Hey all - I've been running Quadratec 3" cube LEDs in my JCR Vanguard front bumper, and I'd like to replace them with some IR cubes from Ultimate Night Vision. The lights themselves are almost identical in size but the mounting bracket on the IR lights is about 1/4" taller than the Quadratecs, and they won't fit into the bumper. Here's the mounting hole:



New light outside the hole:



New light on the left, old light on the right:



I really would like to fit these in this bumper; seems like the best way would be to fab a shorter bracket, but I wouldn't know where to begin on that - is that something a machine shop could do for me? Also the bracket on the Quadratecs is a different width, so I can't just swap them over. I can't just drill a hole from the top of the bumper because that mounting plate still keeps the light plus bracket from fitting in. I could, if I can even get the drill in there, possibly drill into the right side of the enclosure, but there is a LOT of metal to go through and it's not my favorite solution.

Sure appreciate any ideas!!

 

My bad idea would be to see if you can swap out the mounting between the 2 lights.

 

Oh, DEFINITELY not a bad idea - I was going to try that but unfortunately the brackets are different widths so they won't fit on the other lights :/ sure would have been nice and easy!

 

Your too kind. LOL.
OK how about this bad idea.
What is that silver allen head bolt, guessing it is an allen head, do?
Could you fabricate your own bracket and attach it to the outside with them?
I am guessing the mount is behind the bumper and can't be seen.
If so doesn't have to be anything fancy.

 

Ralph, that's another not-bad idea - only thing is that looking at it, it doesn't seem like it would mate up well on the outside with a bracket. I did remember that a friend of mine works at a machine shop - I talked to him and he's gonna have me bring it over. Ought to be a simple fix for guys like that! Sure appreciate the good ideas though.

 

If you are still working one this, I have an idea. if the bracket on the new light allows for any up and down movement, you could bend the bracket inside the bumper down a good bit then angle the bracket on the light to where it points straight. Did that make any sense at all? I'm not the best at explaining things in text.

 

Man, I sure appreciate the suggestion! Unfortunately the bracket inside the bumper is 1/8" steel - I don't think it's going anywhere!! My buddy's welding shop foreman is in the hospital with covid but I hope once he's out he can just shorten the brackets for me. But I really appreciate the idea!

 

I was wondering about this as I have the same bumper, but I have the Baja Designs Squadron lights that have much less "cubing" in the back, so a bit lower profile, and I literally had to jam them in with a crowbar. there was about a 1/16 lip that I couldn't get past. My initial reaction was, "thank god these are small and I didn't get the big cube sized ones."

Maybe you can take the mount off by unscrewing the side bolts and slide the light cube in once the mount is in the bumper.

 

Haha well you've got bigger stones than I do to use a crowbar to get them in! I did just go down and fiddle with it again, and there's just no chance it will ever work with these brackets - just waiting on my buddy's shop to open up again :/

 

make a new shorter bracket. looks like a simple two 90 degree bend , couple holes drilled kind of job. Get some sheet metal, snips, drill, and a vice and make it happen. good luck

 

Well NEWS UPDATE, not trusting myself with fabricating anything myself, I went back to fiddling around with them and..........I think they had the brackets on the wrong way from the factory. I turned them around and they have a great deal of adjustable range. Got the new IR cubes in and went for a drive off-road last night with night vision and zero visible light Thanks for all the replies!

 

can you post some pictures of the Baja Design light on the JCR bumper?