Clear bra worth it?

My truck is due for delivery in the next few days (2 month wait), and upon picking it up I was wondering if I should invest in some sort of clear bra for the truck. Most of my previous vehicles have not had a big problem with rock chips ect, but since I plan to have this truck for the long haul I'm interested in keeping it as nice I can. Any advice? Thanks for the responses ahead of time!

~Gunnar

 

My TRD Pro had it installed before purchase.. with < 1k miles and I already have 3-4 tiny rock chips else where. The paint seems cheap haha. I have Dr. Colorchip sitting on my desk ready to go lol.

 

better safe than sorry

 

What color is the taco? If white, that would definitely help considering the fact that they have one layer vs two for paint coating.

 

better safe than sorry but be sure if you decide to have the dealer do it they don't charge some crazy high markup.

 

Truck is midnight black or dcsb manual. Black is always a tricky color to keep clean and shows chips easily

 

Just another guy on the internet's opinion, but yes it is 100% worth it. That being said I'm very particular about maintaining the appearance of the vehicle overall and more specifically the paint.

I will say that if you're going to spend the money on it, don't have the dealer do it. Find a reputable PPF or detailing shop that uses Xpel or Suntek films.

 

I think all bras should be clear.

 

Getting mine installed last week. I live in Anchorage, and am expecting a lot of gravel when the snow starts to melt. It wasn’t cheap, but I think its a good investment.

 

How much of the truck should be covered at a minimum to be effective?

 

I've never had clear bras, and I've never liked them on vehicles I've seen. I'm my opinion I'd rather touch up with age rather than seeing vinyl get discolored and and dry up.

 

3m?

 

I had one on an old truck and will never have another one again.

They are ugly and expensive. Its cheaper to repaint your hood after 10 years.

They oxidize, fade, and scratch.

 

Depending on where you live, and where you drive it may or may not be worth it. If you often do highway drives and live in the salt belt then yes. Also I agree with some of the other posts. Better safe than sorry, especially if you're keeping it for the long haul. I live in PA and I had rock chips on the hood of my last car, which began to rust.

I would advise do not go with the Toyota OEM pain protection film, and do not have a dealer install it. If you wanna know why just check out my experience here -> https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/dealership-paint-protection-film-issues.577608/

Long story short, Toyota uses a cheap version of 3M film which begins to yellow over time. Dealers also do not have enough experience installing the paint protection film. When I had my dealer install mine, they cut on the body of the truck. In the end the replaced the parts and refunded me.

Find yourself a body shop or company which specializes in the installation of clear bras. Make sure they don't take a blade to your truck's body. Also my look up XPEL Ultimate Plus which is one of the industry leaders in the clear bra world. I have an appointment for my truck first thing in the new year to get it installed. Cheers

 

Yeah, the cutting thing is what gives me pause. I'm wondering if a clear bra can be installed without some small amount of cutting? It just seams that with all the radius' there must be a need to apply the blade. When it is not on the road it is parked inside a building, away from UV rays, so UV degradation is not going to be a problem. Only question is...SunTek or Expel? Expel is about twice as much as the SunTek. What makes it worth the extra money?

 

The oxidation and drying issue comments are interesting. (And I'm not suggesting anyone hasn't experienced them) I have no idea what product those individuals had or how it was applied, but I'd be shocked if a quality product like Xpel or SunTek experienced those issues over a 10 year period. Not saying it can't or won't happen, but I haven't witnessed it myself with newer films (post 2001ish). The point being that I wouldn't let that sway me from installing one or recommending it.

Regarding cutting, depending on the coverage you're looking for vendors like Xpel have pre-cut kits. That will result in minimal to no cutting at all. Definitely understand the concern around cutting and makes the due diligence around picking an installer all the more important.

 

My grandma and her friends all agree with you.

 

I drove my truck with 0miles on the odometer straight to a place that does 3M Paint Protection Film. It had 4miles on the odo when i dropped it off!

I got the front bumper, grill surround, entire hood, entire front fenders, rocker panels and the first 24" of the roof done. I don't regret it for a second, truck looks damn good still a full year and a gravelly winter later. Most of the film is self healing too, so any small scratches will "heal" in warm sunshine.

 

Yes do it, Xpel brand. The paint sucks.

 

We have it on ours dont use dealer they charge double what a tint place charges.