Pics, Ideas, Real World Experience Mounting 50" Light Bar

[70_Steve]

I've been very impressed with the amount of light from the guys rigs here running LED light bars. So (of course) I had to get one. I've been playing around with mounting bracket ideas and realized that there's a lot to making a decision on how, and exactly where, to mount the light bar. The obvious place is at the top of the windshield. But I've heard people say that's a bad place because of some glare off the hood.

I typically run either a bikini top or full soft top, so I have the riser on the front of the windshield and the snaps on the side of the windshield frame to contend with. I also have an Isuzu Trooper antenna mounted along the passenger side windshield frame.

I've made a cardboard mock-up of a bracket that mounts to the windshield frame between the windshield gasket and the riser. The bracket seems like it would be strong enough, provided 2 1/4-20 nutserts into the windshield frame per bracket will be sufficient. However it will put the top of the light bar about 1 1/2" above the top of the bikini top.

I'm starting to think in way too many directions, so I thought I'd ask for your ideas. Thanks for anything you could contribute.

 

[sykanr0ng]

When I get to that point on my build I'm thinking of using something like this glare shield:

 

[Attac]

70 steve
My wife bought my bar for me for Christmas way before I finished my bronco. When I opened the box that was with the light bar I saw that there was a set of mounting brackets for a 2006 Silverado. I said is this for my truck( I have a HD) and she said no that is the brackets the guy at rough country said to use on the bronco. I called them and sure enough the sales rep was a bronco guy and told me how to use them on the sides of my windshield frame with rivnuts to mount. It works perfect and keeps the bar down so I don't get the wind noise. I had to make one small grind about 1/2" recess to allow me to slide the bikini top in the riser but that was it. Pics are in my build thread. I will find them and edit this in a min
Chuck
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256713

 

[70_Steve]

Pics are in my build thread. I will find them and edit this in a min
Chuck

Chuck. Thanks for the reply. I found a pic of the light bar in your thread, post #39. Do you have any more pics of the install? Pic of the windshield frame side, etc. And how high is it? Any problems with glare off the hood?

 

[Attac]

Steve,
I'm at work now but I do have other pics on computer at house. I can take a few more also. Going out to eat with the missus and kids as soon as I get home, but when we get home I will post more. No glare off hood and I also don't get wind noise. It is the curved 50" bar. Also I do have clear on metallic paint but it is not a "showcar" paint job, so if you have really deep paint or clear you maybe could get some glare. Its bright as h3ll though.

 

[Attac]

Steve Here are some pics.
Don't mind the rusty bolts...I ordered some black stainless ones to replace these with.
Don't know why but I cant get the pics to flip90 like they should.....

 

[sykanr0ng]

A tip I found to cut down on the noise, this will keep the fins from vibrating as much, but don't do like the Jeeper use black silicone instead:

 

[70_Steve]

Steve Here are some pics.
Don't mind the rusty bolts...I ordered some black stainless ones to replace these with.
Don't know why but I cant get the pics to flip90 like they should.....

Chuck. Thanks for the pics. Went on-line yesterday and found several bracket kits for the Silverado. Might have to try them out.

 

[Justafordguy]

I love my LED lights but don't like the mounts they came with. I get a ton of wind noise.

 

[70_Steve]

I love my LED lights but don't like the mounts they came with. I get a ton of wind noise.

Do you have any other pics of the mounts?

 

[Justafordguy]

Not right now but I'll take some when I get home.

 

[edgeoffroad04]

Hey Guys, great thread. I love the light from my 48" light bar. I am looking to relocate my light bar in front of my windshield too to avoid interaction with my bikini top. Does anyone have recommendations for a 48" light bar mount? The guys at Rough country recommended spacers for their 50" light bar, but no direct fit. Any additional thoughts?

 

[Bukin 67]

I have a 50" Rigid straight bar mounted above the windshield I use when racing or per-running in the desert at night.

I'm very happy with the amount of light and very little glare. The brackets are custom made. The bar is designed to emit a 'circle' of light to lead the way.

 

[Prizefighter]

MPS makes a nice bracket for $150. They are on Facebook as MPS Custom Rides.

 

[edgeoffroad04]

Bukin 67 nice set up! Time is not on my side to make my own mount for now. I ended up going with the Rough Country mounts that I will alter to work on the Bronco. The MPS design is also nice...but 3 times as expensive as the Rough Country set up. In a perfect world I would build my own!

Final question as the bronco 3 hours away. Can anyone tell me what size of bolt and threads are used to secure the mount into the light bar itself? I am running a CREE LED currently for reference. I believe it is an M8 bolt....guessing a fine thread.

Thanks for your help everyone!

 

[broncnaz]

Steve you might want to get ahold of Hoochdog he machined some nice mounts for his lightbar he might do some more I know he was talking about doings some when I talked to him at the stampede.

 

[70_Steve]

Steve you might want to get ahold of Hoochdog he machined some nice mounts for his lightbar he might do some more I know he was talking about doings some when I talked to him at the stampede.

Thanks! I might do that.

I've been looking at some light bar mounts made by APOC, and resold by Bronco hut. They're way expensive for what they are. ($239 from APOC, $299 from Bronco Hut). But I do like that they don't require drilling into the windshield frame. They just bolt between the top of the windshield frame and the top or riser. I think I could "borrow" some of that design pretty easily.