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2000 Tacoma - light bar or other??

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by jkirkpatrick, Mar 2, 2012.

  1. Mar 2, 2012 at 6:40 AM
    #1
    jkirkpatrick

    jkirkpatrick [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Lift, tires, wheels, bumper, winch, sliders, skids, regeared
    Hi all,

    After exhaustive searching, I've determined that the 2000 Tacoma is the black sheep of the first generation Tacoma when it comes to light bars.

    KC has a universal light bar that should work, but I'd prefer not to drill holes and "stick" a bar on the bumper. I might as well use black duct tape. KC just recently released this light bar according to its website, so information is sparce at the moment.

    Options:

    Custom light bar. I have zero welding experience, so I'd have to hope to find somebody that would do a great job and have extreme attentiveness to details. This is obviously a crap shot.

    Defiant light bar - shorty with the 2/3 light mounts looks great and is exactly what I want, but wow, talk about $$$$!

    Light behind the grille - this is the option I'm currently exploring. I'd have to change out my OEM grille for something, just not sure what the something would be. Anybody done this on a 2000?

    Bullbumper setups (i.e. Westin) - uh, no thanks. Not my cup of tea. Destroys approach angles, multiplies damage, and just looks weird in my opinion. No offence to anybody that runs them.

    Anybody have any advice or two cents to throw out? I'm already spoken with our resident light bar fabricator (superb work), but yeah, he doesn't do 2000's. Such is my luck.

    Thanks for any thoughts! I've gotten to the 13th Google page result on all sorts of search requirements and I'm finding nothing for light bars!
     
  2. Mar 3, 2012 at 9:05 AM
    #2
    jkirkpatrick

    jkirkpatrick [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Lift, tires, wheels, bumper, winch, sliders, skids, regeared
    Sorry, guys, but I'm going to bump my own thread. Given the number of views with no responses, my research is probably accurate in so far as what's available for the 2000 year.
     
  3. Mar 3, 2012 at 9:08 AM
    #3
    joes06tacoma

    joes06tacoma Well-Known Member

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    LEER Shell with dome lights operated with 3 way switches, aux backup lights with relay and 3 position switch, modified wiring to compass/temp display and clock to include switch that disables dimming function (poor man's DRL solution), Scan Gauge 2
    The 2000 still has a steel bumper, right? My last two trucks I mounted two off road lights directly through the bumper. It worked great. If needed, you can bolt two pieces of flat bar through the bumper first, then mount the lights to that.
     
  4. Mar 3, 2012 at 9:22 AM
    #4
    jkirkpatrick

    jkirkpatrick [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Lift, tires, wheels, bumper, winch, sliders, skids, regeared
    Yeah, that's looking more and more like my only recourse. Of course, I'm not a welder so I'd have to find somebody to do that for me, and I'm not against that, I was just hoping that somebody would know of a somewhat price effective aftermarket part that I could just bolt on. This is probably going to end up as a custom fabrication job.

    Thanks for the response, though!
     
  5. Mar 3, 2012 at 9:28 AM
    #5
    joes06tacoma

    joes06tacoma Well-Known Member

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    I don't see why you'd need to weld. I had two 8 inch lights on my 86 Toyota. All I did was drill two holes in the bumper and bolt two 3-4 inch pieces of steel flatbar to the top of the bumper. I used a hacksaw to cut the flat bar and rounded the edges with a file. Drilled another hole in the end of each piece of flatbar and mounted the lights through that. The only reason I needed the flatbar was to extend the lights out away from the grille for clearance.

    On my 95 Dakota I mounted Hella 500s directly through the bumper. Drilled two holes, reached under the bumper to tighten the bolts.

    In both cases I thought it looked really clean compared to a crazy looking lightbar. I wish I could do that to my 2006, but the bumper is plastic.
     
  6. Mar 3, 2012 at 9:32 AM
    #6
    jkirkpatrick

    jkirkpatrick [OP] Well-Known Member

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    ...ah, now I get what you're saying! Hadn't thought of doing that! Thanks for the idea!
     
  7. Mar 8, 2012 at 7:29 AM
    #7
    jkirkpatrick

    jkirkpatrick [OP] Well-Known Member

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    So as a follow up, I ordered an All Pro bumper and said the hell with the light bar! I'll create a build thread this spring when I find the time to start working on my truck.
     
  8. Mar 14, 2012 at 3:27 PM
    #8
    RacerP

    RacerP Well-Known Member

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    Wow, very impressive, going from a light bar to just ponying up for a whole new bumper!

    Post pics when done
     
  9. Mar 14, 2012 at 3:35 PM
    #9
    jkirkpatrick

    jkirkpatrick [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Lift, tires, wheels, bumper, winch, sliders, skids, regeared
    Yeah, sometimes you just have to say the hell with it! Once I get my junk in and I have time to work on it, I'll post up a build thread.
     
  10. Mar 14, 2012 at 3:44 PM
    #10
    Boerseun

    Boerseun Well-Known Member

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    Yea, this site will do that to you.....
     
  11. Mar 14, 2012 at 3:52 PM
    #11
    saundern

    saundern Swerve for nothing

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    its just the beginning :spy:
     
  12. Mar 14, 2012 at 5:50 PM
    #12
    jkirkpatrick

    jkirkpatrick [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Lift, tires, wheels, bumper, winch, sliders, skids, regeared
    Yeah, I was a lurker a couple of years ago and I had this "deckplate mod" bookmarked and I was like, WTF is this?

    Got back into it as I'm doing an Alaskan trip this year, so I figure I need offroad lights, on board air, suspension overhaul, etc. You know how it goes!
     
  13. Mar 15, 2012 at 1:57 PM
    #13
    saundern

    saundern Swerve for nothing

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    deckplate is on the list among other things too but suspension lift is first for me. i'm actually in the process of making a light bar but it only gets worked on when i go home, don't have the right tools where i am now
     

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