Custom Light Mount Design Idea

OK, so I recently got a pair of 3" LED pods which I intend to mount to a set of hood hinge brackets from Eric at Relentless Fabrication. Normally, the lights can be bolted right down facing forward, but I want to take this mounting design a little further and need some help. I want to be able to rotate the lights to different angles, or at least 90° so that I can have the lights face completely sideways like alley lights. But I dont want to have to get out a wrench each time I want to swivel the light. It needs to be a quick adjustment. I thought of a wing nut but it would be too hard to access and also may come loose while driving.

Here is a picture of the lights I purchased and already installed onto the same brackets I have (this is another members setup). Notice the large silver "spacer" being used between the hood mount and light bracket... I want to place a spring there instead. Follow along....



Ok so you see the spacer. What I have in mind is to place a heavy grade spring in place of the spacer so that I can push down on the light, swivel it to whatever angle I desire, then release and it will be tight again. Problem is I think it will still swivel around on its own even without being pushed down. Therefor, I need to create some type of notch system between the upper bolt and the light bracket. See picture:



You can see that if i somehow get notches on both the bolt and light bracket, that the light cannot swivel left or right without first being pushed down on the spring, rotated to desired angle, then release. Make sense???

QUESTION: How do I make those notches???

This is what Im having trouble with. Does anyone have a recommendation on how to make this work, or maybe a completely different design to create a locking rotating bracket?

 

It all makes sense but I cant help sorry, I am however subd for future reference if someone does help

 

What about something like they have for the spotlights on cop cars?

 

Gonna need sumting like a mill to do that

 

sub'd for neat idea. now to make it where the light turns on a turn dial switch

 

My 3" pod lights did not fit on my Relentless Fabrication mounts. My windshield wipers would hit them. Maybe those spacers will fix that!

 

I would consider that but i cant drill a hole through my a-pillar unless i remove my curtain airbag which isnt happening. But trust me ive thought about that

Where can i find this mill you speak of? Some kind of fab shop?

it would probably be easier to put this on a tiny motor than to do it my manual way, but I want to avoid more switches and dials and stuff. I have a feeling it would break easily. Yosh had his projectors on a motor controller by a dial so the light angle could be adjusted on the fly from inside the cab. That would be a lot of work though

Yeah the other brands have a loop that wraps the bracket back up over the hood which makes it about 1" higher and 1" forward. I know the relentless ones are a tight fit with their design but if you just add a spacer the work fine and look better IMO.

 

Custom Light Mount Design Idea How about using a valve spring (plenty of power) and 2 fender washers on next with a star washer just under the nut. The heavy spring and the star washer should hold the light tight until you want to turn it. Its an inexpensive solution.

 

I like the idea of the star washer being used as a type of notch system and will supply grip to keep light in place. But I am confused as to what order your suggesting all these parts go on. Can you elaborate like Bolt>Hood mount>spring>star washer>etc.....

 

spring, fender washer, fender washer, star washer, nut. Hope this works.

 

OP, your idea is pretty awesome. Here is my $0.10 on how to make it happen.

I think to do it right, you need look at having something milled. For the sake of simplicity, I will speak strictly about one light, so keep in mind you would need to do this once for each light.

You will have to find a fabrication shop with either a CNC mill (http://www.directindustry.com/prod/...nc-vertical-milling-machines-7235-419232.html) that's an example of what we use in our fabrication shops in the Air Force. Or a manual mill (http://kbctoolsandmachinery.com/product/show/6-200-045) also an example of what we use in the Air Force.

The milling shop will need to make you something that looks like (http://www.gen-aircraft-hardware.com/template.asp?pagename=nutcstl)

You would need two of those kind of nuts, however, unlike the examples in that link, the grooves and ridges would need to be interlocking. Additionally, the bottom "nut" would need to be un-threaded and welded to the top of the light mount bracket. So, to help you visualize what I'm thinking I'll walk you from the hood up to the light.

1. Mounting bracket with head on the bottom and shaft pointing up
2. Nut, just to hold the bolt in place so you can push on the light without the whole bolt dropping too
3. Spring
4. Flat washer
5. Light bracket
6. Un-threaded castellated nut welded to light bracket, with castellated part facing up
7. Threaded castellated nut, with castellated part facing downward
8. Lock washer
9. Non castellated nut tightened down onto top castellated nut (prevents the nuts from backing off through vibrations)

I would expect to pay a fabrication shop about $5 in metal stock, and about $100-150 in labor depending on their rates (total for both lights). However, that's me guestimating what a civilian fabrication shop charges in hourly labor rates.

