Hail Shield Build Help

[Jokko W.]

Can you please give me a list of materials that you used I'll be making one for my 2014 Chevy z71 pickup I need one like you got but have no idea where to start any help is much appreciated

I'm just gonna keep it down over the truck permanently and keep it on all. The time for general protection against all and anything

 

[David Williams]

I'm just gonna keep it down over the truck permanently and keep it on all. The time for general protection against all and anything

What part of my heel Shield build are you interested in? I have the shields over the sides and back windows that are semi-permanent and the fold down shield on top that is also a semi-permanent.

 

[Jokko W.]

What part of my heel Shield build are you interested in? I have the shields over the sides and back windows that are semi-permanent and the fold down shield on top that is also a semi-permanent.

I was just curious what the parts you used and if you could send me a parts list

 

[David Williams]

I was just curious what the parts you used and if you could send me a parts list

All parts for top shield are in the video series I created on youtube. Just type hail Shield build into YouTube and it's the first one. The side hail shields I built for the 4Runner required me to drill holes into the side of the 4Runner and put in Jack nuts. Then I put foam squares over the holes in order to elevate The Shield off of the window.

 

[Joe Cameron]

All parts for top shield are in the video series I created on youtube. Just type hail Shield build into YouTube and it's the first one. The side hail shields I built for the 4Runner required me to drill holes into the side of the 4Runner and put in Jack nuts. Then I put foam squares over the holes in order to elevate The Shield off of the window.

I have yet to find the build video for the 4Runner. You state foam squares, I assume you used the same foam squares for the permanent rear side windows. I have yet to find any that seemed to be stiff/hard/firm enough to last anytime.

Going to start with the easy part of hail shields, rear side windows, sun roof (has to hinged in front to access camera on top), and rear window.
Other side windows (4 driver/passenger/rear seat) have not decided on how best to do that.

Windshield there is only one way i can do that due space limitations.
The shield is going to have to fold in the middle for that when the shield is laid back over the top top of the guard for the sun roof it can fold sorta flat and not extend back and interfere with roof cam.
Another thing wrong is that windshield extends way far forward, that's why the shield has to have a hinge in there somewhere to fold it up.

 

[Joe Cameron]

2nd row seating.
Looking at the spacing of the vertical wire run, they appear to be on 1 inch spacing.
Wonder if it has been put to a hail test.

Trying to get mine built within the next few days, even though i have till next year.
This is what i found at home depot, the spacing on this wire is 0.5 inches.
Wondering if I really need 0.5 and could go with the 1.0 inch spacing.
The vertical inside dimension from the wire flanges has to be 25.0 inches.
I have no room at the top door frame for jack nuts, not without messing up the upper door gasket.
Was thinking magnets, but the curve of the top door frame would only allow something less then 1/2 of the magnet base
to be in contact with the frame.

The thought did occur to me to run some 1.0 inch chrome tubing from the rear to the front and hang the guards from it.
Then i would think all I need is two or three smaller magnets to hold the upper part against the frame and use
larger magnets below the window at the bottom.

Any thoughts/ideas on this will be appreciated.

 

[B. Dean Berry]

Adhesive zip tie anchors.

Link

 

[Joe Cameron]

Adhesive zip tie anchors.

Link

maybe.. At least for the horizontal run at top of door frame.
I do have enough flat area to position a couple of larger magnets below the top and outside of the window frame.
Well no i don't because that it is a plastic strip running vertically in front of that window.
The metal behind that plastic is about 1/4 inch away from the outside surface of that strip and not very wide.

Seems i remember seeing some door frame clip hangers, metal with rubber covering to keep from marring.
No idea where i saw those at. If i could get some an inch a wide, couple of inches long, and use 4 of those along that top to hang off
the door frame, I think that would work.

Maybe something like this :

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media/vc/5bc2f150-9f96-469a-8be8-ed8488dfb52c.jpg

 

[B. Dean Berry]

Truly, the only windows that need hail shields are larger windows with more upward-facing area, like rear windows or windshields.

