Well just a little background, I had a order sent in with 4 Wheel Parts for a Smitty Built Street Bar. After waiting a few weeks I found that they failed to mention it was on a large back order, and I canceled my order. After seeing pictures of it my main disagreement with it was that the lights mounted front side of the bar instead of behind. While there is nothing wrong with that, I would rather have the bar hiding the bolt for the mount, I believe it looks cleaner that way.

I will pre-warn everyone this is going to be a slow process. My summer is pretty full so this is something I'm working on in my spare time. I have access to everything I will need to do this, and dad and myself fabricate numerous jeep parts. Hopefully it will come out looking okay, either way I will like it because something I have built and not bought.

Also, Spike Strider has been kind enough to supply me with a SolidWorks image of the Ford text logo. I will plan to use these as cut outs in the gussets that will attach to the mount arm and the tube to make the overall product sturdier.

(it will be along the lines of this with the ford text cutout in the metal plate)


Pre-Planing
Basically you guys have got the background, never cared for one specific light bar, so I plan to take my favorite parts of each and combine them. The design is going to be very simple, two single flat stock pieces coming out for the mounts. Tube will sit on them and lights will mount behind. I do want to give the tube a slight bend on either end to keep it not so squared off looking.

As for my materials list so far I'm planning on using 1/8" flat stock, and 1.25" x .095" tubing.

I have taken some rough measurements from my truck, drawn up on paper. I have transferred it all into SolidWorks drawings and assembles. Remember as of now this is all just pretty rough and giving me an idea. I will actually mock it all up before making the real deal. Here are some images of my SolidWorks drawings.

Tube:

Mount Arm:

Assembly:


As time goes on I'm sure this will change as I decide with the mock up what looks good and what doesn't. My main concern right now is that the tube is too wide. I think it may become shorter, and the mounts will actually attach on the angled pieces, but for now I'm going to leave it how it is.

The Mock Up
Right now the Mock Up stage has just begun. I have bought a 10' stick of Sch 40 1.25" PVC pipe. I will cut it off into the proper length and bend it in the appropriate places. It will not be exact, but I will be able to get it close enough to decide what looks right or not. I'm trying to keep the plans as simple as possible so that all work can be done by myself. It would be much cleaner to take it to a place with a laser cuter, but I'm doing this on a low budget, and I would rather do it myself. Once I start on the mock up I will get some pictures posted of my progress.

 

I love home built-aint it fun?

 

How do you plan to install it to the truck?

 

Good question, that is actually one last thing I need to get figured out. Mostly this will depend on the price of the metal itself. I have two options, I can either make 90 degree bends in the end of the bars facing inwards towards each other and make the connection there. Or, I can make separate mounting brackets that will bolt or weld onto the main mount arms.

Actually dilloncawthon has helped me out a lot! He has provided me some great pictures and some measurements from his own Smittybilt light bar. Here are some images of an example of it being bent to make the connection.

I actually originally drew up a separate mount bracket in SolidWorks originally, but not sure on the plan here.


Very simplistic, basically what will make or brake me is the added length if I decide to bend the tabs onto the main bar. This means I will have to get a longer sized piece of metal. After I get everything figured up I will be able to decide this pretty easily. i will be able to get a rough length and height measurement and figure out how big I need the original sheets of metal to cut these out from. After I decide that, I can then figure out whats the more economical route. If I can get them smaller, but have enough scrap to make the bracket I will most likely go that way.

 

Do you plan on any harassment from Ford as I am sure you will recieve several requests for mass production?

 

No I don't think there will be any problems. Spike Strider used this same solidworks file on his step bars that he built. I also don't have any plans to mass produce these either, this is going to be a "home made" piece so to speak. I won't be using any sort of precision tools. My plans are to cut the actual pattern by plasma cutter then round all edge off with grinding wheel.

 

Yeah, don't plan to sell them though this board. I made a nice custom dash piece, offered to sell it, and got shut down here.

 

Well I decided that yesterday was a good day to start the mock up process. I grabbed a plum bob and a pro-tractor out of the tool box. Ran down to the local grocery store and got a box of chalk.

I basically judged by eye where the front of the truck begins to curve back, so I plummed straight down from those points. Then I drew a straight line from the two points. Plummed along it to make sure it was accurate. I found the center point of this line and plummed down from the center of the grille and got it as close as possible. Now I extended my line out 3 inches, this was so I could have a little room to work and it would help me with getting my curve on either end.

I ended up making my straight piece 24" long (trying to keep the measurements fairly simple). Basically I plummed some more to get my curve points on the ends, I wont bore you with all the information. In the end I ended up with the following image. From there i used the pro-tractor to estimate the degree of the bend, I then did some simple trig calculations to solve the exact bend angle. This was unnecessary as the bend angle is only 9 degrees, but being an Electrical Engineering student I felt it was a good idea to go ahead and solve it.



After having these measurements I went to the shop. I had already bought a stick of Sch 40 1.25" PVC pipe. I got the 1.25" dye out and a heat gun. I basically used the gun to heat the pvc until it began to droop, I then got it to the correct angle and let it cool. Repeated to the other side and cut to length. Ended up with the following image.


Held it up to the truck, looks good but I want it to sit close. Issue I have ran into is that I'm not sure how to mount the lights. I would really like them mounted behind, but doing so may push the bar out to far and that's not really an option in the looks department. I went ahead and ordered the tabs I will be using to mount the lights on made by Ballistic Fabrication.

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/...41_p_1708.html

I think I will test them out, if I think I trim them down enough to fit on the back I will do that, if not I will just mount them on the front side.

 

i pretty much did the same think you are doing when i built my light bar





just a few pics to give you a idea of what i did on mine

the first time i made it i just did a straight bar which was ok then after i got my new truck i cut and bent the bar to fit the bumper better and add a little bar to add two fog light

but i also weld the taps on the back of the bar which is ok but it makes it a little hard to get the light covers off

i built mine for less than 30 bucks

 

Looks good! I like doing it on my own. I figure I can get near the same quality as n-fab or a producer such as them, for probably less than half the price. I'm lucky to have access to all the tools I need to do such though. You mind me asking how far you spread your lights apart on the bar?

 

And Watson if it comes out good and you got constant access to those tools and material you could make a few of em on the side and put em up on ebay and make some extra cash for more truck parts!

 

Yeah, I wouldn't mind to but I think it would be a hassle to ship something like that.

 

Few Updates:

Went this past weekend and picked up my materials. I bought a 2' x 2' piece of 1/8" sheet, and a 20' (all they would sell me) stick of 1.25" x .095" HREW tubing. I have cut the tubing to a 52" length (my maximum determined length) and bent it to the same specs as the pvc.

I played around a little, and just on the floor I came up with 10" spacing from center of mounting bracket to center of mounting bracket. Thats subject to change, as I will tack the light bar brackets on and test fit the piece to see how it looks. Then I will cut the ends of the tubing down because at this point it may stick out to far past the end lights.

Here are some pictures


Using a bolt with a nut to hold the bracket up to height. I will use this method to weld brackets into place to keep them all at the same level on the bar.

 

looking good man..

 

Hey man can you do me a favor? can you take one of those hella 500's apart. i need to see a picture of the back of the light, like where the lightbulb is secured. also, where do you buy yours?