Front Light Bar!

**** PLEASE USE SUBTOPICS BELOW FOR NEW TOPICS ****

Moderator: volvite

User avatar
NVSteve
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:27 am
Location: Salt Lake City

Postby NVSteve » Thu Nov 11, 2010 1:24 pm

Okay, so how in the hell did you drill the holes into the bumper? Did you have to completely remove it? I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. Having a friend of mine mention that my lights sucked while in Arches didn't help much either. I was thinking of something a bit simpler that would only involve 1 bracket for each light, rather than an entire bar. Instead of bolting to the top of the bumper, what about having a bracket (almost L shaped) bolted to the front of the bumper under the plastic cover. Make it clear the top of the plastic bumper by say a 1/4" & stick out far enough for lights (I'm guessing 4-5"). I have a vice and a soldering torch, but I doubt either would work for bending 1/4" stock. Anyway, the brackets would give a cleaner appearance, basically only lights if seen from the front.

Or, if you really gave some more thought to fabbing up a few of your designs (moving the top bar lower, right above the license plate), I would certainly buy one from you.

My last option is this one from White Rhino. From what I understand, if it works on the Frontier, it *should* work on the Pathfinder. I'd still prefer 4 light tabs though, but I can live with 2.

All comments, thoughts & suggestions welcome.


User avatar
GOTGOO
Sponsored Member
Posts: 387
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:15 pm
Location: St.Louis, MO

Postby GOTGOO » Thu Nov 11, 2010 3:07 pm

NVSteve wrote:Okay, so how in the hell did you drill the holes into the bumper? Did you have to completely remove it? I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. Having a friend of mine mention that my lights sucked while in Arches didn't help much either. I was thinking of something a bit simpler that would only involve 1 bracket for each light, rather than an entire bar. Instead of bolting to the top of the bumper, what about having a bracket (almost L shaped) bolted to the front of the bumper under the plastic cover. Make it clear the top of the plastic bumper by say a 1/4" & stick out far enough for lights (I'm guessing 4-5"). I have a vice and a soldering torch, but I doubt either would work for bending 1/4" stock. Anyway, the brackets would give a cleaner appearance, basically only lights if seen from the front.

Or, if you really gave some more thought to fabbing up a few of your designs (moving the top bar lower, right above the license plate), I would certainly buy one from you.

My last option is this one from White Rhino. From what I understand, if it works on the Frontier, it *should* work on the Pathfinder. I'd still prefer 4 light tabs though, but I can live with 2.

All comments, thoughts & suggestions welcome.
No, I drilled it on the pathy. If you take off the grill and look down you'll notice the lower bumper sits closer to the radiator, but if there is a next time that suckers coming off first cause that was a pain! I've tried to bend the same kind of 1/4 stock i used with no luck unless i needed a big U shape. You could make the white rhino one minus the tube pretty easy i think with just a flat plate of steel may be 1/8in thick. It looks like it bolts where the 4 little plastic push pin tab things go. As for making any more i wont be able to since its getting cold and we have no room in the garage with my dads car putting new headers and pass floor pan in this winter. I might try and come up with one to bolt where the white rhino one does but with no tube. I'll draw something up when i get a chance.

User avatar
NVSteve
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:27 am
Location: Salt Lake City

Postby NVSteve » Thu Nov 11, 2010 8:46 pm

I'm going to try and get some measurements this weekend, along with some basic visual eyeballing to see if I could possibly mount the White Rhino bar:

http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f10/ ... all-33949/

If it will fit, then I'll get one. Just have to check all the mounting locations-I could care less if I have to trim or cut any of the plastic.

User avatar
GOTGOO
Sponsored Member
Posts: 387
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:15 pm
Location: St.Louis, MO

Postby GOTGOO » Thu Nov 11, 2010 11:03 pm

NVSteve wrote:I'm going to try and get some measurements this weekend, along with some basic visual eyeballing to see if I could possibly mount the White Rhino bar:

http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f10/ ... all-33949/

If it will fit, then I'll get one. Just have to check all the mounting locations-I could care less if I have to trim or cut any of the plastic.
You could always make one like this and save yourself $130! Make a cardboard template of the holes to transfer to steel. Then mount the steel plate and trace the curve of the bumper. Then cut it with a metal band saw/jig saw and get some light tabs for a couple bucks to weld on the edge. If you dont have a welder go to the muffler shop and bribe sombody with $10 to do it!

