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So before anyone jumps all over me, I know there are some really good kits and setups out there and I am all for quality and you get what you pay for. But... Paying $1000 for what amounts to some accessory lighting for me just wasn't in my budget.
I'm not finished yet, but I am happy with the results so far and thought I would share my project in case anyone else was in the same boat. I wish there was a middle ground between the $1000 setup and the China cheap but right now there isn't.
I thought about the $130 brackets and using my own lights but to be honest I wasn't sure if they would support any light. And I like to do things myself. I don't have any special skills or tools. Anyone here could do what I did.
Parts:
9x18 inch sheet metal 18 gauge (I had it laying around in my garage but it's like $15 at Lowe's... I looked for aluminum or zinc but couldn't find one so I will just painted it)
Two 3 inch Amber LED pods 50w ($32 pair)
Four 2 inch LED pods ($25 pair - I wanted 2x3 rectangles but couldn't find them. My only complaint... I wish they spread out a bit more.)
Total cost $97 (really $82 because I already had the metal sheet plus primer and paint I already had.)
I cut the sheet in half to make two 9x9 sheets. I drilled holes to attach the brackets at the 3 Torx bolts at the top of the pocket, then traced and trimmed the excess in front to match the bumper with my Sawzall.
Then I used a vice, 1x3 block of wood and mini sledge hammer to bend the bracket into the "S" shape. The second bend was tricky. I had to use 4" C clamps to hold it to the wood then made the second bend. Then I drilled the holes for lights.
The first bracket took me a little over an hour going back and forth measuring. Second bracket took about 15 minutes. All told I'm pleased with how it turned out. I primed them and I'm either going to just paint black or use rubberized undercoating on them.
Before I mount the lights I'm going to silicone the caps. The reviews are great but the biggest complaint is water intrusion. I have high end lights that have water too so... I figured at under $100 for all 6 lights I could replace them ten times and still be ahead.
This won't be for everyone but if you're just looking for something that looks good for a budget price I think this fits the bill.
I welcome any feedback or suggestions on how I could do things better. Thanks.
I'm not finished yet, but I am happy with the results so far and thought I would share my project in case anyone else was in the same boat. I wish there was a middle ground between the $1000 setup and the China cheap but right now there isn't.
I thought about the $130 brackets and using my own lights but to be honest I wasn't sure if they would support any light. And I like to do things myself. I don't have any special skills or tools. Anyone here could do what I did.
Parts:
9x18 inch sheet metal 18 gauge (I had it laying around in my garage but it's like $15 at Lowe's... I looked for aluminum or zinc but couldn't find one so I will just painted it)
Two 3 inch Amber LED pods 50w ($32 pair)
Four 2 inch LED pods ($25 pair - I wanted 2x3 rectangles but couldn't find them. My only complaint... I wish they spread out a bit more.)
Total cost $97 (really $82 because I already had the metal sheet plus primer and paint I already had.)
I cut the sheet in half to make two 9x9 sheets. I drilled holes to attach the brackets at the 3 Torx bolts at the top of the pocket, then traced and trimmed the excess in front to match the bumper with my Sawzall.
Then I used a vice, 1x3 block of wood and mini sledge hammer to bend the bracket into the "S" shape. The second bend was tricky. I had to use 4" C clamps to hold it to the wood then made the second bend. Then I drilled the holes for lights.
The first bracket took me a little over an hour going back and forth measuring. Second bracket took about 15 minutes. All told I'm pleased with how it turned out. I primed them and I'm either going to just paint black or use rubberized undercoating on them.
Before I mount the lights I'm going to silicone the caps. The reviews are great but the biggest complaint is water intrusion. I have high end lights that have water too so... I figured at under $100 for all 6 lights I could replace them ten times and still be ahead.
This won't be for everyone but if you're just looking for something that looks good for a budget price I think this fits the bill.
I welcome any feedback or suggestions on how I could do things better. Thanks.
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