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auxillary light mounting options stock bumper

m27bpope

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Hello,
I have my 6 month old JL jeep, Sahara stock. Trying to add a couple front 5" round auxillary lights as I had on my old Jeep JKU. Obvious that if you have an aftermarket bumper pretty easy to accomplish. How about stock situation, who has done it and with what parts?
I do not want to go with the hood options. Any input appreciate it.
Thanks
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RocketScientist

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Those Mopar brackets will work. I can post pic tomorrow. The post above is mine.

1. They are not “no drill”. Four holes need to be enlarged.

2. Grille must be removed to install

3. I have a winch and steel bumper (mopar), I also needed to remove skid plate, loosen winch, to install brackets. It was a 2 hour job!!!

But I am happy. I have a winch guard, but did not like the look of lights mounted there. Too high, too close together, stick out too much for my taste and the look I wanted.
 

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RocketScientist

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Not looking for credit! But thanks.l!

The rivnuts are crap, too. If you have installed the steel skid plate it uses M8 hex rivnuts which work well and install easy. Not these.

These are much smaller, and because of their shape and location are hard to lock in place. I could only get one click on a ratchet - a real PIA. A rivnut tool would help, but impossible to manipulate in tight quarters. Mopar provides a nut and bolt for the job - it works, with a lot of frustration. Once I felt I got as far as I could locking down rivnuts with nut and bolt, I just installed the bracket to finish the job. Downward force of bracket assisted in holding rivnut in place, if it still chose to spin. Hard to visualize, but once you have parts it will make sense.

That being said with OEM plastic bumper or no winch, there is more clearance, job is probably easier.
 

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RocketScientist

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Here is a pic of my aux lights installed with Mopar bumper brackets. The winch bar does not reallt block.

I connected to Aux3 on aux wiring. Note for those that self installed Aux wiring or had dealer do it: Aux 1 and Aux 3 are 40 amp. This is different from factory install.
D4C2EE5A-EB9B-4B36-B4C0-2F7862088A76.jpeg
CB3E4071-5A3E-4083-9E0E-9E708C71B67F.jpeg
 
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m27bpope

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thanks for the posts people, will check that out.
 

RocketScientist

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I made a support using aluminum L stock and some screws from Home Depot. Attached it to some existing bumper bolts (I think the same bumper bolts the Mopar brackets use). Took about 45 minutes and it's solid.

mt2pmo-jpg.jpg
Nice. That was the look I wanted.

I like the chalk artwork. We have a similar aspiring artist.

The Mopar brackets - they mount to frame rails using existing holes which must be enlarged to accommodate rivnuts. A job using the elusive 10mm drill bit. As I only have SAE bits, I opted to start with the exact size of hole and go up gradually from there. Test fitting each time. You make hole even just a little too big, and well you are fudged, as they say.

Had these brackets not showed up last week (I ordered in August!) I was set to go the HD route
 

TravisRogers

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Nice. That was the look I wanted.

I like the chalk artwork. We have a similar aspiring artist.

The Mopar brackets - they mount to frame rails using existing holes which must be enlarged to accommodate rivnuts. A job using the elusive 10mm drill bit. As I only have SAE bits, I opted to start with the exact size of hole and go up gradually from there. Test fitting each time. You make hole even just a little too big, and well you are fudged, as they say.

Had these brackets not showed up last week (I ordered in August!) I was set to go the HD route
Ah, got it. That’s a legit connection, then. I removed a nut, put the existing bolt through the aluminum and replaced the nut. If my bumper falls off, I’ll know why!
 

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m27bpope

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I made a support using aluminum L stock and some screws from Home Depot. Attached it to some existing bumper bolts (I think the same bumper bolts the Mopar brackets use). Took about 45 minutes and it's solid.

mt2pmo-jpg.jpg
Thanks, this is the way I was heading, if couldn't find an easier brackets set.
 
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m27bpope

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Thanks, this is the way I was heading, if couldn't find an easier brackets set.
I made a support using aluminum L stock and some screws from Home Depot. Attached it to some existing bumper bolts (I think the same bumper bolts the Mopar brackets use). Took about 45 minutes and it's solid.

mt2pmo-jpg.jpg
I would go ahead and take off that license bracket you're not using. The screw holes are not that noticable and better than that bracket.
 

JeezAJeep

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Those Mopar brackets will work. I can post pic tomorrow. The post above is mine.

1. They are not “no drill”. Four holes need to be enlarged.

2. Grille must be removed to install

3. I have a winch and steel bumper (mopar), I also needed to remove skid plate, loosen winch, to install brackets. It was a 2 hour job!!!

But I am happy. I have a winch guard, but did not like the look of lights mounted there. Too high, too close together, stick out too much for my taste and the look I wanted.
How did the lights fit? Heard its very tight from the back of the light to the grill and the install is a nightmare? Any suggestions?
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