This was a quick sketch a final product would have round tabs.
Image
Image

User avatar
NVSteve
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:27 am
Location: Salt Lake City

Postby NVSteve » Fri Nov 12, 2010 10:05 am

GOTGOO wrote:You could always make one like this and save yourself $130!
Trust me, I wouldn't be posting anything on here except for a finished product if I had the equipment. The bane of living in a small place with a tiny 1-car garage that has walls filled with bikes, kayaks, skis, etc. If I actually had a job I enjoyed, I'd buy a new house right now with a real garage & the room for real tools. But, the job market absolutely bites right now :evil: and I won't buy a new place until I find a job.

Back on topic, I did a quick visual today & everything looks the same on the Pathfinder as it does on the Frontier-all the same mounting points are there. I'll take some measurements & send to White Rhino and see if they are the same. If they are, I'm going to see if they can add a couple of U-shaped pieces that I can connect my kayak tiedowns to. Maybe even a couple extra light tabs. It's all looking very promising at this point, and I'm willing to pay the price (and not lose my approach angle like with a bull bar).

User avatar
GOTGOO
Sponsored Member
Posts: 387
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:15 pm
Location: St.Louis, MO

Postby GOTGOO » Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:13 pm

NVSteve wrote:
GOTGOO wrote:You could always make one like this and save yourself $130!
Trust me, I wouldn't be posting anything on here except for a finished product if I had the equipment. The bane of living in a small place with a tiny 1-car garage that has walls filled with bikes, kayaks, skis, etc. If I actually had a job I enjoyed, I'd buy a new house right now with a real garage & the room for real tools. But, the job market absolutely bites right now :evil: and I won't buy a new place until I find a job.

Back on topic, I did a quick visual today & everything looks the same on the Pathfinder as it does on the Frontier-all the same mounting points are there. I'll take some measurements & send to White Rhino and see if they are the same. If they are, I'm going to see if they can add a couple of U-shaped pieces that I can connect my kayak tiedowns to. Maybe even a couple extra light tabs. It's all looking very promising at this point, and I'm willing to pay the price (and not lose my approach angle like with a bull bar).
Yeah i know what you mean i get paid comission only and work has been slow for two years now...

Not me i post unfinished projects everytime i have one :D . Yeah approach angle was a big concern on my light bar and i'm possitive if i had a bull bar it would be destroyed already. Well let me know how it works out.

User avatar
shv2sail
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:06 pm
Location: Maryland

Postby shv2sail » Tue Dec 14, 2010 2:38 pm

NVSteve - Any luck contacting White Rhino? I came across this bar over on a Frontier forum and I too was hoping it would fit my 08 Pathfinder.

I've been looking for a light bar for as long as I've owned the truck with no luck so far...and a NO car garage townhouse ain't the place to do custom fab work :wink: I did have KMA fab up a 3-tab light bar for my Xterra a number of years ago that worked quite well, but don't feel like going through the rigor of having them custom fab up something that may exist out there stock...plus they're a lot busier now than they were back then so I'm sure it'd be a long lead time from design to a bar in my hands!

Anyone check into this one from Westin?

http://www.westinautomotive.com/pages/09NP_ORLB.html

Supposedly they make one that fits the Frontier (and hence the Pathy...IN THEORY)

NYPathfinder
Posts: 290
Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:53 am

Postby NYPathfinder » Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:31 pm

I had emailed whiteryno about there light bar and he said that there are pathfiners using the bar for the frontier. It wasnt a dirct bolt it but he said with a little common sense and know how you can get it to work. I forgot to email him back and see if he knows exactly what had to get done.