Side windows can be adequately protected with 3M Security Film on the inside and outside.

 

[Joe Cameron]

Truly, the only windows that need hail shields are larger windows with more upward-facing area, like rear windows or windshields.

Side windows can be adequately protected with 3M Security Film on the inside and outside.

Sounds like a better plan for me to follow.

Thank you.

 

[Jordan Doane]

Here’s my hail guard that I designed and cut, had it TIG welded together by a local shop. The windshield section slides into the main roof protection and gets pinned in place. When not used for hail it functions as a roof rack. @t4nader on instagram

 

[Bobby Little]

Here’s my hail guard that I designed and cut, had it TIG welded together by a local shop. The windshield section slides into the main roof protection and gets pinned in place. When not used for hail it functions as a roof rack. @t4nader on instagram
View attachment 19070

Jordon, is that made with ALL aluminum 1" angle, 1"tubing, and expanded metal? id assume so as you stated tig welding. If so that has to cost a hell of a lot unless you have your own shop. looks very solid also!

 

[Jordan Doane]

Jordon, is that made with ALL aluminum 1" angle, 1"tubing, and expanded metal? id assume so as you stated tig welding. If so that has to cost a hell of a lot unless you have your own shop. looks very solid also!

The main roof frame is made out of 1”, 1.5”. The hail guard is 1” and 1.25” that fits perfectly inside the main frame square tubes. And as for cost goes yes it’s on the pricy side being all aluminum but it would have cost me the same for a steel roof rack from gobi for my 4runner. So the benefits of learning, building and designing my own plus the benefits of purpose for me was worth it. Plus the fact that everything is aluminum and stainless hardware never have to deal
With rust!

 

[Bobby Little]

The main roof frame is made out of 1”, 1.5”. The hail guard is 1” and 1.25” that fits perfectly inside the main frame square tubes. And as for cost goes yes it’s on the pricy side being all aluminum but it would have cost me the same for a steel roof rack from gobi for my 4runner. So the benefits of learning, building and designing my own plus the benefits of purpose for me was worth it. Plus the fact that everything is aluminum and stainless hardware never have to deal
With rust!

I retired as a Journeyman Tinsmith/Welder/Millwright and i wished i had been able to build a rig like yours in our shop before leaving.
I still could except it would be on my time, money ,supplies, and equipment. LOL
You are right about the materials though. lightweight , strong, and rust free.
You can always add to it/more customizing with a drill motor and s.s. bolts and nuts.
NICE!

 

[Jordan Doane]

I retired as a Journeyman Tinsmith/Welder/Millwright and i wished i had been able to build a rig like yours in our shop before leaving.
I still could except it would be on my time, money ,supplies, and equipment. LOL
You are right about the materials though. lightweight , strong, and rust free.
You can always add to it/more customizing with a drill motor and s.s. bolts and nuts.
NICE!

Yup! Actually have a roadshower 4s and a tuffstuff4x4 4x4 awning mounted to it with custom mounting brackets I made out of 3/4” thick Lexan I had up in the woods. Also made a custom wind fairing and it helps a ton with wind noise and air flow! Definitely a good investment and it looks good too! Currently just run plugs where the hail guard mounts up. Might eventually make a light bar bracket that extends slightly out that also pins into place and unplugs so when it’s chasing time the hail guard can slide into place instead

 

[Dan Robinson]

I would still like to figure out a good, sleek "field deployable" all-windows guard design that is also as low-profile as possible. Something that minimizes MPG drag and also doesn't look ridiculous. Front guards really get in the way of photography and dashcam videos, and unless it lowers, won't protect the lower part of the windshield when the vehicle is in motion. Right now my side guards require exiting the vehicle to deploy, which is a problem when larger hail begins suddenly and you can't get out of the car.

Thinking of something flat on the rooftop where all guards slide out horizontally to deploy, the side guards then pivoting down and locking into place.

