52" single row light bar install

[Rollingrock]

Nice.  What's with the hot spot?  Is that because its a combo beam and that's the spot section we are seeing?  It looks off center.

It looks off center b/c of the position of the bar in relation to the trail and the angle of the car.   the beam is so far forward that as I enter the turn the beam has already been in the spot... make sense?   

[Kitzy]

I gotcha.  You should have switched between standard lights and the bar in the video.  This isn't helping my bank account by the way.

[Too Stroked]

This isn't helping my bank account by the way.

It's our job to help empty other members bank accounts. No need to thank us for this free service. 

[Kitzy]

Tom, I have a girlfriend.  I don't need any more help emptying my account.  Thanks though. 

[Too Stroked]

Tom, I have a girlfriend.  I don't need any more help emptying my account.  Thanks though.

Every once in a while, even the best girlfriend slips up. That's where we stand ready to help you!

[Kitzy]

Yes but here is the real conundrum. Next week will be two years together.  So... does one use his extra coin to purchase a nice new light bar or use it towards a nice weekend?  Hmm.  Light bar could last years.  Account insists on one or the other.  Option C is realizing if I'm that broke I should just save the money for now. But what fun is that.  Then I'm just disappointing everyone.  Haha. 

Kidding... sorta.

[Too Stroked]

Yes but here is the real conundrum. Next week will be two years together.  So... does one use his extra coin to purchase a nice new light bar or use it towards a nice weekend?  Hmm.  Light bar could last years.  Account insists on one or the other.  Option C is realizing if I'm that broke I should just save the money for now. But what fun is that.  Then I'm just disappointing everyone.  Haha. 

Kidding... sorta.

I'd tell her you're going to buy something bright and flashy - then buy the LED bar of course. 

[Pockets]

Yes but here is the real conundrum. Next week will be two years together.  So... does one use his extra coin to purchase a nice new light bar or use it towards a nice weekend?  Hmm.  Light bar could last years.  Account insists on one or the other.  Option C is realizing if I'm that broke I should just save the money for now. But what fun is that.  Then I'm just disappointing everyone.  Haha. 

Kidding... sorta.

I'd tell her you're going to buy something bright and flashy - then buy the LED bar of course. 

Shell kick your ass hahahaah 

[Too Stroked]

Well guys, I had some open time on my calendar for the first time in months, so it was time to try fitting the Texas Liberty Patriot SR 30 LED bar into the area behind the grill on my 2010 F-150. As most of you know, that area on this truck and the five F-150?s that came before it has been taken up by a pair of Hella 550 Driving Beams with 130 watt bulbs. On all of the previous trucks, this led to significantly improved lighting when triggered (via relay) by the high beams.  But with the 2010, the open area for the lights to shine out of went down considerably, limiting useful light output. I tried several smaller lights, but nothing made the difference that the older setup did. But when JP shared the results of his 52? LED bar, I knew the answer had finally arrived.

So today, I went out and spent 4 hours with my son measuring, test fitting, modifying, buying new parts and trying again to get the bar to fit exactly where I wanted it in the lower grill opening. After much work, I have what I consider to be the most bullet proof mounting bracket I?ve ever put in any of my trucks. Although it?s going to be removed shortly to get painted, it?s all set up and ready to go.

As for wiring the light bar up, I left my small tool box with all of my electrical stuff at the marina and I didn?t want to run out for more parts and risk doing a half-baked job, so the incredibly difficult task of hooking up the hot lead to the relay and a ground will probably happen tomorrow ? along with final aiming.

Here are a few teaser pics of where everything sits right now:

[Kitzy]

Well isn't that just tucked in there ever so neatly.  Seriously though, it looks good.  I'm jealous.  I look forward to hearing what you think of it.

[Too Stroked]

Well isn't that just tucked in there ever so neatly.  Seriously though, it looks good.  I'm jealous.  I look forward to hearing what you think of it.

Thanks Mike. I'm thinking that the outer "flood" pattern LEDs are going to be pretty useless due to the shrouding effect of the grill. I have high hopes for the "spot" pattern LEDs in the center of the bar though.

[Kitzy]

I see what you are saying.  My girlfriend has the same problem with the lights on her jeep after getting a new bumper.  Are you thinking the light will be affected vertically or horizontally?  Both maybe? It doesn't look bad horizontally.  Any chance of moving it forward into the grille?  So it sits more flush?

[sscully]

Think I am going to have to check on fitting one of the smaller ones between the Hella lamps on my grille.

That bottom line, clip out the honeycomb between the lamps and mount LED bar in there below the Ford logo ???



- I keep forgetting to get a new picture with the matte black 3M 1080 vinyl wrap done on the front bumper.

[Rollingrock]

Think I am going to have to check on fitting one of the smaller ones between the Hella lamps on my grille.

That bottom line, clip out the honeycomb between the lamps and mount LED bar in there below the Ford logo ???





- I keep forgetting to get a new picture with the matte black 3M 1080 vinyl wrap done on the front bumper.

Or dump the other lights, you won't need them anymore.  Just saying. 

[Too Stroked]

I see what you are saying.  My girlfriend has the same problem with the lights on her jeep after getting a new bumper.  Are you thinking the light will be affected vertically or horizontally?  Both maybe? It doesn't look bad horizontally.  Any chance of moving it forward into the grille?  So it sits more flush?

I'm thinking that the floods will be affected both horizontally and vertically due to the shrouding effect of the grill. They might be affected slightly less in the horizontal plane only because it's not shrouded as bad.

As for moving the bar closer to the grill, that's one of the things that took so long today - getting it as close as possible. Nice thought though.