So ive been looking for options to mount my Hella 500's and PIAA driving lights to my '06 runner. Mainly looking at a light bar, but theres no way in hell that Im gonna pay $350 bucks for a light bar, from a company that also sells mud guards for $500 bucks (jaos). Has anyone made a custom light bar for an '06? Ive been looking at it, and the best way to do it would be to mount brackets to the front lower bumper support bar and run mounts to the light bar (just like jaos). Has anyone done this, or is there an obscure company that makes a light bar for an '06 runner that would save me the trouble of fabricating my own?
Light Mounting Options for an '06
- Thread starter Ltwaters
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I'm in the same boat , and have been looking for a center guard , but in no way am I paying for a Jaos. And I want to power coat or paint it to color match my truck.
I to have resorted to try to make my own and weld one together . All I want is a center protector to put likes on and help with the idiots who don't watch when they back up.
I don't like the full brush guard thing. I like the Westin Safari bar , but some of the things I do I'm worried about wrecking it or the lights I would have mounted on it.
I to have resorted to try to make my own and weld one together . All I want is a center protector to put likes on and help with the idiots who don't watch when they back up.
I don't like the full brush guard thing. I like the Westin Safari bar , but some of the things I do I'm worried about wrecking it or the lights I would have mounted on it.
Yea the brush guards are junk really. They only thing you gain with them is front protection from brush/branches. Ive decided that they are more for looks than anything. If you were really serious about front protection youd get a bumper guard like the expensive ones made by shrockworks and ARB. I am going to put my light bar together this weekend. I decided to have to brackets secured through the lower grill to the bumper frame bars. The brackets will extend upwards and get welded to a bar which will extrude about an inch from the upper bumper area and span the length of the middle bumper region. This should also provide some cover for my grill from brushes and branches.
Yea, Ive changed my design to more of a Trophy Truck style. Im gonna use tubing throughout the guard. two tubes will attach to the frame, travel upwards and meet a horizontal bar that will follow the profile of the upper bumper, with another peice comming out at a small angle following the profile of the grill in the center, to protect the lights from getting hit with anything. I figure that this will provide adaquet protection from brush and stuff and be strong enough to push brush and branches out of the way, while remaining low profile and allowing a spot to mount my lights. Ill keep you guys informed
atomic punk
New member
Ltwaters said:
I like your thinking, but be careful with that idea. You might cause more damage to your front end from a small bump if you attach that type of guard that low - the top of the guard could collapse because its lower mounting point will act more like a pivot point instead of a stable link to the frame.
So im back at it, its been forever. I ended up making the front floating brackets that work pretty well, but i learned a few things that I will take into consideration with my final design. First being that the front bumper support bar is not that thick, and does not appear to be very strong at all. I think for lighting purposes its ok, but anything more than that its a bit tricky. Second that attaching brackets to it sucks, and I think that you end up losing some rigidity and gain wobbly they way the sticky thread shows it with the brackets secured inbetween two sets of bolts on in the inside and one on the outside. Yet, i find myself in another jam right now, as Im stuck outside the country away from my runner for the holidays, but find myself in a house with a full workshop/welder/every tool on the face of the planet. So, from here Im thinking about going with my original idea having the tubing running from under the frame maybe incorperating the brackets Ive just made as extra support, and then having a similar design as the picture above, but with less metal basically. Anyone have any ideas/dimensions that I could work with?
update
So ive done it. My final design was just a light bar parallel with the bumper infront of the grill. Its the same kind of deal as JAOS except the final cost was like 60 bucks +effort and i think its going to good if not better than their bar. I used two three foot steel square tubing peices, and four thick angle brackets to make it work. Im in the process of painting it and Ill have it on with the lights this weekend, will post pics as soon as Im done.
So ive done it. My final design was just a light bar parallel with the bumper infront of the grill. Its the same kind of deal as JAOS except the final cost was like 60 bucks +effort and i think its going to good if not better than their bar. I used two three foot steel square tubing peices, and four thick angle brackets to make it work. Im in the process of painting it and Ill have it on with the lights this weekend, will post pics as soon as Im done.
atomic punk
New member
Cool deal.
Now PC or Herculine it, take pics, and let us know for how much you intend on selling these, (when you start mass-producing them next month, of course)....
Now PC or Herculine it, take pics, and let us know for how much you intend on selling these, (when you start mass-producing them next month, of course)....
Colemanfu
New member
Sorry - I did this back in early 04 when she was new. It was hard to drill into the bumper of a 30+K new car!
Very simple - just picked the location of the lights and drill the hole. I did use a flat section of stock as a backing plate - you could use a large flat washer as well. I used a bigger flat washer between the light mounting and the plastic bumper.
Hardest part is drilling into you new car.
I'm thinking of adding a 3rd in the center.
Very simple - just picked the location of the lights and drill the hole. I did use a flat section of stock as a backing plate - you could use a large flat washer as well. I used a bigger flat washer between the light mounting and the plastic bumper.
Hardest part is drilling into you new car.
I'm thinking of adding a 3rd in the center.
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BlairB
New member
Colemanfu- do those rattle around much when you are offroading? Also how do you like the LF 170's? Those are the lights I really wanted- but the deal on the KC's was just too good to pass up (although I can always time to upgrade....)
I am getting my lightbar any day now (hopefully) I am just waiting to get it powdercoated. I thought about mounting them directly to the bumper like you, but I couldn't bring myself to drilling holes in the bumper. Plus running 4 lights on the bumper would look totally ridiculous, or maybe be just impossible
I am getting my lightbar any day now (hopefully) I am just waiting to get it powdercoated. I thought about mounting them directly to the bumper like you, but I couldn't bring myself to drilling holes in the bumper. Plus running 4 lights on the bumper would look totally ridiculous, or maybe be just impossible
