low profile off-road light mounts
#1
02-28-2010
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From: CT
low profile off-road light mounts
I want to mount a pair of off-road lights, and was hoping some of you would be up for sharing some pics (i've done a lot fo searches and have seen quite a few setups, just thought maybe some more would pop up here). I want to go as low profile as possible. Would go behind the grill, but I want high watts and it seems like it would melt the honeycomb. I more or less like the look of the safari bar and similar bars...just seems like one more thing to get hung up or break and I'm not really sold on them. It's a stock truck, and I don't want to mount something that really jumps out. I just spend a lot of time driving around in the woods between hiking and hunting and more light would be handy a lot of mornings.
So far I'm liking the KC slimlight 130W long distance lights. If anyone has any pics of those mounted or beam that would be awesome
Looking forward to the pics - thanks guys!
So far I'm liking the KC slimlight 130W long distance lights. If anyone has any pics of those mounted or beam that would be awesome
Looking forward to the pics - thanks guys!
Last edited by meathead; 02-28-2010 at 10:33 PM.
#5
02-28-2010
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From: Newberg/Corvallis, OR
Here is a couple pics of my setup. 100w Slimlites in the driving light pattern. They are mounted upside down to the fiberglass header panel that the top of the honeycomb grille bolts to. They don't get hot enough to worry about melting the plastic, even when your not moving. I'm not sure what the difference in heat would be between the 100w and 130w but I would think they would be fine. The light output is great, even though it is difficult to tell from the crappy pics. If you look at the telephone poles on the left side of the road you can get an idea how far the KCs go in the driving pattern.
HID heads and fogs
HID heads, fogs, and KCs
HID heads and fogs
HID heads, fogs, and KCs
#6
02-28-2010
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From: CT
hey guys thanks all good stuff. 03whtedge I had found your pics doing searches and they were what made me say I'd like to do them behind the grille. Pretty encouraging to see you and silverstreak haven't had any problems. Tough to tell, but from the pics it looks like both of you guys have quite a bit of clearance behind the grille to the lights (over an inch?). Seems like that would be key. I assume no problems with airflow with the lights blocking some wind back there...doesn't run any hotter or anything?
#7
02-28-2010
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From: Newberg/Corvallis, OR
hey guys thanks all good stuff. 03whtedge I had found your pics doing searches and they were what made me say I'd like to do them behind the grille. Pretty encouraging to see you and silverstreak haven't had any problems. Tough to tell, but from the pics it looks like both of you guys have quite a bit of clearance behind the grille to the lights (over an inch?). Seems like that would be key. I assume no problems with airflow with the lights blocking some wind back there...doesn't run any hotter or anything?
#9
03-01-2010
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From: CT
good deal - if you have a scangauge and it isn't showing any changes you gotta be in good shape.
#10
03-01-2010
There won't be water temp changes.....if there is, it'll be VERY minimal. I ran 4 in front of the grille for a LOOOONG time and had no changes whatsoever. Also via the scangaugeII.
What you've gotta worry about is lamp heat behind that plastic grille. Personally, I'd prefer not to go over 75w lights behind it, but that's just me.
Jim T....info on your truck please? Please create a signature and tell us a little about your truck to better help you. My suggestion below pertains to 98-05 tricks. Won't work on 97 and older and 06+ trucks.
Search "light tabs" or "lite tabs". Following is a rip from another thread I posted info in...
What you've gotta worry about is lamp heat behind that plastic grille. Personally, I'd prefer not to go over 75w lights behind it, but that's just me.
Jim T....info on your truck please? Please create a signature and tell us a little about your truck to better help you. My suggestion below pertains to 98-05 tricks. Won't work on 97 and older and 06+ trucks.
Search "light tabs" or "lite tabs". Following is a rip from another thread I posted info in...
They mount to existing bumper hardware. More specifically, they mount to the bolts that secure the bumper reinforcement brackets to the bumper and main bumper bracket. Meaning...NO DRILLING INTO YOUR BUMPER!!
I made my own set similar to the stuff Underdog sells, but to my own specs. In my opinion, the Underdog/stuffforyourranger stuff should only be used on big housing lamps like daylighters. I've made like 5 sets of 'em...first set being exactly what Underdog sells and it just looked uuuuuugly with KC Slimlites. Underdog's stuff is very good quality and Wayne has really really good customer service and he's an all around great guy. If you can't make 'em yourself, I'd buy 'em from him and modify 'em for slim housing lights(drill new hole, shorten long side, finish, paint).
Here's my first tabs using the same measurements as the Underdog tabs with slimlites...
Made new ones using 1.50x0.250 flat stock. Bent using an oxy/acet torch on a vice. Eyeballed it. I shortend them up to hug against the grille by about 1.5" compaired to my old tabs. Running the same KC Slimlites.
