Hey guys, I've never been offroading but while driving through a short strech of gravel road at a slow speed (20mph), I kept on hearing what seemed like stones hitting metal sound. I hope the tires are not kicking up the gravel so high that it's hitting my beautiful black paint ! But I can't tell if the gravel bits are hitting the actual finish or just the metal surfaces inside the wheel-well. After getting out of the truck, I still couldn't tell if anything had been hitting the paint. I see some pinpoint sized white bits on the paint, but they look rather like wax bits washed out of the trim grooves (I just waxed it not long ago) since they came off with a gentle scrub.

So my question is, do you long time X owners know if the X has a tendency to throw things up to the paint? I certainly hope not. With the big fender flares on the X and the slow pace that I was driving, nothing should have been thrown up. If the white bit were indeed from the gravel bits, then I guess after a real offroading trip my X will look like a kid with really bad chikenpox .

Of course it's going to throw gravel. Not only will stones be picked up and thrown by the treads but they will also be squirted out like tiddly-winks at odd angles as the outer edges of your tire rolls over them. The bottom 6 inches of body is painted with a rubbery undercoat underneath the paint (that gives it an orangle peel texture) that helps absorb the dings but it won't keep you nick free. And 20 is not slow on gravel.

well it depends if you have the mud guards when i went thru some mud i didnt get much at all on the paint some on the step rail but its most likley the wheel well.

I've gotten a cracked windshield from a rock squirtted out from a truck in front of me. It was big enough to see it coming. I've also got paint chips on the hood some in front, 1 on top, 3 on the driver side rear door up high just below the window and numerous little nicks on either side just behind the mudguards. I took the mudflaps off right after I got it for ground clearance. I touch up the nicks to keep them from rusting, but with all the other dents and scratches I don't really worry too much about apperances.

Thanks for your replies guys, although the results are really disheartening

This makes me wonder though, when you pull out $90,000 to spend on a G550 AMG or Hummer H1 (H2 is nothing but an oversized stationwagon) that's suppose to tackle anything comfortably, are you really going to take it offroad?

The X is really my parents' and at this rate, it'll no longer be looking good within a few trips offpavement (never mind offroad). (I love auto detailing and really take pride in having the deepest shine on the block)

What I really want now is an early 90's YJ (I'm one of the few guys that like square headlights better than round) that I wouldn't mind getting a few scratchs and nicks. The SUVs today are just not rough enough to be let loose in the dirt. (how I miss full size Broncos and Blazers )