Curved LED light bar instal

[TomsBeast]

After months of putting it off, I finally installed my LED light bar this weekend.

I already had a roof rack, but I haven't been a fan of the 8" overhang the rack had. Now that prices have come down, I paid $100, I purchased a curved LED light bar, who's curve matched the my fiberglass highroof's roofline curve pretty well. I also wanted to make a new header from 1-1/2" round tube, bent with a subtle radius to match the roof line, and the curved LED light bar at the same time.

I had Scott's Speed and Custom (Antioch, CA) create the new header for me, rolling the gentel curve into a length of 1-1/2" diameter x .060" wall steel tubing. Then broke out the metal fab tools, ladders, and went to work.

 

[TomsBeast]

"It'll only take a few hours" I said "measure, a little cutting, cope in the round tube to the square tube, grind, fit, weld, paint to match... I'll be done before dinner!" I told myself :b1:

 

[TomsBeast]

I wound up making my own steel brackets, for a snug, recessed back, fit. I wanted the Light bar to be protected against the occasional low hanging tree limbs and what-not, allowing shrubs to rub the new header bar.

 

[TomsBeast]

FWIW If you are doing any welding in the vicinity of a decent windshield, I highly covering any glass with a fiberglass welding blanket! Weld spatter, no matter how small, tears up wiper blades faster than you can buy and install new ones!

 

[rallypanam]

Cool, that looks great.

I'm commissioning Mike at xtreme to make A pillar mounts to hold a curved 52" light above the windsheild.. so if anyone else is interested, let me know!

 

[Tienckb]

Cool, that looks great.

I'm commissioning Mike at xtreme to make A pillar mounts to hold a curved 52" light above the windsheild.. so if anyone else is interested, let me know!

Mike certainly knows his craft. Good choice Rob.

Tim


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hogasm]

Any wind buffeting from the light?

 

[MSD-SMB]

Any wind buffeting from the light?

A way to alleviate buffeting is attach some streamers on the back of the light and in most cases no issues.

 

[rallypanam]

Mike certainly knows his craft. Good choice Rob.

Tim

I'd been talking to various places over the last few years, and working on ideas myself, when I found myself talking to Mike. Decided he could get it done well a lot easier and quicker than me.. I've already been on it for 2 years!

And Ray was headed his way and could bring my light, and Mike can use Ray's van as a template. Easy as pie!

 

[arctictraveller]

Mike certainly knows his craft. Good choice Rob.

I couldn't agree more. Everything I have seen of his has been top quality. Tien, how did he end up hooking up your shower drain?

 

[TomsBeast]

Any wind buffeting from the light?

I'm not sure I'd notice; my rig has wind noise from the swing away towing mirrors, the high roof, the full length roof rack, fabricated front bumper/pushbar, spare tire on the front bumper, the exposed Dana 60 front axle and then there's the road noise from the BFG All Terrains, the rattle from the 7.3 Diesel.

Any additional noise to my rig, from the light bar, I'm afraid would be a thimble full of sand to a beach! :n5:

Next mod: Better stereo! :b5:

 

[nemesisnight]

Cool, that looks great.

I'm commissioning Mike at xtreme to make A pillar mounts to hold a curved 52" light above the windsheild.. so if anyone else is interested, let me know!

I am interested!!! a 52-54" curved light bar should fit great. I have heard of people using f250 mounts and it worked but I would love a van specific one, I am hoping to squeeze one under my super mega top, hopefully it can sit flush enough to fit.....

 

[rallypanam]

I am interested!!! a 52-54" curved light bar should fit great. I have heard of people using f250 mounts and it worked but I would love a van specific one, I am hoping to squeeze one under my super mega top, hopefully it can sit flush enough to fit.....

Probably won't fit on yours.. but if I were you I'd just mount it to the underside of your top. Heck, I might even have some nice mounts that I'd sell you cheap.

 

[TomsBeast]

You want to incorporate the mounting ears that come with the light bar if you can...

The supplied mounting ears have splines that interlock with splines on the body of the light bar, so it doesn't change position on rough roads.

 

[rallypanam]

Cool, that looks great.

I'm commissioning Mike at xtreme to make A pillar mounts to hold a curved 52" light above the windsheild.. so if anyone else is interested, let me know!

FYI, Mike decided he didn't want to do this.

 

[TomsBeast]

FYI, Mike decided he didn't want to do this.

You should stop into Chassis Unlimited in Livermore. They do in-house CAD, laser cutting, press brake work, prototyping. Good group of young guys that I found very easy to work with on some one-off suspension parts, prices very reasonable, too. Make a template from poster board and talk to 'em

Extreme Off-road MFG - Chassis Unlimited

 

[rallypanam]

I got a lead.. will let you know results in a week or two if I get around to it.

 

[arctictraveller]

How hard could this be? Mock up out of cardboard, cut out metal, weld, paint, install. Shouldn't take more than a couple hours......

 

[TomsBeast]

...Shouldn't take more than a couple hours......

I just spit out my coffee...

I have that same thought at the start of every 10hr project :d3:

 

[REF]

......yup, same thing, took me 5 hours of cursing rivets and ripping up my hands to replace the dang window regulator.....that’s after saying that exact thing to my wife....“it’ll only take a few hours”.....


'03 Ford E350 7.3L Diesel
SMB RB50 w/CCV top
Quigley 4X4 w/Deavers & Agile RIP kit