Refinishing a bumper/ grill guard

[BlackHogDown]

Lookin good.

[kruppa24]

nice work!

[kmack]

Next ordering some led combo spot/ wide area driving lights to mount while it’s still easy to get to the back.

What I want is for the lights to go on/off when my high beams are on/off, unlike fog lights connected with the low beams. I wonder if I can splice into a high beam wire to power, or splice into a relay and run a separate 12v and a deducated fuse.

Bumper looks good!

As for the lights, when I run spot lights I connect them to the high beams like you mentioned. I use a relay for them. Main power for the spots comes straight from the battery and runs thru the relay to the lights. The trigger wire for the relay (to turn the spots on) is tapped into the high beam wire from one of the headlights. That way, every time your highs come on, so do your spots.

On my old Explorer, I also had a switch to kill the circuit, just in case I didn't want to blind someone when I turned on the high beams.

Something along these lines...

[Bill]

Thanks! That’s what I was thinking, being able to choose if driving lights were on or off when the high beams were on. I can’t think when I’d want high beams without the extra light, but it’s easy snd cheap to add.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bill]

I’ve had luck with 2 led light bars I bought on amazon in the past. Looking at the 6x3” and 7x3” I can’t get over the reviews varying from great to junk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[davidpark06]

Looks good.

[Bucknaked]

I’ve had luck with 2 led light bars I bought on amazon in the past. Looking at the 6x3” and 7x3” I can’t get over the reviews varying from great to junk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’d purchase them before I purchased Rough Country junk!

[Mertzon Man]

Looks great Bill, nice work.

[Bill]

These came today, I’ll get them mounted in the cutouts.

I checked Montana law and learned I can legally wire them as ‘driving lights’ and tie them into the high beams aimed 1” down at 25’. As long as they’re 42” or less off pavement, they’re legal. Fog lights are 16-30” above pavement, tied to low beams and aimed 4” down at 25’. Above 42” they’re off road only lights. But’s here, I don’t know about the Texas Republic.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bill]

Spending some time on it today. New Rancho 5000s are arriving tomorrow.

After thinking about how to mount the fog lights, I got 4 u-bolts. Drilled 8 holes in bumper, and used some doubled-up heater hose with tape wrapped as a cushion. Seems better than using the supplied bracket bolted to a steel bracket under the lights.

I figure once bumper is installed I can get sone horizontal adjustment using rubber shims. I still need to chop down the bolts and paint black.









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bill]

Well, part done. Scraped off metal film with a chisel (wear gloves- don’t ask me how I know the edges are really sharp), rough up plastic with sandpaper, sprayed with Duplicolor clear adhesion promoter primer ( for plastic body parts), then sprayed Duplicolor enamel flat black.



Still waiting for shocks. I’ve had these since I bought the topper in Cali for the move to Montana 3 years ago with bare necessities and the seller threw them in.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[d_dial]

Looks good

[Bill]

On the trailer to the mechanic. He’s so busy I asked him to fix guys trucks who need them to earn a living and call me when he can schedule me in.

I brought my archery target out to shoot my bow. It feels great tp see arrows flying!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bill]

When I was at the shop I met another customer. He recently hit a mulie driving over the pass coming here, then 15 minutes later had a whitetail jump in front of him close to where we are. Two deer strikes in 25 minutes.

You can tell the ‘locals’ around here. Posted speed is 70, out of towners go 80 and locals drive 50-60 because of whitetails. Lots of areas to pass us.

[Bill]

Refinishing a bumper/ grill guard

I had it installed plus leveling kit/ Rancho shocks.

I need to build something under the lights and across in front of the transmission radiator. I have a piece of fir from building the house which primed and Herculiner’s might work.

With the 2” leveling kit and the big bumper, I’m going to bolts a piece of steel on the bottom and make a step to climb up.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk