Perry Mack
Words and Photos by Perry Mack
We often get lights to review but occasionally they don’t mount easily on our existing vehicles. Many lighting companies are not light ‘mount’ companies, due to the diversity of vehicles and the accompanying mounting options. We received some Lightforce Genesis and HTX2 lights for review but alas, they were sans mounting brackets for our Jeep Wrangler.
Initially, we decided to build a rack and perform a static test. One that would allow us to determine the brightness, clarity, colour accuracy, and beam patterns. After all, these are the key features of a light system. We built the rack. Then, while staring at the ceiling during a few sleepless nights we decided we really wanted a dynamic mount – a drivable test rack. One we could use for a longer-term review, under varying weather and road conditions. It was an itch we just had to scratch. The trouble was cost and variability. We needed a cheap, functional solution that was fast and easy to work with, and could work for a number of different lighting choices.
Perry Mack
We often begin with cardboard templates before we fab a final, welded metal part. Cardboard wouldn’t cut it this time and we didn’t have the budget for a 3D printer, nor the attention span to learn to program it. Our TeraFlex bumper was disturbingly antagonistic towards any simple solution. We wanted the lights to be level or lower than our main headlights, clear of the main headlights and turn signals, and clear of our winch and winch controls.
While scouring the aisles of Princess Auto, Canadian Tire, and finally Home Depot, we discovered heavy duty standards for residential adjustable rack shelving - powder coated, predrilled, and channel steel. It was heavy enough to be secure and relatively vibration-free while still easy to work with basic tools. It was also cheap. Score!
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Perry Mack
For our prototype custom light mount, we began with a 122 cm (48 in) heavy-duty standard rack, jigsaw with a metal blade, a step drill bit, a rough sketch, and some stainless hardware.
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Perry Mack
We decided on the length of the horizontal section and cut the sides with the jigsaw. Then we bent the bar to match the angle of our bumper. A couple of holes and some stainless hardware held the angle we needed.
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Perry Mack
With a lens bolted on, we determined the height necessary for the light to clear the bull bar and sit at the level of our headlights. The ends of the mount were then cut to match the existing angles in the bumper for a tight fit (no right angles on this bumper) and notched to allow room for the weld beads. Holes were drilled for a secure fit using stainless hardware.
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Perry Mack
Our TeraFlex bumper is notoriously devoid of right angles. After taking several measurements, drawing, and discarding several designs, we used a jigsaw with a metal blade, a step drill bit, and some stainless bolts to build a custom light mount – simple tools for simple minds. Assembly with stainless bolts allowed us to adjust angles (not easily done with welds) until we had what our minds had envisioned. It turned out to be sturdy enough to drive off-road, allowed us to manipulate the spacing and orientation of the lights, and ensure that the position of the lights met all of our initial criteria. Plus, it only cost $20 as well as a few hours of design and build time.
The 122 cm (48 in) bar we wanted was only available in white. So, in true hillbilly “get ‘er done” fashion we bought them and covered them in black duct tape so they didn’t distract from our photographs of the lights – please don’t judge.
The prototype met our needs, but not necessarily yours. After building a drivable prototype this way, you’ll have the template you’ll need to build a heavier gauge welded light mount. Or you could weld the joints of this prototype, scour the powder-coat, and then paint it as desired for an ultra, low-cost, custom light mount.
Let us know if you try this method with success or failure, or if you’ve discover a better ghetto budget build strategy!