SiRay6
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- Mar 15, 2020
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I'll share some pics first and then give a write-up.
I ordered my 20" Caliraisedled Light bar based off favorable reviews from the Tacoma and 4Runner peeps. The light portion is 20 inches but the overall length is 22 inches.
caliraisedled.com
This is my first Domestic vehicle and first truck but I have always modified my vehicles. I have been wanting to install a light bar in the lower grill position but have been undecided as to which kit to go with. My research led me to Rough Country's kit, M&R Dual Light Bar, to Baja Design's kit but I wanted to find the easiest way to do it myself without costing me an arm and a leg for something that I will rarely use. I do plan to take more trips with my family and two young kids (7 and 3) but it isn't something I need on a daily basis where I live. I can always upgrade to Rigid or Baja Designs if it is warranted based off use/need.
Some key highlights, cutting with a dremel is optional, but you need to drill 2 holes. If you are able to do this, keep reading. You will need some hardware, I used allen bolts, nylon lock nuts, and washers I found in my garage. I also love that I don't need to mess around with centering the light bar since we are installing it on factory components that are already centered!! YES!! haha
I came across these $24 brackets from etrailer and after some measuring and lot of luck, everything will work.
.
1) Remove the lower front grill, this has been covered in other threads quite extensively. You can pull it off by hand, start from the top and work your way around. Watch out for front parking sensor if you have it. I don't have pictures but I had to remove one bracket in order to fully remove the grill out of the bumper. It is a vertical bracket and prevents the grill cover from being pulled out of the bumper.
2) I cut off a few inches from the etrailer bracket because it will make contact with the front grill. I was also concerned that it would somehow block light output so I took out my dremel and cut off about 2inches. See below pictures of the bracket mounted on the light bar. You can see where I cut the bracket off to the left side of the picture (yes I should have touched the cut up with some paint to prevent rust).
3) My light bar came with side brackets which i installed in conjunction with the etrailer brackets. The main reason I did was to take advantage of the detents/notches in the bracket so the light bar doesn't inadvertently change angles while driving or hitting a bump. As luck will have it, there is a second benefit which I will get into later.
4) Mount the brackets like pictured. I made sure the etrailer brackets were installed as straight as possible knowing that I could adjust the angle once everything was installed on the truck. See pics.
5) On the bracket behind the lower grill you will need to drill two holes. I measured 2 inches below the top (see pictures) on both sides. I believe I used a 5/16" drill, but your needs will depend on your hardware.
6) Bolt on your bracket and light bar unit to those two holes you drilled in step 5.
7) In step 3, I mentioned an additional benefit of the brackets that came with my lightbar. I was concerned that too much weight was being supported by the etrailer L bracket and thought my light bar was going to vibrate and shake a lot, especially during offroad use. Well, as luck would have it, the brackets that came with my light bar rests perfectly on a metal lip on the back of the bumper about 1/8 - 1/4" deep. So the front of the light bar is seated snuggly on top of this ledge bearing the weight of the front while the etrailer bracket supports the rear of the light bar.
I know this seems ghetto, but this is why it is a DIY and not a $600-$900 kit LOL. I am more excited about the fact that everything worked out so well, this rarely happens to me.
I ordered my 20" Caliraisedled Light bar based off favorable reviews from the Tacoma and 4Runner peeps. The light portion is 20 inches but the overall length is 22 inches.
22" Dual Row 5D Optic OSRAM LED Bar
Shop at Cali Raised LED for the latest 22" Dual Row 5D Optic OSRAM LED Bar a strong, high-quality off-roading accessory for your vehicle.
caliraisedled.com
This is my first Domestic vehicle and first truck but I have always modified my vehicles. I have been wanting to install a light bar in the lower grill position but have been undecided as to which kit to go with. My research led me to Rough Country's kit, M&R Dual Light Bar, to Baja Design's kit but I wanted to find the easiest way to do it myself without costing me an arm and a leg for something that I will rarely use. I do plan to take more trips with my family and two young kids (7 and 3) but it isn't something I need on a daily basis where I live. I can always upgrade to Rigid or Baja Designs if it is warranted based off use/need.
Some key highlights, cutting with a dremel is optional, but you need to drill 2 holes. If you are able to do this, keep reading. You will need some hardware, I used allen bolts, nylon lock nuts, and washers I found in my garage. I also love that I don't need to mess around with centering the light bar since we are installing it on factory components that are already centered!! YES!! haha
I came across these $24 brackets from etrailer and after some measuring and lot of luck, everything will work.
.
1) Remove the lower front grill, this has been covered in other threads quite extensively. You can pull it off by hand, start from the top and work your way around. Watch out for front parking sensor if you have it. I don't have pictures but I had to remove one bracket in order to fully remove the grill out of the bumper. It is a vertical bracket and prevents the grill cover from being pulled out of the bumper.
2) I cut off a few inches from the etrailer bracket because it will make contact with the front grill. I was also concerned that it would somehow block light output so I took out my dremel and cut off about 2inches. See below pictures of the bracket mounted on the light bar. You can see where I cut the bracket off to the left side of the picture (yes I should have touched the cut up with some paint to prevent rust).
3) My light bar came with side brackets which i installed in conjunction with the etrailer brackets. The main reason I did was to take advantage of the detents/notches in the bracket so the light bar doesn't inadvertently change angles while driving or hitting a bump. As luck will have it, there is a second benefit which I will get into later.
4) Mount the brackets like pictured. I made sure the etrailer brackets were installed as straight as possible knowing that I could adjust the angle once everything was installed on the truck. See pics.
5) On the bracket behind the lower grill you will need to drill two holes. I measured 2 inches below the top (see pictures) on both sides. I believe I used a 5/16" drill, but your needs will depend on your hardware.
6) Bolt on your bracket and light bar unit to those two holes you drilled in step 5.
7) In step 3, I mentioned an additional benefit of the brackets that came with my lightbar. I was concerned that too much weight was being supported by the etrailer L bracket and thought my light bar was going to vibrate and shake a lot, especially during offroad use. Well, as luck would have it, the brackets that came with my light bar rests perfectly on a metal lip on the back of the bumper about 1/8 - 1/4" deep. So the front of the light bar is seated snuggly on top of this ledge bearing the weight of the front while the etrailer bracket supports the rear of the light bar.
I know this seems ghetto, but this is why it is a DIY and not a $600-$900 kit LOL. I am more excited about the fact that everything worked out so well, this rarely happens to me.
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