Denali LED Lightbar Installation

[01SSRedA4]

I have some custom mounted LED fogs which I have another thread on (you can see them in the pictures). I like them so much i decided to add a lightbar but I didnt want it to be very noticeable. I selected the location of the lower grill and decided to do a non-welded installation so anyone at home with simple hand tools could copy.

Here's the grill area in question, the lower plastic piece between the tow hooks.



Youll want to slide under the truck and remove the pushpins that hold it in.



Here it is on the ground



Here is what we are gonna replace it with, a 26" curved bar. Notice they are almost identical in size.



To install you will need some flat bar. I chose aluminum but steel would be ok also. You can buy this from Home depot for about $10 per piece. We will only need two small pieces.



For simplicity sake I chose a bolt that holds the tow hook to attach our bracket too. No reason to reinvent the wheel when the bolt is very close to the location of the lightbar. We will need to drill a mounting hole.



Based on location and angle the brackets need a 90 degree bend or so. Clamp it and just twist it with a pair of pliers.



Now they have final bends, cut to size, and a hole drill to mount the light to.



Here is an underside view:


Reattach the stock bolts, your brackets, and your new lightbar

[SpudRider]

Thanks for sharing the nice project. Where did you purchase the light bar?

[01SSRedA4]

Ebay, it was about $60.

[FastDoc]

What an excellent job. A lot of people are going to appreciate the work that you put into the pictures in that thread. I'm sure other people will replicate your project.

[SpudRider]

Indeed, I know from personal experience, it takes time, and effort, to document your work so well with photographs. Thanks for caring enough to detail the fabrication of your project with such excellent photos.

[2LZ]

Great job! I love good, clean home fabrication!

[Weldangrind]

It looks like that light bar was meant to fit in that space! Awesome!

If you anneal the aluminum, it will be much easier to bend and it will resist cracking down the road. All it takes is a bar of soap and a propane torch.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

It looks like that light bar was meant to fit in that space! Awesome!

If you anneal the aluminum, it will be much easier to bend and it will resist cracking down the road. All it takes is a bar of soap and a propane torch.

That's a great tip.

How much heat is necessary? What is the purpose of the soap? Please do elaborate.

[katoranger]

I need one of those on the minivan.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

That's a great tip.

How much heat is necessary? What is the purpose of the soap? Please do elaborate.

Rub the soap on the aluminum, for something similar to a litmus test. Heat it slowly and evenly with the torch until the soap begins to turn black. Voilà. It'll bend quite easily without cracking.

[SpudRider]

Thanks for the great tip, Weld.

[01SSRedA4]

Nice tip......