How To Reduce Dust from Gravel Roads with UTV Rear Glass
Dust is part of the off-roading experience, but sometimes it can be too much. It can be a particularly bad problem in UTVs when it gets caught in a vortex in your machine, swirling around and making seeing and breathing difficult. This post will tell you how to reduce dust with UTV rear glass and other methods.
What Causes Dust Swirls in UTVs?
There are two problems.
One is having too much airflow. When you don’t have doors or windshields, dust comes flying up from your wheels and there is nothing between you and it but the roll cage. This will be more of a problem when you’re slowing down than when you’re traveling at high speeds.
If you add doors or windshields, you can inadvertently cause dust to get trapped in the machine which can be even worse because then it lingers in this enclosed space with you.
If this makes you feel like there is no answer, don’t worry, that’s not true. First, you need to understand more about the dust vortex.
There are several factors that determine how much dust flies up to your cab:
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A lot of airflow
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Too little airflow
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Holes that allow dust to enter the cab
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Aggressive tires stirring up more dust
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A low wheel base (where the tires are closer to the cab)
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Tires that extend beyond the fenders
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A drier and dustier road
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A windier road
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Being close to other riders
Potential Forms of UTV Dust Control
Windshield
Windshields whether for the front or the rear can reduce dust. Whether they work or not depends on where most of your dust is coming from and how the windshields impact the airflow in your cabin. If a ton of dust is still coming into your cabin from holes in the frame, all your windshields will do is trap it in.
Half windshields are good options for 2-seater UTVs and people who don’t need a fully enclosed cab. They deflect the dust, wind, and elements from pelting front riders while still allowing enough airflow to quickly dispel dust in the cab. In 4-seater cabs, the rear passengers will take everything the front riders missed.
Do not go with only one full windshield, unless you’re riding somewhere that dust isn’t a problem. It will create a vacuum that traps the dust in the cab with you and makes it much worse.
If you go with a full windshield, get both a front and rear windshield. This will usually work out well. Whether it works for you depends on how much dust can still get in your cab from holes in the frame or whether there is still an airflow issue, too much or too little. You want the perfect combination between dust reduction and airflow to get rid of what dust does come into your machine.
The best possible option is flip-up front and rear windshields. They prevent most of the dust from hitting you and allow what does enter the cab to exit out the sides. This method also allows you the flexibility to change your windshield to a full position when you need to enclose your cab. The only real downside is that it can make the dust collect in your rear storage. You might need to protect anything you store there from dust.
Other Things You Should Do for UTV and ATV Dust Protection
If you don’t have windshields or they aren’t helping enough, you could try to:
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Plug up holes in your frame that allow dirt to fly up from the tires
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Wear a dust mask
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Wear goggles that can keep dust out such as sand goggles
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Ride in places that break the wind like tree-surrounded trails
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Ride on wetter ground
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Change the airflow of your cab with more or less openings
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Invest in a roof spoiler that will change the air vortex
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Invest in a UTV dust guard that keeps dust from other riders from flying back at you
