2012 Light Bar Style (POLL)

Hey everyone,

I am in the middle of developing a light bar designed to fit the 2012 Tacoma's. I have come up with a few ideas and am trying to nail down the final placement of the lights.

What I am designing will have tabs for 4 Hella 700 style lights. While my photoshop skills suck (I used paint), I am hoping you can get the idea of what I am looking for here. I didn't even attempt to draw the light bar itself, just pasted some lights on for the visual. Please let me know what placement you like best so I can start making these for the 2012 community.

My thoughts and pictures:
- Tall - Obstructs air flow to the grill, not that these trucks have cooling issues.

- Middle - This is where most are set from other companies. The lights still obstruct the upper grill just a little bit in this spot.

- Low - I have never seen a light bar this low. The obvious issue is them hanging a little low, but I don't think they are in any more danger than the other two, still hanging off the front, and there is no obstruction of the upper grill, and wires are easily hidden here.

 

i voted for the bottom, if i had one on my truck like that, thats where id want them

 

i think the bottom looks the best but I have never heard of cooling issues from anyone running 4 lights in any position.

 

Bottom

 

My first choice is bottom and then middle. I like the look of them at the high level but do not like that the grill is blocked so much and I plan on installing some lights behind the grill and of course that would be in the way.

 

Bottom looks best. It hides the ugly front end pretty well

 

i dont see the point in having it high. you could easily have them behind the grille with a satoshi. like said in quote, have the bar low and do even more lights behind the grille.

 

Like this:

 

MIDDLE

 

Bottom. If you do bottom the customer still has the option of doing a satoshi and adding more lights behind the grill!!!!

 

i like behind the grille the most.

OR

look into the aftermarket grille with the large LED light bar built into it. Someone posted a picture of it on here but i couldnt find it for sale anywhere.

 

Bottom for sure. I have a 2012 and I'll buy one.

 

I think the look of the bar is important

1. If you place the lights in the lowest position, I assume your bar is going to run through that lower grill opening. Because of that, the sides of the light bar would have to fall before the horizontal bar that your lights would mount on... All the lines on the front of the truck are sloping upwards towards the centerline of the vehicle. So your light bar would look really hectic on the front of the vehicle.

So if you could design it to have the look of the bar fit in at the lowest position, I'd like that, because I love the idea of being able to have lights behind the grill and on a bar.

For now, I have to vote for it in the mid position.

 

What up guys. Thanks for such a great response so far. So it looks like most like them low or maybe middle. I have been working on an idea that will allow for you guys to choose either. It would go through the lower grill and then from there it can be placed one direction for middle lights, or flipped over for lower lights. I could only weld tabs on for one direction, but could offer both options. The only bummer with this design is that the lower grill is a little on the skinny side, so I am still toying with how I think it will look.

The other option is to go for a lower only design, and have the mounts come up from below the bumper. This will allow for a wider bar that will actually match the edges of the black center piece. Both designs will allow for four lights, but the second is a little more flexible as far as types of lights because of the added space.

Let me know what you guys think. Here are a few pictures of my 05-11 ones, would be similar but lower if it wen't through the lower grill. Also a picture for Desert Rat, I make those bumpers as well, and was thinking of doing a modified version for the lower only light bar I described above. Thanks guys!!!

- Would be like this, but pointing downward for the lower light mounting like discussed above.



- My Bumper design, and the mounts that I would use, not such a crazy one though, would only be one plate, not boxed like the bumper one.

 

Ok guys, got some sample pictures of my moch up light bar I am working on. This is a ruff sample I used to create my CADD drawings for laser cutting. I will have my moch up lights in some time this week so I will put some tabs on it and post a few pictures of it with lights as soon as they get here. I will also have it on an actual truck, not just the bumper I am working off of so you can see what it really looks like.

The one pictured is for the slim style lights only, stuff like Hella 700's or Piaa's. I am also making a different one for the larger HID lights, should have some pictures up by Tuesday of that one. Let me know what you guys think so far!

Oh ya, there wil lalso be some more styling to the actual finished product, gussets and some holes for looks. Again these are just ruff samples.

 

What's the pricing on these?

 

As of right now I am planning on offering them for $150 plus shipping. I am still waiting for the final cost on my laser cutting, so it may change a tiny bit. Trying to keep the price as low as I can for you guys.

 

Good luck with these Chris, they look great. I'm loving the one you built me. I watched a Mercedes S550 back into the front of mine and all I did was rub off the blue paint from the car. You were right when you said it was strong!

 

I had a concept before that didn't pan out.. the fab guy I was going though was gonna be a little expensive so I just decided to buy an Avid.. I think if the light bar really utilized the lines of the 2012, it could be awesome.. here's my idea.. again it never went anywhere, so you're more than welcome to take it.. not that my design is so awesome that you would..



I was thinking you could mount lights on the top bar or the bottom one.. or use an LED light bar.. like this.. I forgot who this is.. but I think it looks awesome..

 

Practically speaking I like the top best. Visibility is best with driving lights mounted as high as possible. Also more prone to rocks the lower you go. Also I think it looks better, I think the low ones look goofy.