Bull bar and lights

[zopperman]

the mounting tab on the left (pass side) light is breaking. This push bar isn't great and vibrates a lot so the lights never stay anyway because the tabs are so flimsy. Any ideas how to remedy this?

i was thinking of buying a roof rack and mounting the lights there. They are 6" in diameter, so they won't quite fit in the lower grille. I was considering adding brackets to the lower grille like I've seen done on here, but I don't know how that would look with the larger push bar.

Any and all opinions welcome... I'd like to keep the lights and use them somehow, but they point every which way on this bull bar.

 

[Derek G]

I think the problem is more related to your lights than the bar. The KC's are heavy and deep with a tall bracket that puts a lot of stress on the mounting point. I would honestly suggest replacing the lights with a higher quality and having the mount welded. Remove the bar from the truck before welding to prevent frying any electrical components.

 

[zopperman]

Probably not a bad idea, but...
Don't know who would do the welding/how much I would be willing to pay. The KC's were a gift, so i'm not too keen on replacing them and I just ordered HIDs and bought a bunch of toys so I would like to spend as little as possible...
Think a JB weld might work on the bracket...?

 

[Derek G]

Probably not a bad idea, but...
Don't know who would do the welding/how much I would be willing to pay. The KC's were a gift, so i'm not too keen on replacing them and I just ordered HIDs and bought a bunch of toys so I would like to spend as little as possible...
Think a JB weld might work on the bracket...?

Any reputable mechanics shop is going to have a welder. I would imagine for something like that it would be pretty cheap, probably less than $50. I think if you use the JB Weld you're going to find yourself back with the same problem pretty soon, especially if you keep those lights.

 

[zopperman]

Any reputable mechanics shop is going to have a welder. I would imagine for something like that it would be pretty cheap, probably less than $50. I think if you use the JB Weld you're going to find yourself back with the same problem pretty soon, especially if you keep those lights.

Yeah i sort of assumed that...
I dont know a good mechanic unfortunately. Is there any way to mount the lights that will alleviate some of the pressure on the pointing point? maybe use an oversize washer or something?

 

[Derek G]

Yeah i sort of assumed that...
I dont know a good mechanic unfortunately. Is there any way to mount the lights that will alleviate some of the pressure on the pointing point? maybe use an oversize washer or something?

Not really, it's just a poorly designed light by it's nature and to that point, much less expensive than many other lights out there. There's a reason why you don't see this design very much in competition, if at all. I had a pair of the same design you have many moons ago. I swapped them out quickly because the just didn't last or hold their aim. An oversized washer will probably do little as the problem is not with a pinch point, but due to leverage from the weight, dimensions, and mounting system of the light. Kind of like mounting a bowling ball to a soda straw.

 

[zopperman]

Not really, it's just a poorly designed light by it's nature and to that point, much less expensive than many other lights out there. There's a reason why you don't see this design very much in competition, if at all. I had a pair of the same design you have many moons ago. I swapped them out quickly because the just didn't last or hold their aim. An oversized washer will probably do little as the problem is not with a pinch point, but due to leverage from the weight, dimensions, and mounting system of the light. Kind of like mounting a bowling ball to a soda straw.

:jaw: That bad huh?
I may try some JB weld or epoxy of sorts first.. it cant really get much worse.