YotaTech Forums - light bar question

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light bar question

Hello all. I'm starting (slowly) to build up my 1990 Toyota 4runner. I have a newbie question about a light bar. I've only seen a couple on the Web. I like the design but don't like the price. I'm a fabricator by trade and would have no problem fabbing something up. My question is... How do these mount to my ride? It sorta looks like it would use the top part of the door jamb? Are there bolts used? Maybe it clamps on? If any one knows could you pass along the info? Thanks!

They mount to the rain gutter that runs along most older trucks. The brackets are super cheap, like 30 bucks-Id buy them and start from there.

Is that just for the brackets.? Are they sold separately?

Yea you can usually buy them separate, give the company who makes the bar a call.

Ok man. Thanks I'll check it out.

Hey guys, just finished the fab on my light bar today with a little flat black rattle can and a couple 55watt lights. I started with some 1.25 width 1/8" thick flat stock, a piece of 1/2" square tube stock and a 15' piece of 1" Superstrut. Everything purchased from Home Depo about $40 for the steel. I cut 2 pieces of the 1.25 flat steel and bent a 90(with heat) on one end with about 2.5" that would slide into the Superstrut. Then lined them up so they had the same vertical length and with more heat I bent a slight angle on the portion that comes in contact with the truck. I then cut 2 pieces of the square stock at 45 degrees to weld inside the flat stock to give support at the 90. Then I drilled two holes in each mounting piece to screw into the door jam above the rain gutter. After screwing them on I measured the distance between the two mounts and cut the Superstrut to length. I had to trim a little off to make it square to the truck but better to long then to short. Welded the Superstrut to the brackets I fab'd up, welds inside the strut and threw one of the holes. With the pattern of the holes on the strut you should be able to center the lights.
Mounted on 1993 Pickup
I have no idea on how to post pics otherwise I would, if somebody tells me how, I'll post some

It sounds like that would work good. I'd like to see some pictures.

Get an account with photobucket, upload them there, click on the img link to copy the link and paste here

I'm glad to see the pics. They give me ideas on how I'd like to approach my own projects. I wish there was a way to attach it without drilling. Maybe there is. A clamp on type? Thanks, I'll check out more pics on your project as you post.

There is a nice way to put some holes in your roof and not worry about anything. They threaded rivets, you can buy the kit with an assortment of rivets and the gun for it for less than 20 at harbor frieght. Drill the appropriate sized hole, put some silicon around it to seal it up, then press in the rivet. That will give you a nice water tight threaded hole up there.

That's not a bad idea. Better than just a hole. Do your doors cover your screws?

Thanks for fixing the pics. Yeah the doors do cover the screws. On my 99 Taco I had a Carr Light Bar with the brackets that had to be screwed into the truck, that gave the brackets something to sit on and clamp to, so wasn't to worried about putting holes in my 93. I don't know what you could clamp it to, not much around the top of the door opening to get clamps onto. I did put silicon in the holes and all around where the bracket meets the body, and over the screw so if i need to remove it the screws shouldn't get to rusted. Only problem so far is its a little noisy on the freeway, sort of a howling sound. One thing I would do different would be to angle the brackets in towards the center line of the truck, from straight on the light bar looks a little funny, only because I remember how the Carr looked. Good luck with the build Jimbone.