Driving lights mounted on the front bumper?

mikemd · **Posted:** Thu Nov 17, 2005 6:56 pm

I looking into getting a pair of Hella or PIAA driving lights to mount on the front bumper. I can't afford the ARB bull bar yet. Can anyone tell me how/where to drill the holes on the top of the front bumper to mount the lights?

Or if you have another mounting suggestion, even better. I've seen those license plate mounts but I'm not crazy about them.

Thanks

jpzkj · **Posted:** Thu Nov 17, 2005 7:58 pm

I think you'll be better off if you remove the bumper cover and drill your holes being able to see what your drilling into.

Good Luck...

matidor · **Posted:** Thu Nov 17, 2005 8:18 pm

It's been interesting to see all the hoopla about drilling the bumper. I drilled the grill. Took off the four screws on top of the grill to remove it and drilled right at the bottom in the Chanel. Works great for my Hella's.

boxhead · **Joined:** Fri Jul 08, 2005 11:14 pm **Posts:** 186

On the '05 you can look from underneath the bumper where the tow hooks mount, and see up inside. You can drill from the top, and get a socket on the top and the bottom, no problem. My Hellas are mounted this way.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Nov 17, 2005 10:55 pm

matidor wrote:

It's been interesting to see all the hoopla about drilling the bumper. I drilled the grill. Took off the four screws on top of the grill to remove it and drilled right at the bottom in the Chanel. Works great for my Hella's.

pictures?

mikemd · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 2:37 pm

Yeah yeah yeah...Got pics?

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2005 3:12 pm

mikemd wrote:

Yeah yeah yeah...Got pics?

despite sounding like an AOLler "me too??"

esp boxhead, I want to see how/where lights mount on the 05. I might get a cheap-o pair of o $20 offroad lights. For as often as I'd end up using them, it's not bad. I just want to be able to see in the woods better when driving on a dirt road.

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

matidor wrote:

It's been interesting to see all the hoopla about drilling the bumper. I drilled the grill. Took off the four screws on top of the grill to remove it and drilled right at the bottom in the Chanel. Works great for my Hella's.

Could you explain that any better. You drilled the grill? Did you mean bumper?

You basically took the grill off to see where the channel lines up and drilled into the bumper then? Correct?

corwyyn · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:54 am

No, I think he means he drilled into the bottom part of the grille. For those wanting dinensions for drilling thru the bumper on KJs with the old-style bumpers here is a pic:

You might want to come out another 1/4 inch from the grille to make sure you can aim them vertically; mine just barely touch the grille bottom when aimed properly. Good luck.

ManicMechanicJoe · **Posted:** Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:16 pm

I got the same setup with Hella 500 driving lights. Best light for the money. With my white headlights, it is brighter then daylight in front of the Jeep. I am thinking about getting the Hella 500 fogs for when I cut up my bumper. If you get driving lights, I wired mine into my high-beams, made for a cleaner install with no switch. Might do the same with the fogs.

matidor · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:39 am

matidor · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:42 am

I can't post pictures from my web site so just go to it.
http://matidors.tripod.com/alaska/
Picture at bottom of page.

mikemd · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:41 am

After spending about an hour working up the cahones to drill my bumper, I did it. I used Corwyyn's measurments. 3.5 in and 1.25 out. It actually worked out perfectly. The only thing I would caution anone else contemplating this is to check and make sure the back of you lights clear the grill. Any further then 1.25" out and you may have trouble angling the socket up from below. Any closer then 1" and deep lights will hit and potentially scratch the grill. My PIAA 520s are somewhat deep. Good luck.

One other question. Does anyone know how to get rid of the powed switch that comes with the PIAA lights? I like how when the switch is not powered the lights will be off, (saves batteries from certain death) but the switch itself is haneous and there is no clean way to mount it.

waddy whiteguts · **Posted:** Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:52 am

I anstalled my Hella 500s the same way Corwyyn did a while back. It worked out nicely. I used a big stainless steel fender washer between the light bracket and the top of the bumper cover to give it a more finished look and give the bracket something to pivot on other than the paint. When tightening down the brackets the bumper cover did bend down a bit untill it was snug against the steel beneath it but it is not noticeable.

ManicMechanicJoe · **Posted:** Fri Dec 09, 2005 12:38 am

MikeMD-your new hella's look great

SD-KJ · **Posted:** Wed May 31, 2006 12:58 am

not to bring this post out of the archives, but oh well. I am looking at doing this however i have front tow hooks installed and i am wondering with the measurement from corwyyn how that works if you have them installed. I really do not want to take the bumber off again because i did not have fun taking it off the first time. I looked under there and where 3 inches comes out from the side there is a hole but the tow hook is directly under that hole. Is the theory that you drill through that hole then get a socket up there? If this is the case is there a way that i can get the tow hooks loosened enough to get a socket on the bottom of the nut for the light? I guess i am looking for anyone who has drilled the bumber and installed some sort of light there with the front tow hooks on? And how you did it...

Anyone :?:

-Nick

corwyyn · **Posted:** Wed May 31, 2006 4:07 am

OK, this is from the '03 FSM. I believe the two green circles are around the holes you are talking about?

Looking at this it does look like the tow hooks cover up these openings. Doesn't look like there would be any room to get a socket and extension up into. Hopefully someone will come up with a possible solution.

SD-KJ wrote:

I looked under there and where 3 inches comes out from the side there is a hole but the tow hook is directly under that hole. Is the theory that you drill through that hole then get a socket up there?

Yeah, thats the idea. You drill thru the bumper at the noted locations then you can (normally) get a socket up there to tighten the bolt/nut down.

SD-KJ · **Posted:** Wed May 31, 2006 10:50 am

Thanks for that info, when you did yours, i am asuming you didnt have tow hooks on?

-Nick

corwyyn · **Posted:** Wed May 31, 2006 1:26 pm

SD-KJ wrote:

Thanks for that info, when you did yours, i am asuming you didnt have tow hooks on?

-Nick

No, didn't have tow hooks. I also didn't realize until looking up this image how the tow hooks actually mount. The front receiver I mounted only uses the outermost mount points for the tow hooks.

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Wed May 31, 2006 9:51 pm

I used the wholes that corwyn is suggesting to drill through the top of the bumper in order to put my lighs on. I had to take of the tow hooks and un do the bottom portion of the bumper cover. I did not take it completely off. Once the lightes are on, the hooks can go back on and fasten up the bottom of the bumper cover.

Driving lights mounted on the front bumper?

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