Question for non winch ARB owners

[IdahoDoug]

I'm going to have light tabs welded on before mounting, and am looking for a reference to horizontal when the bumper's not on the truck. In other words, I need for the welder to have some idea what plane the tabs should be in so they're level when on the truck, so I'm wondering if a couple of you could note with a level how close to perfectly level the bumper's top surface is when you're on a level surface?

Let me know if your findings are on a lifted truck, or a stock truck. Stock would be of most interest, but more input is better.

If the bumper's top surface is clearly intended to be perfectly level from your responses, I can simply tell the welder "make them the exact plane of the bumper's top surface". It would be a bummer to have them welded in and painted, then discover in mounting that the leveling adjusters get maxed out and I can't properly aim the lights. Naturally this will mean pounding, swearing, and then repainting - so help me avoid the pain!! Heh.

Thanks!

DougM

 

[landtank]

Hey Doug, contact 80seriesfan. He has a stock 80 with an ARB bumper. He's a field guy so it might be a bit before he responds but his numbers would fit your needs perfectly.

 

[MSGGrunt]

Have you considered bolt on mounts? I have seen, can't remember where though, billet aluminium light mounts that clamp around the horizontal tubing on your ARB. I have welded tabs myself for two LightForce XGT's and you have to periodically repaint where the powder coating was removed for welding. POR 15 has worked well for me. I like the idea of a clamp on mount so the lights can be moved if their location needs to be changed for whatever reason.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Do the non-winch bumpers not have the antenna mounts and light tabs?? If they do, just make the new tabs parrallel to those.

BTW, Rustoleum Gloss Enamel matches ARB powdercoat almost perfectly. So much so that if you paint an entire panel or section, so that the paint ends on a bend/seam you will not be able to tell where you painted and where is original powdercoat. Just FYI.

Also, Doug, I think your OCD tendencies are taking over here Almost every light I've ever come across has the ability to be tilted fore and aft to correct for any slope in the mounting surface. As long as they're close and are even with each other, I don't see what the big deal is.

Ary

 

[tarbe]

Doug

The flat on my bumper is not level. It is higher in the front (OME heavy with 20mm of packers in front...still have a little stink-bug).

One of my light tabs is perfectly parallel with the flat of the bumper. The other is 1/8" closer to the flat at the rear than at the weld. A bump with a hammer on either one will make it match the other. These are the factory ARB tabs.

This is on a non-winch.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Arya,

Yeah, agree about the OCD thing. It's just that the tabs will be mounted on the bumpers without the trucks and it would truly suck to mount them and then find that the tabs are pointed up or down and the light's adjustment travel is unable to cope, or they look odd. For instance, the big Hella 4000s are maxed out on the 97 due to the bumper's sloped top surface and I had to make and add shims to put them where I wanted them. So, having to hammer on them (weakening them) and then repaint things (times two) would be a source of irritation I'd like to avoid.

Thanks for the tips on the paint!

Tarbe - thanks. So the top surface is in fact sloped while mounted on a truck - rearward it seems. Good to know. I'll also check in to the clamp ons - would be nice to use these as the lights could be trial fit and then cranked down tight.

DougM