Potential Light Bar Group Buy/Build

Just curious SteveJ - is that the "unfinished" look from Avid, or did you powdercoat those or paint black?

 

I saw that too. It's ok though, other than keeping a similar style, the one I make will be different. I also like the idea of the photoshopped one, and not doing the top bar...

 

Powder coated black. To see more go to 2012 Taco build for my thread on this.

 

Pelley, Again did not mean to dissrespect your thread or product in anyway. Again, I think it's definitely a great thing.

 

Steve J - No worries, it's all good. Let me know about those Dodge bumpers we PM'd about!!! Truck looks great by the way, checked out your build thread!

 

Ok, so the laser cutting won't be done until next week... so bummer on getting pics of the standard light bar up!! But, I did have time to make a prototype for the wrap around style one a few people requested!!

It is 1.5" mild steel tubing with two 1" mild steel tubing supports. It has room for 4 Hella 700 lights, or a comparable size light. For the prototype I used some angle-iron for the mounts. If we get enough interest these will actually be made from 1/4" laser cut mild steel and will be stronger and look a little cleaner. This light bar takes a lot more time and material, this is not the final price, but I am thinking $250 plus shipping for these. They are 100% bolt on, will be powder coated, and the whole nine. I added an extra mount that others don't have, so there are three bolts instead of the standard two. The way I did it is super strong, you could stand on this thing while you work under the hood with zero issues! I apologize in advance for the crappy night shots... I just finished and wanted to share. I will post up some better shots tomorrow!

In the spirit of the group buy, for this price I would need at least 5 of these to make them at that price. So please let me know if interested! Thanks. Now here are the pictures!!!!

-Right after completed mach up










- After Welding
















- Back on the truck

 

Sub'd for later. Wish I had the money right now, maybe after the holidays I'll have some extra money. Looks bitchen though man, hope they sell well for ya!

 

Here are a few more pictures I took today. Will probably be getting this thing powder coated next week so you guys can see what the final product looks like. Also, I am getting my laser cut parts on Saturday, so I will have pictures of the standard light bar by Sunday I hope!!

 

Looking good Chris! I'm sure those are gonna sell like crazy especially at that price. I would buy one if I wasn't planning out a bumper. I'm interested to see what you have planned next haha you taking the tacoma on the mojave trip this year?

Being new you might want to elaborate on your fab history...

I myself back all of Chris's stuff 110%. I've ridden in sand rails as well as other vehicles he has built....light bars are the tip of the iceberg as far as what he's capable of and all of his work is definitely top notch.

 

pretty close to the avid design....

looks good

 

Thanks for the props Mike!!! I would give you a hard time, but you pre-runner guys definitely need a much better ram bar!!! Haha. Oh ya, I'll put some pictures up of a bed cage I did last week. It's for a Ranger, but it's 100% bolt in, very cool I think. And hell ya on the Mojave, I'll PM you some info on what we are working on for planning.

As requested here is my fab history - I have been fabing as an enthusiast for 12 years, and did it professionally for 8 years before joining the Air Force. I worked as a shop forman and chassis builder for a sand car company called AG Sandcars for the majority of the time. I also have put in appearances at Fiberwerx building their class 7, and working on a few customers trucks, and at a couple other small sand car shops in San Diego. Here is a link to one of my TTORA albums, I haven't seen a place to load albums on here...

 

97yota4wd - I agree with you that it does look similar to the AVID bumper. In offroad there is usually the right way and many wrong ways to do something as far as design goes. AVID did a great job building a very nice product. So for me, building a product with similar intentions, it is hard to really make things different. I spent a long time trying to think of ways to make it unique, and evolve the idea so that I was not simply ripping them off. But like I said there are only so many ways to skin a cat. all bumpers have a main tube that wraps around the front of the truck, all bumpers have supports that go to the frame, all bumpers have smaller supports on the side to support the wrap... there are only so many things we can do as fabricators to diferentiate ourselves from the others. I made it a point to try and improve upon the idea of a bolt on tube bumper. Mine has more complex bends that wrap around a greater portion of the truck for added protection, same with the side supports. I also added the extra tube in front to help protect the lights better, and I never plan on doing a top hoop as they do.

I do plan on also doing a few other things differently for the final product. I am working with my CADD program right now to design new uprights that go from the frame to the bumper. Right now my prototype has angle iron and a tube going to the main wrap, I am going to use 1/4" plate and use that to make the mounts for the frame as well us the uprights to the tube, it should look very cool and more like the pre-runner style bumpers, but still be bolt-on and not require any cutting... I am hoping to complete design today or tomorrow, and then get some cut in the next week or two...

Also I just want to note, the things I mentioned about what I used to create my bumpers is not intended to be a knock on AVID, they make great products and do top notch work. I am trying to make something different so people have options, and for both light bars I am making, I want to help keep prices low for our Tacoma community here on the forum!!!

 

I really really respect that response. And you are right.

Best of luck to you, they look great!

 

I really really respect that response. And you are right.

Best of luck to you, they look great!

 

I'm also interested in that light bar you had on the F-250. I like that simple, low profile, textured look for my 2012 Taco. I may have misread, but are you not planning on making those anymore?

 

Subd. Im interested in the wrap around.

 

Thanks for the good word!!!!!

 

Yes, 100% still plan on doing these. I will be getting my parts from the laser cutter on Saturday, and will have a sample made on Sunday afternoon!

Once I get the first one done and up for you guys to check out, I will start the group buy on these, I am hoping mid week next week!!!

 

Any chance that it'll fit a 2012?

 

From what I understand it should be good. I am meeting with a TW member hopefully in the next week who has a 2012 to verify that both versions of the light bars fit a 2012. I will definetely keep you posted!!!!