FITTING 20 INCH LED LIGHTBAR TO THE ROO BAR

[TheDocAUS]

WHAT YOU NEED

1. STEDI Hex brackets (choose size 48 to 53mm). The STEDI hex bracket came with a Torx Security key to tighten the bolts in the hex bracket. Not sure of the size because I could not get my Torx Security bits to fit properly. The brackets come with three M6 bolts of different sizes and types. One pair was the correct length to use in my setup. I also used a Nord Lock washer and a flat washer on the M6 bolt. The Nord Lock washer ensures corrugations do not loosen the bolts.
2. Lightforce Viper 20-inch lightbar (single or double row of LEDs). The Viper comes with side mount and slide brackets.
3. Two standard M6 nuts. Only a standard M6 nut fitted into the hex bracket slot, a M6 Nylon Lock Nut was too thick. The hex bracket only came with Nylon Lock Nuts. See also point 1 below under FITTING.
4. Relay, tools and wiring.
5. The Viper had a 2 pin Deutsch DT plug attached and a wiring loom. The power came from the Grenadier's 10 amp wire ends under the bonnet. The auto electrician changed the loom and added a relay and integrated it into the car. I never saw the modified loom. The relay turns on the lights when it senses current to the high beam on your headlights (or the driving lights which can only come on in high beam).

Laws in News South Wales require lightbars to be fitted to the underside of the Roo Bar hoop, not above it. You have much more flexibility if you can mount it above the Roo Boo, but at increased risk to pedestrians.

FITTING

1. Affix with the Lightforce slide mounts that attach to the rear of the lightbar (not the ends which use brackets – the Ligthtforce comes with both options supplied) You need to reverse the way the bolts normally insert into the hex bracket. You may need to trim the bolt's length so it does not protrude pass the width of the bracket onto the Roo Bar. Adding two washers on the M6 bolt was enough so the bolt did not protrude, in my case. I used a Nord Locker washer, flat washer and a standard M6 nut.
2. Affix the slide brackets to the bottom half of both hex brackets. The nut must go inside the hex bracket slot, not the bolt head as normal. The image below of the slide bracket shows the correct orientation for inserting the bolt into the hex bracket.
3. Attach the slide brackets to the lightbar. Tighten bolts onto the slide brackets, after spacing them correctly (I placed then 100mm in from each end of the lightbar). Just hand tighten the bolts and check the angle of the lightbar fitted under the Roo Bar, adjust position of slide brackets if needed. You do have some additional adjustment with the way you affix the hex bracket to the Roo Bar.
4. Attach hex brackets to the Roo Bar, check it is centered correctly. Tighten all 8 bolts in the hex brackets. TIP: when tightening the Torx Security bolts on the hex bracket, I would tighten a bolt two turns and then go around and do the same to all the bolts. If you tighten one bolt too much, it can result in another becoming loose. The described approach minimised that effect.
5. Wire up the lightbar or call ORS (Sydney based) and have then do it for you.
6. My Lightforce Viper is powered from the 10 amp under bonnet circuit using circuit Ext1 (the single row Viper draws 5.8 amps). A relay is attached to the driving light circuit, so the Lightforce Viper can only come on when the driving lights are on. The driving lights only come on when high beam is active. Turning off high beam means the driving lights and the Lightforce Viper also turn off (assuming the aux power and Ext 1 switches are turned on). My options are; high beam only, high beam plus driving lights and high beam, driving lights and Lightforce Viper.

The Single Row Viper Lightbar lines up nicely with the grille cross support to minimise disruption to the air flow.

I would have saved a lot time if I had remembered Cameron had posted his setup many months ago (see image below), instead of having to work it out myself, with some wiring help from ORS.

ANOTHER OPTION: If you do not have a winch, fitting the 20-inch Viper down on the bumper would be another option. Or if you do have a winch, be very careful about drilling holes in the bumper. The end brackets could be used for mounting in this position.

Slide Mount (Source: Lightforce website)

Blue protective film still on the Viper in these images. It was the test fit up and the hex brackets are not centered precisely.

After fitting

Cameron's (@CBN) double row here (the dual row 29 inch Viper draws 11.1 amps, so you cannot use the 10 amp bonnet circuit EXT1, but you could use the 25 amp bonnet circuit if you have the aux power option):

 

[Beowulf]

I like the low profile look of the single row. Thank you for the write up.

 

[DaveB]

WHAT YOU NEED

1. STEDI Hex brackets (size 48 to 53mm);
2. Lightforce Viper 20-inch lightbar (single or double row of LEDs);
3. Relay, tools and wiring.

My single row 20 inch Lighforce Viper lightbar was powered from the 10 amp circuit under the bonnet, but the relay needs to turn on the lights when it senses current to the high beam on your headlights.

Laws in News South Wales require lightbars to be fitted to the underside of the Roo Bar hoop, not above it. You have much more flexibility if you can mount it above the Roo Boo, but at increased risk to pedestrians.

FITTING

1. Affix with the Lightforce slide mounts that attach to the rear of the lightbar (not the ends which use brackets – the Ligthtforce comes with both options supplied). You need to reverse the way the bolts normally insert into the hex bracket. You may need to trim the length of the bolt so it does not protrude pass the width of the bracket onto the Roo Bar. A lock washer on the bolt was enough so the bolt did not protrude, in my case.
2. Affix the slide brackets to the bottom half of both hex brackets. The nut must go inside the hex bracket slot, not the bolt head as normal. The image below of the slide bracket shows the correct orientation for inserting the bolt into the hex bracket.
3. Attach the slide brackets to the lightbar. Tighten bolts onto the slide brackets, after spacing them correctly (I placed then 100mm in from each end of the lightbar). Just hand tighten the bolts and check the angle of th lightbar fitted under the Roo Ba, adjust position of slide brackets if needed. You do have some additional adjustment with the way you affix the hex bracket o the Roo Bar.
4. Attach hex brackets to the Roo Bar, check it is centered correctly. Tighten all 8 bolts in the hex brackets.
5. Wire up the lightbar or call ORS (Sydney based) and have then do it for you.