If you think this would work for you, give a few places a call and shop your idea around. If the US Govt didn't frown upon it's employees making a personal profit from Govt resources, I'd give it a try for you at my shop.

If you have questions about that idea feel free to PM me or shoot them out into this thread, I'll check back.

 

This is EXACTLY what i had in mind! A modified castle nut and a weld would do the job. Only problem I see with the design is you have both modified nuts above the bracket on the light.. Meaning they are in between the light and light bracket. If you look at the picture, there is only about 1/2" of space in there, so Im not sureI could fit 2 nuts in there plus room for the spring to still compress. The design would have to be extremely slim and compact to make it work. This is why I was asking for ideas because idk how to get something notched to fit in there. But you are definitely on the right track here!

 

i need something super slim like these:

 

what if I flip the design...

Light
bolt
washer
light bracket
spring
hood hinge bracket
castle nut (facing down, not threaded, welded to bracket above)
castle nut (facing up, threaded to bolt)

Or what would I need to do to build these notches into the existing setup without using castle nuts. For example, what if the bottom of the hood hinge bracket could be cut to make small notches on the bottom. the the bolt head can be modified to have notches on the head, or a single castle nut can be placed between the bolt head and lower bracket. this makes it so that im only adding a single nut instead of 2 and saves alot of space. then the only custom work required is milling the bottom of the hood bracket to fit a castle nut in there. Follow me?

 

wait that wont work being on the bottom because then the light bracket can still swivel on its own

 

Ok, instead of going the fabrication shop route we could rig something else up that will work using one modified castellated nut.

1. Drill out the threads on a castellated nut so it will simply slide over the bolt
2. Weld modified nut to mounting bracket with notches pointed up
3. drill a small hole through the bolt (edit) where you want the mounting bracket + castellated nut to sit when assembled
4. assemble components on bolt
5. have a friend hold the spring down while you hammer a roll pin through the bolt
6. ensure the roll pin sticks out far enough on either side to positively engage the notches of the castellated nut
7. put a small washer and nut over the roll pin to ensure the pin doesn't bend up through use

Much simpler, but less elegant than the milling process, but I think it would be low profile enough to work. (edit) This would also be a much more permanent solution than the other one.

Thoughts?

 

You lost me with the roll pin and stuff. Im extremely electrical savvy, but no so much when it comes to fab work and engineering. I can take these ideas to a shop though and see what we can come up with. Im still waiting for the Relentless Fab brackets to arrive (they might have come today while im at work) so once they come in ill play around and see what I can come up with. Its easier to do once the parts are in your hand. Too bad your not closer

Now to find a shop, or even better a local member who is good with this stuff...

 

Ok, no worries. The concept behind a roll pin, is that unlike a pin made of solid metal, you can pound a roll pin through a hole and compression will keep it from loosening up or moving. Look at this link for an example of a roll pin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_pin It's a piece of metal that has been rolled into the shape of a small pin. This is what makes a roll pin compressible, and why it will stay put when it gets pounded into a hole.

Let me show you my idea in a shitty paint diagram. In this diagram, imagine that the whole thing is cut perfectly through the center of the bolt from top to bottom. You will notice that the roll pin still shows up in the middle of the bolt. This is because it goes through the bolt horizontally.

With the extra length on either side of the bolt, it will still engage in the grooves of the castellated nut that has been welded to the light bracket. The only way to remove the roll pin once you install it, is to pound it out with a punch, in this way, your lights would be relatively secure. This makes it a much more permanent solution.

Additionally, the reason you would need to assemble your components before putting in the roll pin, is because your bottom nut, washer, and light bracket wouldn't fit over the roll pin once installed.

Does that make more sense now?

 

You will find out that the light will reflect off the hood. Rendering them useless.

 

Perfect sense! This is genius!
now where to find a roll pin...

Yeah I've heard. I think with the mgm color it won't be as bad as white or silver. And besides I will most often be using them as alley lights facing out so that won't be a problem. Only time they'll be forward is when I off road at night.... Which is practically never lol. I'm eventually gonna get a 40" double row and mount it to a roof basket so that can be my forward facing light. These little pods aren't really bright enough to be used as off road lights anyways. I just want the option of turning them forward quickly if needed be. I have a good reason behind this idea but it's too much to explain