tail lights with a tail gate - suggestions ? (1 Viewer)

[DSRTRDR]

my truck will get an OEM one-piece tailgate which will interfere with the existing tail lights - the current configuration is shown on the pic below

I am looking for suggestions and pics of what others have done

thanks in advance, Claudia

 

[toyotaspeed90]

those tail lights look to be just bolted to the bumper pieces you have on either side... just move them further out the bumper and you should be good, I would assume.

 

[DSRTRDR]

might be doable with a custom bracket

anybody else have ideas ?

 

[Rockets2000]

I bought cheap round LEDs and stuck them on the corners of the bumper with Gorilla Glue.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Cut some late-model tail lights into that bumper.

 

[DSRTRDR]

actually, I think the bumper is a tad too narrow for the late model lights - oval aftermarket truck lights have been suggested

like the gorilla-glue idea but with my luck and desert dry air, they will probably come off at an inopportune moment

 

[cruiserjunkie]

Please dont do the after market ovels need to stay with round

 

[DSRTRDR]

yeah, I am not too fond of the look of the ovals, either - by now, the wiring is for separate brake/turn bulbs, so any new lights will need to match that

 

[65swb45]

Years ago mr manny did a pair where he cut something like 3 or 4 inch sections of pipe and welded them to either end of the rear crossmember and inset the taillights into the pipe to protect them. I always thought this was a mod.

Best

Mark A.

 

[fj40duge]

how about holes in the rear quarters with flush mount LEDs...To much like a Jeep?

 

[DSRTRDR]

not a fan of LEDs

good ideas, keep them coming

 

[pb4ugo]

I don't know if this is your cup of tea or not. I did this cause I was tired of replacing lenses & light bulbs when they were in the stk crossmember location. They are not LED's.

 

[toyotaspeed90]

I know you said you don't like the ovals.... but there should be other universal options.

On the vehicle I'm building.... I'm using LED ovals just due to ease & accessibility.... but... the same principle could be applied if your rear bumper isn't an air bumper.

I cut the oval holes into my rear bumperettes (that's what I'm calling them... it's really 2' section of 4" round rectangle 1/4" thick tubing on each side)... they stick out about even with the fender so if I go backwards against a tree it won't take out the quarter panel.... but the lights will be recessed inside the bumper for their own protection.

You could run down to Napa (or look around online) for seperate stop and turn signals that you could incorporate into the bumper you already have.

 

[cruiserjunkie]

I really how Mr Manny setup looks

 

[Fast Eddy]

Something like this...

 

[DSRTRDR]

I know you said you don't like the ovals.... but there should be other universal options.

On the vehicle I'm building.... I'm using LED ovals just due to ease & accessibility.... but... the same principle could be applied if your rear bumper isn't an air bumper.

I cut the oval holes into my rear bumperettes (that's what I'm calling them... it's really 2' section of 4" round rectangle 1/4" thick tubing on each side)... they stick out about even with the fender so if I go backwards against a tree it won't take out the quarter panel.... but the lights will be recessed inside the bumper for their own protection.

You could run down to Napa (or look around online) for seperate stop and turn signals that you could incorporate into the bumper you already have.

yeah, that was the suggestion for the oval truck lights - would be the most protected option - nevermind cutting the holes for recessing into the bumper would also require some precision work . . .

Something like this...

would require more holes in the quarter panel

 

[toyotaspeed90]

yeah, that was the suggestion for the oval truck lights - would be the most protected option - nevermind cutting the holes for recessing into the bumper would also require some precision work . . .

Depends on what you consider precision.... find a 2 1/2" bi-metal hole saw, mark it up so that the outside of the holes are 6 3/4" apart, drill them through, then connect the holes at the top. If you're off a tad the oval light grommet has about a 1/2" rubber outer seal to cover up those anomolies.

Since I was going through thick metal and my drill press runs much faster than the hole saw was rated for I went through 2 hole saws... the first was 2 5/8" (as that's what I read online to use) and it ended up being too big. Used the welder to add a little bit of material on the sides and bottom... it's ugly without the light but works great and nobody else (other than those reading this) is the wiser.

 

[Bang Bang]

The ovals are cut into a PO home made rear bumper. Would look similar to yours if you did it......