Light Bar for '95 T-100?

Call the places that actually make them, like Con-Ferr, and the places that sell them like

and ask - I'll bet there's something that fits that never got into a catalog, or fits if you trim

1/4" off or re-bend the bumper bracket tab, or make other minor mods.

Making it from scratch is the other option, but if you have to pay someone to do the work for you it costs a lot more. But you get what you really want in fit and finish - I'd have all the wiring hidden inside the bar, and one shrouded wiring exit point in the back to duck inside (or under) the grille.

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Thanks, Bruce.

Is drilling the bumper and somehow bolting the lights onto the bumper an option? I can see problems (rust, primarily), and I have no idea how to secure the lights -- but it might be easier than trying to find or fabricate a light bar.

-- Jay Honeck Iowa City, IA Pathfinder N56993

"Your Aviation Destination"

If it's a chrome bumper do NOT cut or drill it without sending it out to be re-plated after the mods are done, or the water and salt will get in where the steel is exposed and it'll rust like a madman.

Making a light bar isn't that hard, just takes time and attention to detail - you start with some square or rectangular mild steel tubing. The trick is finding slip-on plastic end-caps that fit the tubing, or you have to make your own.

Then you make mounting tabs out of strap steel or angle that pick up the top two bumper bolts, and have the right size hole. Best if they have a "U" shape so the bracket is super rigid, that can be done by sawing off a chunk of the same square tubing at the right angle.

Get it made and dry fit, drill the holes for your lights and figure out how to slide the ratchet box wrench in from the end to tighten the bolts, drill and rig your wiring exit hole. If you want four lights across, you might want to drill holes in the back or bottom side for the wrench, and find or make hole plugs to fit those access holes.

Then take it all apart and send the whole thing off to the plating shop for a dip in the Shiny Stuff, or a powder coating shop for a dip & bake in body color. Or just prime and paint it the old way.

Might want to make shim washers out of thick UHMW Polyethylene sheet for between the bumper face and the brackets, to minimize the chances of the chrome/paint rubbing through and rust getting started.

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Awesome stuff!

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Making a light bar is not hard at all. I maked a light bar for my Jeep wrangler.It was fun making and fits light a dream. Thanks Jamie

Yep, it's chrome. And -- despite 13 years in Midwestern winters -- it's got no rust. (Actually, the entire truck is rust-free, amazingly.)

So, no drilling the bumper.

Wow, you make that sound easy! All I need is...um, lots of tools. And a machine shop. And a place that does chrome plating. Hmmm.....

;-)

Living in Iowa (with a state population less than Chicago) is usually great. At times like this, I really miss living in a major metropolitan areas...

-- Jay Honeck Iowa City, IA '95 Toyota T100 4x4 Extended Cab

"Your Aviation Destination"

That one's a whole lot easier - if you drill them into the bumper the plating shop can be in Chicago as long as UPS is running... You can ship them your old bumper and get it back in a week. Measure carefully and drill your holes slightly oversized (to allow for the copper) where you want them for the lights, deburr with a countersink or deburring tool, then wrap the bumper in cardboard and send it out.

They reverse-plate off the chrome and nickel layers, clean up the holes and redo the copper plating over the steel, wheel buff out all the scratches from the copper plating layer, and repeat as necessary till it's nice and smooth again. Then they replate the nickel and chrome layers.

And it's good for another 13+ years.

Or you could chance it with a good coating of "zinc cold galvanize" paint inside the hole, and no replate work. But if the rust gets a toehold and takes off between the plating layers they have to strip it all the way down to the steel and spend a LOT more time at the copper stage to repeatedly plate in and buff out pits in the steel.

Hey, it's a light bar, not brain surgery. Painted will work just fine, and you can get the materials and tools locally easily enough - Adapt, Improvise, Overcome...

Light gauge 1-1/2" and 2" mild square tubing, and the white or black plastic end caps for them, are for sale at any Borg (Home Depot or Lowe's) as 'wrought iron' fence posts. Use the same tubing cut off at an angle as the mounting tabs.

The bolt plate at the base of the tab is a square washer used for foundation bolts - they're black iron, as you do NOT want to weld galvanized metal if you have any choice, it is not good for your lungs

- look up "Zinc Fume Fever".

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