User avatar
NVSteve
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:27 am
Location: Salt Lake City

Postby NVSteve » Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:34 am

shv2sail wrote:NVSteve - Any luck contacting White Rhino?
I had multiple email exchanges with them. I ended up sending them a bunch of my measurements and a photo of the front. The response was "this should work." I don't know if he really looked at my measurements or not. It sounds promising enough & I was ready to buy, but forum member richardekirby came to the rescue & is fabbing one for me instead. You may want to shoot him a PM. Here's the thread:

http://www.thenissanpath.com/viewtopic. ... 3&start=30

I have looked high and low for anything that *might* work. It wouldn't have to be 100% exact fit, but I simply didn't come across anything worthy outside of the White Rhino. The only problem I have with that bar is the mount. The outside mounts are attached to a radiator bracket, which should be ok. However, there are a few mounting points underneath the flat plate that use factory holes. If you look closely at that small 4" opening where it attaches, you'll see a few bolts on the underside of the upper portion of that opening. If you grab those spots and feel behind the plastic, it seems like there are very weak L shaped tinfoil brackets that the bolts attach to. You can easily move the entire thing around with your hand. Had I gone with White Rhino, I would have removed the entire front assembly, remove those brackets & install something far sturdier. Anyway, food for thought.

Does that Westin light bar fit the later models of the Frontier? I could never find one from them outside of their bull bar for the Frontier or Pathfinder later models. Seems like most of the other options out there involve mounting to the tow hook locations, which will decrease the approach angles & clearance in the front.

User avatar
shv2sail
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:06 pm
Location: Maryland

Postby shv2sail » Thu Dec 16, 2010 8:59 am

I've found the Westin model on a couple of vendor sites, and using the various "fit my truck" apps most have shown that they have them for 08 Frontiers. Here is the link to the place where I will likely purchase if I go this route:

http://www.ultimatetruck.com/products/w ... t_bar.aspx

$132...and ships free...which is approx the same price KMA charged for a custom fab bar. Not too bad.

I agree with the "bull bar" severly hindering the approach angle...plus I just don't like the way they look :wink:

User avatar
richardekirby
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 7:40 pm
Location: Garland, TX

Postby richardekirby » Thu Dec 16, 2010 9:14 am

shv2sail wrote:I've found the Westin model on a couple of vendor sites, and using the various "fit my truck" apps most have shown that they have them for 08 Frontiers. Here is the link to the place where I will likely purchase if I go this route:

http://www.ultimatetruck.com/products/w ... t_bar.aspx

$132...and ships free...which is approx the same price KMA charged for a custom fab bar. Not too bad.

I agree with the "bull bar" severly hindering the approach angle...plus I just don't like the way they look :wink:
That's a nice looking bar, but I would have to agree with NVSteve. Where they want you to mount is not a very strong point. It's easy to access and that's where I originally wanted to attach mine, but after looking at it a few minutes I thought otherwise. It is way to flimsy. Let us know how it turns out.

User avatar
shv2sail
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:06 pm
Location: Maryland

Postby shv2sail » Thu Dec 16, 2010 9:43 am

Actually, I just read over your thread Richard and liked what I see! So the obvious question is...how much for you to fab up one like you did for NVSteve?

User avatar
richardekirby
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 7:40 pm
Location: Garland, TX

Postby richardekirby » Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:53 am

shv2sail wrote:Actually, I just read over your thread Richard and liked what I see! So the obvious question is...how much for you to fab up one like you did for NVSteve?
I've been quoting people $150 finished out and shipped for one that accomodates four lights (36" wide) and $125 for two lights (26" wide). Also, did you see the one I put on my Pathy? It is more like the Westin you were looking at. Let me know if you are interested.

User avatar
shv2sail
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:06 pm
Location: Maryland

Postby shv2sail » Thu Dec 16, 2010 11:13 am

I'm interested! Very reasonable indeed.

I can't see the photos of your rig here (ahem...at work), but I'll take a look tonite to see what you mean and will let you know. I'd like it to accomodate (3) KC 6" lights at a minimum.

Many thanks!

User avatar
NVSteve
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:27 am
Location: Salt Lake City

Postby NVSteve » Sat Dec 18, 2010 11:30 pm

This should help some of you with your decision. While installing new headlights, I had to remove everything on the front, which left the metal bumper exposed & the super thin piece above that. No way would I install the white rhino bar without completely removing the thin tin foil and fabricating something much beefier.

Image

Image


Return to “2005-2012 Pathfinder (R51)”