Comparison between my old tabs and my new tabs. I believe I followed the diagram of what Jusnes and Underdog sells when i made the first set...except for the thickness of the first set of tabs.
Then you could add a crossmember like I have to have quad front KC's. I used donated stuff from a member in Mi. I believe it's 1/8" flat bar or sheet bent into a 90*.
I made my own set similar to the stuff Underdog sells, but to my own specs. In my opinion, the Underdog/stuffforyourranger stuff should only be used on big housing lamps like daylighters. I've made like 5 sets of 'em...first set being exactly what Underdog sells and it just looked uuuuuugly with KC Slimlites. Underdog's stuff is very good quality and Wayne has really really good customer service and he's an all around great guy. If you can't make 'em yourself, I'd buy 'em from him and modify 'em for slim housing lights(drill new hole, shorten long side, finish, paint).
Here's my first tabs using the same measurements as the Underdog tabs with slimlites...
Made new ones using 1.50x0.250 flat stock. Bent using an oxy/acet torch on a vice. Eyeballed it. I shortend them up to hug against the grille by about 1.5" compaired to my old tabs. Running the same KC Slimlites.
Comparison between my old tabs and my new tabs. I believe I followed the diagram of what Jusnes and Underdog sells when i made the first set...except for the thickness of the first set of tabs.
Then you could add a crossmember like I have to have quad front KC's. I used donated stuff from a member in Mi. I believe it's 1/8" flat bar or sheet bent into a 90*.
Forgot a pic of the actual bolt and it's location. You can feel it with your fingers between the grille and the bumper and maybe you can feel it through the bumper hole.
Pictured is the back of an 01-05 bumper. Granted, it's got bodylift brackets on it but that doesn't matter, circled in orange is the bolts the light tabs mount to.
Pictured is the back of an 01-05 bumper. Granted, it's got bodylift brackets on it but that doesn't matter, circled in orange is the bolts the light tabs mount to.
#12
03-01-2010
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From: CT
Hey made a quick sig - thanks for the tips. The tabs look easy enough to make up, and I am leaning towards something like the setup you had when you had 2 lights on there. I know some of you guys have gotten away with behind the grille mounts, but with my luck I know the 130W bulbs would leave me with a puddle of melted grille on my bumper.
Shane I actually found that thread you linked to in my searches and had stolen your first pic there and fired it off to a few buddies to show them what I was looking for. I am thinking something like that, maybe sucked back a little bit so the bumper provides them a little protection. Nice that it would be easy to slap some angle iron across the mounts if I ever wanted room for more lights.
In the first couple pics, do you have any lifts or just some chunky tires? I'm slowly easing towards kind of almost maybe thinking about some mods...and whatever you have going on there might be a good place to start. Your truck looks great man - thanks a lot for the help.
Edit - LOW I must have been typing when you posted...clean looking truck man I like it. Wish mine was that deep wedgewood - it looks sharp. The vista blue I ended up with is pretty flashy for my taste.
Shane I actually found that thread you linked to in my searches and had stolen your first pic there and fired it off to a few buddies to show them what I was looking for. I am thinking something like that, maybe sucked back a little bit so the bumper provides them a little protection. Nice that it would be easy to slap some angle iron across the mounts if I ever wanted room for more lights.
In the first couple pics, do you have any lifts or just some chunky tires? I'm slowly easing towards kind of almost maybe thinking about some mods...and whatever you have going on there might be a good place to start. Your truck looks great man - thanks a lot for the help.
Edit - LOW I must have been typing when you posted...clean looking truck man I like it. Wish mine was that deep wedgewood - it looks sharp. The vista blue I ended up with is pretty flashy for my taste.
Last edited by meathead; 03-01-2010 at 10:30 PM.
#14
03-03-2010
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From: CT
tabs alla Shane fabricated, painted, and drying in the garage...As I looked at it I realized there just isn't enough bumper there to be able to suck them back behind it, but I think the tabs will put them close enough to the grille to look pretty inconspicuous. I suck at posting teh pics, but I'll get around to it when everything is all mounted...may have some time for it tomorrow night. Thanks for the pics guys they were a lot of help - and Shane thanks for all your light tab posts over the years, every new search I did a new how to light mount thread by you came up - and they all helped.
Last edited by meathead; 03-03-2010 at 09:29 PM.
#16
03-03-2010
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From: CT
Nice man - I'd call that pretty low profile for how much light you have. Nice clean mount that doesn't scream "LOOK AT MY OFF ROAD LIGHTS" when they aren't even on. I have the same grille you have, so picturing your rig with just the two outside lights is pretty much what I'm going to be looking at. Thanks for posting it.
BTW what kind of cap you got on there?
BTW what kind of cap you got on there?
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