 

[Jordan Doane]

I would still like to figure out a good, sleek "field deployable" all-windows guard design that is also as low-profile as possible. Something that minimizes MPG drag and also doesn't look ridiculous. Front guards really get in the way of photography and dashcam videos, and unless it lowers, won't protect the lower part of the windshield when the vehicle is in motion. Right now my side guards require exiting the vehicle to deploy, which is a problem when larger hail begins suddenly and you can't get out of the car.

Thinking of something flat on the rooftop where all guards slide out horizontally to deploy, the side guards then pivoting down and locking into place.

In the future I’ll just do 3m security film!

 

[Joe Cameron]

In the future I’ll just do 3m security film!

Even for front windshield and rear window ???

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Dan Shaw runs 3m film but he still got wrecked by gorilla hail this year. I think it's better served as a reinforcement to something more sturdy like a proper cage.

I design things for a living, but never bothered with building a cage. I tend to steer clear of hail whenever possible. I did install a light bar and designed a cutoff fairing. Also designed a skid pan which helped a ton when bombing down dirt roads at 70mph.

For a base rack though, look at Rola. I bought a 6ft rack for my subaru for under $200. It's sitting here in the garage since I haven't decided if I want to put it on the Sorento...mostly from a mpg perspective. Going camping tomorrow and kinda wish I had it up there, but no cross bars came with my car and they cost more than the rack did.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Reviving an old thread with some updates to this topic. I have retired my wire-shelving-based shields and am currently installing a rig using galvanized hardware cloth (a type of wire fencing you can get at any home improvement store). It is very strong and very lightweight. I’ll post pictures soon.

I used this material as the rear window guard on my last vehicle. This was necessary because the rear liftgate required the guards to be fully cantilevered out from the roof rack in order to allow the liftgate to open. The shelving panels were just too heavy to safely do that configuration. The material took a solid softball strike during the May 29, 2022 Taylor, Nebraska supercell, saving the rear window. The material held up just fine- dented, but not significantly. It is more than sufficient to rely on for this application.

So, I am redoing the entire rig with this material. The main benefits are that 1, its light weight means less structural support is required and 2, it has far less wind resistance than the shelving panels. That means it is not only much quieter, it takes far less of a toll on fuel economy. The shelving panels produced a shrill cacophony of whistling at highway speeds, and when driving into a significant headwind, cut gas mileage in half.

I’m reusing parts of the original rig’s frame rails for this new one. It attaches to the car’s roof rack mounting holes using 8mm bolts.

I had hoped to have it finished before today’s chase, but storms fired 3 hours earlier than expected. When it’s completed I’ll make another update.

 

[Dan Robinson]

The basic build of shield rig 2.0 is finished. Yet to do is the fold-down side guards. A couple of quick photos while sitting at today's target:

1.) The dent in the rear guard from the 5/29/22 softball. I've been using this rear guard section with my old rig since 2021. I could have bent the dent back into shape, but left it as a battle scar.

2,3: Shots of the liftgate cantilever and rollers, with the liftgate closed and open. I used soft rubber casters that don't damage the car's paint.

4.) Shot of the galvanized hardware cloth material on the side and front guards, with part of the frame. The light weight of the material means lighter aluminum frame pieces could be used, as well as using primarily zip ties instead of 1/4" bolts that were needed with the shelving panels.

Will post more when I have the fold-down side guards done.

 

[Shawn Camp]

on this issue.......I will have more later to say.............. . think Metal Supermarket........



Shawn C.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I had an inadvertent “extreme” stress test of my new rig yesterday after I hit a turkey in northern MIssouri. The failure point was on both of the main frame rails at the forward roof rack attachment studs. The main rails bent, but did not break. There was one small stress fracture emanating from the bolt hole on the underside of one rail. There were no failures or deformation in the hardware cloth, bolts/fender washers or zip ties. No damage to the car roof or rack mounts, the main rail deformation absorbed the rack’s impact forces. A validation of the durability of the material and components!

I will only need two new main frame rails (and a new windshield), the old ones are no longer safe to use.