30" LED Bar Install + Pics

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vaporlock

A Girl & Her Truck
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If anyone is interested, here's how I fit a 32" curved LED lightbar behind my Chevy grille:
(Idea borrowed from Dave, 88GMCtruck)

When I got my lightbar I also got a grille insert that is mounted ontop of the existing grille, we didn't follow the instructions on how to install the insert since half of it was missing. (Even tho it said cutting was required it wasn't, it also said drilling wasn't required which it was.)

1.
We started with the grille inserts, for the lower one we left the original "insert" in place and for the top one we cut it out so we got some extra space between the grille and the radiator for the lightbar.

2.
After removing the top "insert" and installing the new insert we pushed the lightbar as far into the grille opening as it would go, the lightbar fit perfect in the opening hight wise btw.

3.
While holding the lightbar in place we held up the grille to the truck to see how much needed to be cut. Then we removed the lightbar from the grille and cut the cooling fins, hood latch area first as close to the important parts as possible, then the corners after checking how much needed to be removed. When it fit as close to the radiator/hood latch area as possible we fastend it to the grille shell.

4.
Since my truck has a trans cooler mounted in the lower right corner of the radiator, the brackets for it ended up being in the way so we did a little modification to the bracket instead of cuting more of the cooling fins on the lightbar. That bend on the bracket was further up before.

It was pretty easy to do, the way we did it we only had to test fit it twice before it fit as it should. It took maybe 3-4 hours to do both the inserts and the lightbar but that was mainly because my dad has every tool and machine in the world except for a dremel... removing the cooling fins was the hard part.

How we cut:
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The bracket:
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The result:
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cool_as_crap

I'm Awesome
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This is awesome, great work!
I've seen this in the GMC grills but I've been wondering how to fit it in the Chevy grill.

Have you noticed any adverse affects on cooling from the rad being partially blocked?
 

KenG

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Roof mounted 52" reporting in :p
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KenG

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Looks great, How is it mounted? Curved or straight? Wind noise?
It is mounted via some custom brackets that I cut out of 16Ga steel. Bent them both in about 3.5" and drilled mounting holes. The wind noise above 45mph was horrible, until i took some "fender trim" from auto zone and lined the middle 3 cooling fins. Now it is quiet as can be. And it is a curved bar.
 

KenG

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twomanymontes

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Thanks!! I have heard you can use late model brackets for a 2014 and up and was wondering if that's what you used. Curious to why lining those 3 fins cut down the wind noise.

But anyways, Thanks! Now I have to see about putting some cash away to get me one.
 
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