General Spotlights infront of or actually in the front grill.

[Shadeyman]

I have to admit the idea has grown on me and is something I would consider myself.

Just one problem, how to secure the lights to the bumper.

M6 bolts glued in place some how and nuts to hold the lights on. :chin:

Any suggestions on what I could use to glue the bolts in place?

Araldite Fusion?
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/30189...es/High-Strength-Adhesives/Araldite-Fusion-3g

 

[fletch101101]

my plan is to take out gril and put box section along the front behind bumper
bolting onto the headlight bolts

then weldhing mounting to that and cutting bits out of grill if needed

be a job for a second hand grill tho

 

[Shadeyman]

Problem of how to secure the lights in place has been solved, I think.

I'm in the process of making 2 large wedge shaped washers out of fiberglass and resin. The bolts to secure the light will be moulded into the wedge shaped washer and then using resin will be fixed to the rear of the bumper. The washers are wedge shaped so the lights, when in position, will be fixed to a vertical surface and allow the lights adjusters to function properly. The washers also give me a good way of permanently fixing the stainless steel bolts to the bumper.

 

[fletch101101]

Hum this seems a good sturdy way of putting it to bumper (i would just use a few large washes) as they be stronger than fiber glass.

but if you go to your bumper and press by the side of the license plate you will see it flaxes like mad. as your mate lives and intends to use them down country bumpy roads with stuff from tractors i think he will never be able to avoid all of the stuff and roads being bumpy in general in the UK they will flex an awful lot i think and will drive him nuts, i doubt it but over time they might also cause structural fatigue in the bumper and could crack the paint around them.

when he comes to sell them the new owner might not want them on and be left with 2 holes in his bumper


but when your done, be sure to post some picks up as i might end up doing it aswell if i dont find another place to mount them

 

[fletch101101]

I just looked on my bumper for ya, instead of drilling holes at the side of the number plate maybe you could dril into the bumper strips on either side (the black bits) there it also metal behind there so will be sturdy and when he comes to sell them you can jsut get new bumper strips

 

[Shadeyman]

Hum this seems a good sturdy way of putting it to bumper (i would just use a few large washes) as they be stronger than fiber glass.

but if you go to your bumper and press by the side of the license plate you will see it flaxes like mad. as your mate lives and intends to use them down country bumpy roads with stuff from tractors i think he will never be able to avoid all of the stuff and roads being bumpy in general in the UK they will flex an awful lot i think and will drive him nuts, i doubt it but over time they might also cause structural fatigue in the bumper and could crack the paint around them.

when he comes to sell them the new owner might not want them on and be left with 2 holes in his bumper

but when your done, be sure to post some picks up as i might end up doing it aswell if i dont find another place to mount them

The fiberglass and resin washers I'm making have 1mm thick stainless steel mesh running through the center of them to hold the stainless steel bolts in place while the wedge shape is formed. The mesh is 225mm long and will stick out the sides of the wedge shaped washers, for extra strength when they, and the washer, are finally fixed to the rear of the bumper. We decided cutting a large hole in the bumper may weaken it a little. So, we made the mesh part longer and wider, creating a larger fixing surface that would reinforce the area around the light.

New buyer might not want them?
Simple, buy a different Stilo.

I just looked on my bumper for ya, instead of drilling holes at the side of the number plate maybe you could dril into the bumper strips on either side (the black bits) there it also metal behind there so will be sturdy and when he comes to sell them you can jsut get new bumper strips

We did consider putting the thin rectangular lights in the black bumper strips but he said he prefered the way the round ones would look close to the number plate. Due to the round lights being 1 inch wider than the stips, buying new strips wouldn't cover any holes we drilled.

 

[fletch101101]

Really i meant using the same lights, bolted the same way there not using different lights btw

 

[Shadeyman]

 

[fletch101101]

do it with the same things but put the bolt through there the trim is as you can get new trim when ya done.

