Tailight fillers and LED's

[ForOffRoadDriving]

now now now guys... Colby here asked a legitimate question... lets answer the question nicely...



yes it would be easier...







if you wanted your truck to look like shit...

personally i think all of the pics above look like shit... the only way to make them look worse would be to paint them body colour... it's like a half assed job in my opinion, now if you wanted to do a full shave, with no seams, that would look killer! i've seen a few chevy full size pickups with the thin caddy LED strips on each side, pure sex! (btw that is the first time i have EVER said pure sex about any chevy product... EVER)

kinda like these, but on a 1500 instead of a burby

my honest honest HONEST opinion, don't try to do anything custom unless you are going to do it right... for the amount of time you are going to put into it, make sure you would show it off and put your name on it, take pride in your work, and your vehicle...

those circular yj lights you see at some shops, would look sweet shaved/frenched into the back of a ranger... but you better do a full custom install to make them fit...

that being said, this is my opinion, and it is your vehicle... if i bought a vehicle with those blocks on it, i would take them off and put stock lights back on because i think they look terrible and half assed... it should look like it came from the factory like that... even if it was a custom from the factory...

i think maybe the point of doing this mod is being missed? they replace the plastic light with metal plates because trees and brush are stronger than plastic. if you fill in the hole with metal and then put the rubber mounted lights in it you can easily and cheaply (if youre NOT using LEDs) repair a damaged light, rather than buying a whole new tail light, and pound the filler plate back into shape if it gets bent up.

 

[Grunizzle]

i think maybe the point of doing this mod is being missed? they replace the plastic light with metal plates because trees and brush are stronger than plastic. if you fill in the hole with metal and then put the rubber mounted lights in it you can easily and cheaply (if youre NOT using LEDs) repair a damaged light, rather than buying a whole new tail light, and pound the filler plate back into shape if it gets bent up.

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The purpose is not for some super clean no seams custom look. It is for trail rigs that need stronger light housings

 

[railman]

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The purpose is not for some super clean no seams custom look. It is for trail rigs that need stronger light housings

yeah.....cause replacing taillights every few trips can get expensive

l8r, John

 

[--weezl--]

imho, if you're going to need to be replacing them every few times out, put the lights in a solid steel bumper like... sasquatchryda's? is

 

[86 slo-vo]

imho, if you're going to need to be replacing them every few times out, put the lights in a solid steel bumper like... sasquatchryda's? is

then you still have an open hole where your tail light should be....


i know this sounds pretty gay but it worked pretty good in my 98 cherokee

i broke a few tail lights, so i got another set drilled some holes in them for led's put them in and then put expanding foam inside the light then truckbed lined the outside....i never broke them again

 

[02RangerXLT]

@86- So you just drilled the necessary size holes into the regular tail light and bed lined over it? Looks good!

 

[86 slo-vo]

yup and filled it with foam to make it a little stronger, though im sure a good enough hit would have broke them but much better then stock

 

[--weezl--]

slo-vo, that's actually a really good idea with the spray foam, it will add lots of rigidity on the inside, so the pushing won't crack it, as it won't make the lens flex much, all you would have to worry about is sharp impact, but the bed liner should absorb most of that...

as for what i was saying, i would fill that hole in with sheet metal and take the seam out... i would rather make my truck look good, than take it in the bush and beat it up though... this is why my truck has never been bushwacking, and why i'll take the more difficult/almost impossible trail, vs the easy one, if the easy one is grown over...

while a girl who can cook is very important, i think her being smoking hot is even more so... don't want to go scratching her up

 

[railman]

imho, if you're going to need to be replacing them every few times out, put the lights in a solid steel bumper like... sasquatchryda's? is

which is my plan.....sorta.....

not like I was trying to break them by anymeans....just happened

l8r, John

 

[Il Brutto]

Even your trail rig should be cool! You can order filler plates for tails from a couple different places, just modify them so they bolt in, paint them and throw in some cheep trailer lights.

 

[ThatGuy]

Started working on these today. Here's what I got so far.

Put some lights in tomorrow and check em out.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

lookin good, did you hand form those? they look like they fit the lines pretty well, cant wait to see them finished and in paint!

 

[ThatGuy]

The main plate just has two 45 degree bends in it. The top part where the compound bend is required taking a pie cut and rewelding it together. Fits up pretty good for just a rough copy. It's 11ga which is almost 1/8" thick. Gonna get lights tomorrow and fit them.

 

[lethal-threat-b288]

Hell produce those! Id buy some and some lift brackets for a 6"lift if you can make them!

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

you going to go LED or just regular incandescent lights?