Another awesome yodaTEQ creation - 80 series ditch light brackets!

[Dissent]

I'm only grateful for absalom's comment because is brought this thread back to the top and sent me an email

@Dissent, did you use this connect? This is one of the project I need to finish sooner then later.

Not yet. Had to deal with tear end and driveline vibe issues.

 

[Dokken]

What kind of a paint job is that and is it cheap? I really like it

 

[LS1FJ40]

Which paint job?

 

[TexasJack]

yodaTEQ Ditch Light Mounts / Front Mirror Mount Brackets

Take advantage of another yodaTEQ & iH8MUD Group Buy on our yodaTEQ Mirror Mounts AKA Ditch Light Brackets for a LOW LOW price


These babies are CAD drawn, CNC laser cut out of 11 gauge steel, precision formed to fit in between the mirror and the door using your existing mounting bolts and they come powder coated in black ready to be installed right out of the box.

Driver & Passenger side - yodaTEQ Front Mirror Mounts AKA Ditch Light Brackets
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This is a great idea. I drive through the Texas hill country frequently. It has the highest deer density of anyplace in the United States and they have a high propensity for running out in front of you at the very last minute. Ditch lights will provide much needed warning. I'll get this planned out and get a set off your website.

 

[Dokken]

This paint job. The exterior paint has a rough texture to it... I like it. Looking to do something like that if it's cheap. I dont make a lot of money. I'm looking for a cheap DIY paint job. No experience in body shop work here.

First up, gotta give it to @SoCalFrank for showing the 80-series market some much needed love! For those following the discussion HERE, I was looking to get some ditch light brackets like those made by CBI for other Toyotas. But they won't make anything for Land Cruisers. So I reached out to Frank to see what he thought. And sure enough delivered with an awesome mount that I think a lot of people will like.

Before I get into the details I'll let Frank comment on pricing, ordering and availability. I imagine he'll do production runs just like his antenna mounts.

The brackets sandwich between your mirror base. Installation is simple, just remove the mirror, install the bracket and put it all back together. This thing is SOLID!

EDIT: Please keep in mind my brackets shown below are an early prototype version. Frank's final bracket design looks like these below, as you'll see later in the thread:

For wiring, the cable goes back into the door following your mirror's wiring. After that you're on your own. I just dropped the wiring into the door panel. I'll figure that out later.

My main concern was how they'd fit with the snorkel. But they fit great! Just keep in mind if you have a snorkel you can't aim the light straight ahead. It has to be angled off to the sides - kinda the point with a ditch light bracket anyways. I have plenty of light in front of the truck with the 30" light bar.

The brackets give you plenty of adjustability on where to put the light. On the snorkel side I went as far inward as I could without hitting the snorkel.

That position gave me just enough clearance with the door open.

With a snorkel, the light will stick out just a bit past the mirror when it's folded in.

One thing to keep in mind, with these brackets you CANNOT fold your mirror forward anymore. This is about as far forward as you could go.

On the driver's side (or for folks without snorkels) you can put the light wherever you want, no clearance issues whatsoever.

And the light will be flush with the mirror when it's folded

Thanks again Frank - don't know where us 80 guys would be without you

 

[LS1FJ40]

That's Jose's 80. One of the nicest 80s you will ever see. He used Sans Panties colored Monstaliner. IIRC.

 

[Dokken]

That's Jose's 80. One of the nicest 80s you will ever see. He used Sans Panties colored Monstaliner. IIRC.

Yeah, she's beautiful. The color of mine is an off white... yuck!

 

[GCRad1]

Hello jcardona1,

I noticed you sandwiched the black plastic gasket back into place. Did you put longer bolts back into the mirror or just use the factory mirror bolts, with the added material? I am installing a set as we speak, taking my time and want to do it right!

The brackets sandwich between your mirror base. Installation is simple, just remove the mirror, install the bracket and put it all back together. This thing is SOLID!

EDIT: Please keep in mind my brackets shown below are an early prototype version. Frank's final bracket design looks like these below, as you'll see later in the thread:

For wiring, the cable goes back into the door following your mirror's wiring. After that you're on your own. I just dropped the wiring into the door panel. I'll figure that out later.

 

[Jgunner]

Bit the bullet, got some d-ss for cheap on ebay with a coupon a while ago. No more chinese lights for me, now to get rid of the tiawanese mirrors

 

[Jgunner]

Ghetto wired for testing. Success!

 

[Blackdawg]

Anyone know if these will fit a 1st gen tacoma?

 

[bonestock]

Does the door need to be removed in order to wire the lights correctly? I have the bracket installed on the Driver's side and the wires inside the door and now to route them correctly into the cabin. I read, possibly in this thread, about slitting the grommet that the current door wiring passes through or drilling a hole and using a new grommet.

Really just looking for some guidance on the best way to install RIGID lights on these brackets. The RIGID pig tail is huge and I already had to cut and splice once to get it through the side view mirror bracket.

Thanks in advance for the assist! (Pic for attention)

 

[junior80]

I poked the wires through the grommet on the door and went forwards behind the guards and into the engine bay to the relay and power source.

 

[JHB Cruising]

great brackets! I went with the KC flex lights

 

[bonestock]

I poked the wires through the grommet on the door and went forwards behind the guards and into the engine bay to the relay and power source.

When you were going through the grommet on the door, did you have to completely remove the door to gain access? I have my wires running from a relay near the battery and through the firewall near the fuse panel. From there I will be running each lights wires Port and Starboard to route through the door grommet(s) where the existing wiring is routed. I'm a total nerd for a "clean" looking install. IMHO I'm kind of surprised that there is not a more detailed install write up available somewhere.

 

[junior80]

nah i was able to do it all with the door on. i used a length of coat hanger with one end sharpened to a point, taped the wire to the back of it and used it like a big needle to poke a hole in the grommet and drag the wire through from inside the door. the wires on mine poke through the forward edge of the grommet so you cant see them with the door open and I just slide a length of that flexible black plastic tubing down the wire from the engine bay so it's protected and hidden. I took mine to the engine bay because i'll have a switch-pro controller in there sometime soonish.

 

[bonestock]

I guess my big question, and it's kind of moot now because I already cut and spliced, is how do you get the RIGID plug in through the mirror?

 

[junior80]

I guess my big question, and it's kind of moot now because I already cut and spliced, is how do you get the RIGID plug in through the mirror?

Move the rubber gasket out of the way and cut a slot out of the mirror casting with a grinder and use a file to remove any sharp edges. I had to cut a larger hole in the rubber gasket to poke the plug thru. Don’t let the hole you cut in the gasket blow out through the gasket’s edge

 

[bonestock]

I ended up cutting the RIGID (tear shed) wires and splicing them back together with the heat shrink butt connectors and the covering everything with heat shrink tubing. I guess I'm just not a huge fan of modifying the OEM stuff to accommodate the aftermarket stuff. Seems to be secure enough.

Real question is how to keep the thieving-types from stealing these things right off my truck. Maybe use a chisel and upset the threads of the bolts holding the brackets together?

Not a great pic but all 4 of my RIGID D Pods are burning bright.

 

[FJRanger]

There are security type bolts and nuts you can buy. I think baja design has them on their site.