 

[Shadeyman]

Think we have our wires crossed.

Instead of being fitted into the grill, fitted into the bumper, one either side of the number plate

The lights will be fitted into the bumper, bolted on at the rear, an integral part of it. Not bolted through it so the lights are infront of the bumper.

Similar to the ones in these pics.

 

[fletch101101]

ahhh lol, i think they will be jsut fine where you said then, sorry about that mate

 

[Shadeyman]

Decided to do a test fit today to see how much we will have to alter the crossrail(PN - 46791062). Removed his front bumper, blue tacked the wedge shaped washer in place and took a few measurements.

More than we had hoped.

So, my next question is:

What does the crossrail do?
Is its sole purpose for strength in a crash?

 

[mzhussein]

strength and absorption in a crash, thats why its concertinaed....it squashes up slowing down an impact, increasing the crash time, therefore decreasing the amount of force dissipated in a set unit of time. IMHO i wouldn't modify it too much, but a couple of 3" holes shouldn't be that much of a problem....

 

[Shadeyman]

strength and absorption in a crash, thats why its concertinaed....it squashes up slowing down an impact, increasing the crash time, therefore decreasing the amount of force dissipated in a set unit of time. IMHO i wouldn't modify it too much, but a couple of 3" holes shouldn't be that much of a problem....

My plan was to cut off and remake the brackets on the ends where it bolts through the front support panel(PN - 46762520), giving me the clearance I need behind the bumper. But, not altering the main part of the crossrail in anyway.

Do you think that would work?

 

[mzhussein]

it would work from a technical point of view, but after seeing how mine crumpled in a crash, i wouldn't think about modifying the mounting..id consider cutting the actual beam safer than adjusting the mounting. it also ties the two chassis legs together as the bolts go straight through into the ends of the chassis legs...

 

[Shadeyman]

it would work from a technical point of view, but after seeing how mine crumpled in a crash, i wouldn't think about modifying the mounting..id consider cutting the actual beam safer than adjusting the mounting. it also ties the two chassis legs together as the bolts go straight through into the ends of the chassis legs...

Its only held in place by small M6 bolts so it cant be doing much?

As its designed to crumple, instead of cutting it away, perhaps sqeezing and squashing it only in the places I need extra clearance would work?

 

[mzhussein]

sounds like a plan....i cant remember how it was mounted (last saw it over a year ago....). id go with giving it a little precision squeeze.

EDIT: Ive got a 2nd set of the same projectors i installed in my headlights, going to wire them up instead of fogs, thinking about putting them in the lower left & grill....so will be interesting to see what light output is like after this....although after going for a few drives 55W xenons at 4300k....ive seen nothing brighter yet

 

[Shadeyman]

id go with giving it a little precision squeeze.

Got the perfect tool for that, a 2800 bar Enerpac. I'll grab the jaws from a friends place as soon as I'm ready.

The Jag lights I plan to fit have a 55 watt bulb in each, adding an extra 110 watts to his high beam, we're hoping they will have the desired effect.

Low beam = 55 watt
High beam = 55 watt
Jag light = 55 watt

Drivers side = 165 watts
Passenger side = 165 watts

Total wattage 330 watts

 

[fletch101101]

ITS not about the power of the bulbs its how you can focus it, but i think fog lights wont make to much diff. driving lights use 55w and they are amazingly better


btw dont put bigger bulbs in as they will jsut burn the reflector and over time they will make it not as bright as it was to begin with

 

[Shadeyman]

The Stilo lights are not the best with standard bulbs in so he changed them to Osram bulbs, Did make a big difference to his main beam but not so much to his dipped for some reason?

As the country roads he drives down a very twisty he requires more light closer to the car, not 60 meters away where his high beam is. We're fitting fog lights because the light they emit is spread across the road infront of the car giving him extra light where he wants it.

We're hoping the extra 110 watts should be adequate for his needs so wont be installing higher powered bulbs. Plus we think they will look good too.