelent, and something to go over the headlights, thats a couple of years worth of resprays nearly...... It's maybe not the easiest solution but, if done well will certainly look the best.
 
I live up in the *Great White North* where they sand the roads with 3/4" crush. From the first snow fall to mid March I run a bug deflector on the hood and when I go on road trips I put on the bottom of the bra.



In Nov. I also take a roll of black vinyl electricians tape and apply a strip on the leading edge of the roof over the windshield. And on my car the fender wells bulge out so I apply 4 strips of tape there on the leading edge of all 4 fender wells. I also apply a strip of tape on the fender opening lip and fold it under. This keeps the tire thrown rocks from chipping. I also apply tape to the backs of both mirrors.



On a black car it is hardly noticable .. on a light car it might look like crap but $1.29 for tape or $500 for repaint .. you do the math. Even factoring in the bra/deflector pro rated over 4 years is cheap ..



I ran the car all last winter with numerous mountain pass trips and I have a small chip on the fender .. thats it. In the spring let the sun warm the tape and it peels right off leaving little or no adhesive residue.
 
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