Wanting your opinion on how to mount lights...
#1
Wanting your opinion on how to mount lights...
Yep, it's been driving me nuts, but I have finally decided to put lights on the front of my truck. The only problem being the Ranchhand Brushguard doesn't have light tabs like all the others. So I need to recommendations on how to mount the lights.
I was thinking the third bar, at the bottom. I was thinking about using flat steel angle iron and punching holes through the brush guard tube and bolting the angle iron on it.
Any opinions or suggestions would be nice.
I was thinking the third bar, at the bottom. I was thinking about using flat steel angle iron and punching holes through the brush guard tube and bolting the angle iron on it.
Any opinions or suggestions would be nice.
#3
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Lee County, North Carolina
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I would get some 1/8" x 1" flat steel, cut it down to about 3" or 3.5" long and weld it to the bottom of the third bar down. If you cut the metal and had the brush guard ground down where you want them then I'm sure you could get an exhaust shop to weld them on for around $20. If you do that then I would drill the holes for the lights first so you could do it in a vise instead of having to do it on the truck.
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#8
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: South Georgia/East Florida
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Pick you up some cheap "L" brackets at the hardware store or make a couple. Drill two holes in the uprights of your grill guard, mount the bracket on the inside and put your lights thru a hole in the bracket. Shouldn't cost you $10.
OR
Drill you two holes on your horizontal bar slightly larger than the mounting bolt on the lights you're going to use, weld an appropriate nut over the hole, paint it black to match the grill guard. Mount your lights. Done that one many times, most recently on the front brush guard of my ATV.
That one shouldn't cost you a buck...
On my truck, I actually bought two aluminum brackets made for mounting off-road lights to a round bar AT FRIGGIN' $30 A PIECE!!! But that's because the bar is stainless and I wasn't about to go welding on stainless. I could have done the "L-Bracket" thing though without drilling, there is a second set of holes about 2" above where my cross-bar is...
OR
Drill you two holes on your horizontal bar slightly larger than the mounting bolt on the lights you're going to use, weld an appropriate nut over the hole, paint it black to match the grill guard. Mount your lights. Done that one many times, most recently on the front brush guard of my ATV.
That one shouldn't cost you a buck...
On my truck, I actually bought two aluminum brackets made for mounting off-road lights to a round bar AT FRIGGIN' $30 A PIECE!!! But that's because the bar is stainless and I wasn't about to go welding on stainless. I could have done the "L-Bracket" thing though without drilling, there is a second set of holes about 2" above where my cross-bar is...
Last edited by HammerZ71; 12-21-2011 at 02:10 PM.
#9
Join Date: Apr 2008
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The L-bracket deal sounds like a good one. I would put one side of the L on the bottom of the horizontal bar above the bumper and mount the light to the piece sticking out.
The only reason I didn't say to bolt some flat steel to the bottom of the bar is because if it wasn't shaped like a T or an L then you wouldn't have much room to get two bolts through it. If you only use one bolt to attach a tab to that bar then it could easily twist on you going down the road and get your light out of alignment. That pipe probably can't handle more than about 20ft-lbs before stripping unless you go all the way through the bar with a nut and a bolt.
The only reason I didn't say to bolt some flat steel to the bottom of the bar is because if it wasn't shaped like a T or an L then you wouldn't have much room to get two bolts through it. If you only use one bolt to attach a tab to that bar then it could easily twist on you going down the road and get your light out of alignment. That pipe probably can't handle more than about 20ft-lbs before stripping unless you go all the way through the bar with a nut and a bolt.