Relentless Fabrication Hood Hinge Ditch Bracket Woes

I bought a Relentless Fabrication passenger side 2016 Hood Hinge Ditch Light Bracket to install a CB antenna on my truck.

After installing the bracket and putting the antenna on, I stepped back to look at the truck and thought, man this is crooked. Maybe I'm a bit OCD but take a look and tell me what you guys think.

 

Its not straight

 

Well considering that its a ditch light bracket, and lights are adjusted once mounted, it's likely that's just how it is. Since it is metal, I'd suggest putting it into a vice and bend it to fit your needs.

 

I bet it would be perfect spot to mount ditch lights? Crooked so that it points to the ditch?

If you're OCD maybe take it to a vice and make it "straight".

*edit, that guy said the exact same thing above me. oops too slow posting

 

Probably intentionally bent that way to give ditch lights more room/clearance.

Antenna up front will get annoying anyways. Mount it behind the cab or in the bed.

 

I was hoping to not need to make any adjustments as I don't have a vise readily available at the moment. I guess I was hoping the stars would align so I could complete the install in an afternoon....

 

don't even need a vice per say. take the antenna off and use an adjustable wrench on the tab and lift up, bending it backwards. Repeat for L/R adjustments. Surely you can get enough leverage to make the small adjustment needed.

I've done the same with my BAMF tailgate antenna mount when it gets bent or knocked.

 

I used a hood lip mount for my Vhf 1/2 wave. Late model ford mount worked perfect.

 

I'll let you know tomorrow. I have one more to install

 

This Tacoma forum makes me want to cancel my membership. Everyone on here complains.

Why would you call out a small company for a part that is not intended for this use complaint?

 

Third gen.

 

Also because Navy..

 

I've been on forums of nwp4life, Honda tech in the 90's. This Tacoma world is flat out the worst.

 

It looks like if you open the hood it would be in the way, is it?

 

x2 this ^ Also if your wondering, the relentless cb mount is just the same. Doesn't bother me at all I just left it that way but I'm not as OCD as some of you guys on here.

 

While the name of the product is "ditch light bracket", their website says "This versatile mount for the 2016+ Tacoma allows installation of LED auxiliary 'ditch' lights or may also be used to mount CB antenna, or a whip flag right off the hood hinge bolts."

That said, I do think the OP probably should have touched base with Relentless first. They were a joy to deal with for my brackets... and have followed up to see if I am satisfied (I am), so they are eager to get feedback. In fact, I exchanged more than a dozen emails with the company before buying, and based on their responses and the quality of these brackets will definitely be buying more of their products.

And these things are *SOLID*. Last night I was showing the left one to a friend (I have yet to mount the right one) and I grabbed the bracket and basically was able to move the truck.

They were built as ditch light brackets, but the company does say they are suited to antenna mounting as well. I will be doing so today, and will see what I think, but honestly, even if the antenna is off by a bit I will likely not care. I said I would report back to the OP, but if it comes out like the OPs pictures I will *prefer* it... tipped in is less likely to hook on trees, and tipped forward is less likely to slap the hood, and at speed will straighten up anyway.

We need small fab and parts suppliers like Relentless, especially ones that have such great customer service.

 

I have the exact same bracket on my truck, and it doesn't lean outboard like that with my CB antenna on it. At one point, I had just my antenna on a drivers side mount and the antenna was perpendicular to the ground. Even now, I have ditch lights with a mount extender on the drivers side for the antenna, and it's still straight.

 

That location looks very annoying.

I just installed the Total Chaos Bed Stiffeners, and they have two very solid mounting points.

 

do you have them on the correct side?

 

@RelentlessFab