Aux Light Options - Second Gen Front Bumper

Looking into options for mounting my Hella Lights to the front of my truck. I really like the Avid light bars, but unfortunately I'm on the wrong side of the country for shipping to make sense. Ideally I'd like to have the front and rear bar, but I really don't want to pay $200 just for shipping. I'm not the biggest fan of bull bars either (at least not any that i have come across so far), but I'm not sure what other options there are. I'm looking for something I can bolt to the truck that won't require me to remove my factory skid plate. Options? Ideas?

 

Nobody else has wanted to do this, just me? lol

I saw the Nfab bar, i don't particularly like the placement of the tabs but i guess thats an option too.

 

I have searched the forums in the past for similar solutions for my first gen. IIRC, there has been at least one 2nd gen owner who attached round Hella lights directly to the 2nd gen bumper. This may have required some reinforcement on the underside. In my case, there is an Nfab bar for the first gen, but I just don't like the way it looks.

If you're unwilling to mount directly to your bumper, and as you state, you *really* like the Avid bar, then I think you should just pay the shipping (is it really $200? can you ask about alternatives?). Seriously, how much longer will it take you to save up to cover that? After all, tacomaworld is here to convince you to spend your money.

 

yeah shipping was quoted on their thing for $200 for both the front and rear bars. I just didnt want to spend almost $900 for bars when another $100-$200 i could grab an ARB bumper. But, that would only be for the front though. Decisions decisions. I just wish there was at least one more option to look at lol.

 

Sounds like the front and rear bars must each have their own shipping charge? In any event, your wants/needs/cost decision matrix sounds complex (you're contemplating an ARB bumper), although I do realize you're ultimately asking about light mounting options. If you just want/need the functionality of the lights, just jerry rig something by attaching directly to the bumper. See this thread, and the one linked within: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/mounting-driving-lights-on-stock-bumper.205938/

Since you drive a 2006 in the rust belt, I imagine drilling a couple of holes in your stock bumper wouldn't be the end of the world.

An alternative would be to use one of those license plate light mounts, like those on Amazon:

MICTUNING Universal License Plate Mounting Bracket Front Bull Bar Bumper for Off Road LED Work Light Bar

https://www.amazon.com/MICTUNING-Universal-License-Mounting-Bracket/dp/B01CEICZLC

My instinct says that these are a little cheap looking, but if you just need a spot to attach aux lights, it may get the job done until you've saved up for that ARB.

Edit: Just realized that PA doesn't require a front plate (I think?), so the amazon light mount may be a non-starter.

 

i agree, those things look cheap.

thanks for that link for the other taco! i saw a previous thread with a first gen, but not the second gen. For some reason, in my head the first gen was an easier install since its the open bumper without the plastic bumper cover. I think this is worth looking into for sure.

 

Hmmm, must be an older 1st gen? would you mind posting the link?

 

N-fab might be a good stopgap solution until you can source what you really want:

 

OP stated they don't like the tab placement on the nfab; new tabs could be welded wherever, but would require redoing the powder coat. Would probably cost as much as the avid setup by then.

 

LOL i was wrong about the shipping. i just went on their website to double check and make sure i didnt mess up an input. for both the front and rear bars, shipped from AZ to PA, it is $365 just for shipping. So, i think as i get closer to doing this, if i end up not direct mounting the lights to the bumper, i might shoot avid a message and ask them to give me a real shipping quote on both bars combined. I'm sure the size of these bars is driving up the cost of shipping more than the weight, but the cost of shipping is the same price as one bar LOL.