Custom Brackets for Curved 50" LED Light Bar

[HawkTown28]

**This Same post is also on GMTNation under my account MikeJunior
Email: msrobertjr@gmail.com
After installing 50" LED light bars on a couple of my friend's trucks using aftermarket brackets and seeing how well they perform, I knew I had to have one for my Trailblazer. Only issue was that there are no aftermarket brackets designed to mount a light bar to the roof of a Trailblazer...So I decided to design and build my own. The brackets turned out very well and are very solid. Compared to some aftermarket brackets I have seen that are not very solid and allow the light bar to bounce quite a bit, these brackets don't budge.

***My friend and I are considering starting a small business, and depending on the response to these brackets, we would like to produce and sell them. So please respond and tell us what you think so we can see if this is a viable option and how many people may be interested in a set. They would be sold as a complete package including hardware and instructions. These brackets are designed for use with a curved light bar, a straight light bar will contact the roof in the middle.

Bracket Details:
1.Made of 1/8 inch thick 5052 aluminum sheet
2.Painted in spray on bedliner
3.designed to mount a 50 inch CURVED LED light bar across top of windshield
4.Mount using one existing screw as a locating point, and 3 new self-tapping screws
5.tuck behind the weather strip at top of windshield
6.width between brackets is 50"

Possible concerns:
1.I bought the typical cheap light bar from ebay. At medium to high speeds the bar made this really loud high pitched resonance. I tested the bar in several locations and distances from the windshield and could not get it to stop. I did some research online and realized that it is Not necessarily result of placement but that the cooling fins on the back of the bar were vibrating due to air flow, and would happen no matter where I placed it. Apparently there are rubber islolators that you can buy which insert between the fins to stop this vibration. I cannot say for sure why only my bar made this noise, because two of my friends have light bars, both in almost identical positions, and neither of them have this issue. I simply placed small lengths of tubing between the fins about every 8 inches, and it solved the issue. From what I have read online and tested this is an issue with the light bar itself.
2.Is there wind noise?... Simple answer is yes. But it is not at all bad, and is to be expected if you are mounting a light bar or any other item to your roof. It is something I have already gotten use to, and it can not be heard with the radio on. The benefits of the light bar make it worth some wind noise.
3.The seam that the door seal slips over must be bent outward because the width of the bracket prevents the seal from slipping back on the seam.
4.Some people complain about hood and windshield glare with roof mounted light bars. The placement of the light bar with these brackets and the fact that our hoods slope down quite a bit, with proper aiming I have not had an issue with glare

side view bracket

bracket

front view day

night

Low Beams Only

low

Low & High Beams (quad headlight mod)

high

Low & High Beams AND LIGHT BAR

full

[DirtyBacon04]

nice!
glad to see people fabricating stuff for us! If I could afford a 50" bar, I'd be a buyer.

[Cable810]

At some point I'd get one. That's when money allows me lol

[HARDTRAILZ]

Price?

[ErikSS]

Subscribed!

[Norcrosski]

Price gf want a lifted tb to so looking for something different then mine

[HawkTown28]

Thankyou everyone for the compliments!

- Now I know everyone wants to know what they would cost. I have not determined the price yet, but I am open to suggestions as to what you are willing to pay. Comparable brackets by other aftermarket brands range from $50 to upwards of $200. I am definitely looking at the lower end of that price range, $200 is just ridiculous for a set of light bar brackets (and frankly is more than I paid for the light bar itself!). Each of these brackets have to be hand made, and there is a fair amount of time and effort put into making them right.

***To start the business it does have to be worth it to us because there are several other business expenses we have to consider, but I would really like to set them at a fair and reasonable price. ***We will most likely be doing this through an ebay account. ***Like I said we are open to suggestions for a price!

[Norcrosski]

Might try and sell a bar that fits these if u can sell

[HawkTown28]

Might try and sell a bar that fits these if u can sell

These brackets are designed to fit a standard 50 inch curved bar that uses single bolt mounting points on each side. The only light bars that I have seen that do not use this design are Rigid brand, which use two mounting bolts per side. Most 50 inch light bars are very close, if not exact in design, and have a standard width that should fit with these brackets.

[maricard]

Look really nice

[Jrgunn5150]

Similar ones that I've seen are around 65-75 bucks. They look good, beefy!

[tafton]

look good clean and the lite does work

[beavercountyemt]

I need one of those for a 42" strait bar.

[v7guy]

Do you guys think those self tapping screws into sheet metal will hold up? Especially with all the vibration from wind and branches and the like hitting the light?

[Trail X]

I know the antennas don't hold up if they are self tapped into the area above the rear taillights, but there's also a lot longer lever arm there.

The biggest enemy to these self tappers will be rust and corrosion. Be sure to seal up those holes well, I'd put silicone in there or something.

[Jrgunn5150]

I'd put silicone in there or something.

[HARDTRAILZ]

Do you guys think those self tapping screws into sheet metal will hold up? Especially with all the vibration from wind and branches and the like hitting the light?

Seeing some of the taillight guards ripped out by branches makes this a real concern I would think.

[HawkTown28]

Do you guys think those self tapping screws into sheet metal will hold up? Especially with all the vibration from wind and branches and the like hitting the light?

Seeing some of the taillight guards ripped out by branches makes this a real concern I would think.

I originally considered using Nut-Serts, but I determined that the self tappers were plenty strong. Most other similar brackets use self tapping screws, some even use rivets, and a few do use nut-serts. I figured that if I was going to be selling these, it would be much easier for someone to install with self tapping screws, although all that would be required to use nut-serts is to drill slightly larger mounting holes, then of course you would have to drill larger hole in your pillar and install the nut-serts themselves. The area that it screws into is not thin sheet metal though, there is the overlaying roof sheet metal, but underneath is the pillar structure that is much thicker, so the screws get a lot more "bite" than if it were just sheet metal. Overall there is probably about an 1/8" of material that the screws go into. So far I have not had an issue, even at freeway speeds. I know it has not been that long but so far they have not budged, and I can almost guarantee they won't go anywhere, they are very solid.

I know the antennas don't hold up if they are self tapped into the area above the rear taillights, but there's also a lot longer lever arm there.

The biggest enemy to these self tappers will be rust and corrosion. Be sure to seal up those holes well, I'd put silicone in there or
something.

I did use silicone around and in the screw holes, and I also used zinc-plated screws, soon to be replaced with stainless steel ones. If any of these brackets did get sold they would come with stainless steel screws.

I need one of those for a 42" strait bar.

Brackets for a 42" straight bar would have to curve in much further and may not be very stable. The roof rack may be a better place to mount a 42" bar.

[beavercountyemt]

I need one of those for a 42" strait bar.

Brackets for a 42" straight bar would have to curve in much further and may not be very stable. The roof rack may be a better place to mount a 42" bar.[/quote]

It mounts perfectly to the front mounting bolts on the roof rack, I just can't stand the look there.

[76grinch]

I will buy a set even though I don't have a led bar yet. If you are hoping to sell these I would contact http://www.roughcountry.com to see if they will buy the design