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Mounting a curved light bar on a 1995 wrangler.

4/28/2017

LIGHTBAR:
EasyNew 50" 288W Curved LED Light Bar IP68 Waterproof Flood Spot Combo Beam for Offroad SUV UTE ATV Truck with Free Wiring Harness. $69.99 with two free pods lights and another wire harness.

MOUNTS:
Xprite 50-inch LED Light Bar Upper Windshield Mounting Bracket W/ Lower Corner Brackets (1987-1995 Jeep Wrangler YJ) Side NOTE: Curved Light Bar (Anti-Slip Curved Spacer is Required) I missed this note under the description.

Have you ever been off road and got stuck in the afternoon and run out of day light before getting out? I can remember walking out of a place called “THE STRAND” back in the 80s through the sugar sand at night with my wife and son. Don’t wheel alone if you can. When we got back to the truck it was 11pm. That’s when having lights helps. Personally I have always liked the way a Jeep looks with lights over the windshield. On occasion I drive and ”herp” at night on roads just after sunset and trust me proper identification of a snake at night is important. I watched a Scarlet King snake get tossed into the woods on the end of a finger as the person second guessed what he caught. The Guy who taught me about reptiles was Jim Stevenson and he had been bitten by a Coral snake in the past, that experience flashed through his head as he was nipped by the King snake. Off into the woods it flew as he jerked his hand back.
So LED lights were on my mind, after some time and some near future night rides coming up I decided it was time to put on some lights and a light bar. LED light are brighter and draw less power. The only thing I heard were warnings about strange UFO whistle sound coming from the light bar, I could live with that. (Those who know me would say it fits.) I also wanted to have a wide throw so logically a bow shaped bar would work better. The notes on the mounting brackets stated that spacers would be needed to mount curved bars on the mount. Somehow I missed that part. Or the light bar would not mount flush with the bracket. Light bars can be anywhere from under $100 to $1000. You almost always pay for what you get. The watts are important 250 – 300 is good for most applications. I paid less the $100… I still happy if it lasts a few years I am good. If it stays on the mounts and does not fall off while wheeling I am even better. I put some zip ties on for extra measure.

Step 1Remove 2 hex bolts from windshield hinge on each side.
Step 2Put anti scratch pads on inside of brackets.Step 3Attach brackets and tighten hex screws.Step 4Attach light bar with spacers to brackets.**Step 5Drill a hole in side of dash frame or run it through lower windshield padding.Step 6Hook wire harness to power and lights.Step 7Put the switch where ever you want.
** I fabricated angled metal spacers from old fitting I had in the bolt bin. (See Photos.)
I also bought longer bolts to make them fit with lock nuts to snug them up. There is a spacer you can get that has grooves to make the mounts flush for under $20.