The Single Row Viper Lightbar lines up nicely with the grille cross support to minimise disruption to the air flow.

I would have saved a lot time if I had remembered Cameron had posted his setup many months ago (see image below), instead of having to work it out myself, with some wiring help from ORS.

Slide Mount (Source: Lightforce website)
View attachment 7856124

Blue protective film still on the Viper in these images.

Cameron's (@CBN) double row here:

I haven't tried it yet but I liked the look of the Lazerlamps Linear to go at the top of the bar and wired to high beam.
It has a very similar curve/profile to the bar so should be able to mount high and close.
My thoughts are to just use the wiring at the back of the round lights and leave them in place but disconnected.
That would allow use of the roof switch and also high beam link.
It is a wide angle fitting but I don't need to see 5 kms down the road.
I am more interested with what is on the side of the road about 250 metres ahead.
It is a lot more expensive than the Lightforce product however.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HLwTgrQqkM&t=6s

Linear-24 Elite

Representing the very best in slimline auxiliary high beam driving lights, the Linear range utilises a combination of highly efficient 3W LEDs and vacuum-metallised wide optics to deliver a perfectly tuned beam pattern for everyday road use. Measuring just 40mm in height, the Linear range is an...

www.lazerlamps.com.au

 

[TheDocAUS]

I haven't tried it yet but I liked the look of the Lazerlamps Linear to go at the top of the bar and wired to high beam.
It has a very similar curve/profile to the bar so should be able to mount high and close.
My thoughts are to just use the wiring at the back of the round lights and leave them in place but disconnected.
That would allow use of the roof switch and also high beam link.
It is a wide angle fitting but I don't need to see 5 kms down the road.
I am more interested with what is on the side of the road about 250 metres ahead.
It is a lot more expensive than the Lightforce product however.
View attachment 7856130
View attachment 7856131View attachment 7856132

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HLwTgrQqkM&t=6s

Linear-24 Elite

Representing the very best in slimline auxiliary high beam driving lights, the Linear range utilises a combination of highly efficient 3W LEDs and vacuum-metallised wide optics to deliver a perfectly tuned beam pattern for everyday road use. Measuring just 40mm in height, the Linear range is an...

www.lazerlamps.com.au

I looked at the Laser Lamps, but they cost too much and it does not work if you can only use end brackets (for a 20 inch bar under the hoop).

Any power draw on the driving light circuits causes them to stop working. So it may not work - just an observation from the auto electrician (as he tried it on another Grenadier). No idea what would happen if you just power the lightbar instead and disconnect the driving lights from the circuit. The way he was talking it is very sensitive to changes.

 

[DaveB]

I looked at the Laser Lamps, but they cost too much and it does not work if you can only use end brackets (for a 20 inch bar under the hoop).

Any power draw on the round light circuits causes them to stop working. So it may not work - just an observation from the auto electrician (as he tried it on another Grenadier).

Yes the Lazerlamps brackets are useless.
I was planning on disconnecting the round lights so they don't work, but can easily be restored if wanted later.
Unless they have some kind of smart feedback to the vehicle CPU then there should be no difference.
The light bar is 13.3 amps or 188 Watts and I can't find anywhere the specs on the standard Grenadier Aux lights.
Easy to insert a relay anyway and the lightbar is supplied with one.
I originally trained in auto electrical as part of my electrical trade with the Department of Civil Aviation, but that was on fire tenders and rescue boats at Sydney airport.
It was a very long time ago and vehicles are very different now. No CANBUS, CPU's or central monitoring systems back then.

 

[TheDocAUS]

Just letting you know they are skittish.

The Laser Lamp will look good under the hoop.

 

[DaveB]

Just letting you know they are skittish.

The Laser Lamp will look good under the hoop.

Yes probably have some kind of smarts to ruin my plan.
My new work Iphone insists on constantly telling me the screen is not original genuine part

 

[TheDocAUS]

Just revised WHAT YOU NEED to give more information.

 

[TheDocAUS]

UPDATE - light a plenty
The Grenadier’s high beam, with its driving lights and the added Lightforce Viper 20 inch lightbar puts out a lot of light. By turning off the high beam, the high beam, lightbar and driving lights are turned off as well (if I have them switched on). The high beam and driving lights send light into the distance and the lightbar floods light closer in, with some spot light into the distance. The three light sources work well together with little variation in colour temperature. The Lightforce Viper is a good colour temperature (5500K) match to the Grenadier's lights. Plus the Lightforce Viper only draws 5.8 amps.

Even though the Viper is pointing forward, rather than upwards, it still spreads a lot of light upwards, it must be the shape of the reflectors. The reflectors do have spot and flood capabilities. If I am counting correctly, the 4 reflectors on each end give flood light and the ones in the middle give spot light, as this diagram shows.

The downside? I probably do not need the 40 inch INEOS lightbar on the roofrack. If you only have budget for one LED lightbar, I would go with the 20 inch Lightforce Viper.

I also need to adjust the 40 inch INEOS lightbar, as the spot light is too close to the car.

 

[TheDocAUS]

Added more information on how my Lightforce Viper is wired, by adding Point 6 under FITTING.

 

[Snipewench]

Where does one find the NSW road rule for light bar placement on the front of a vehicle? I was so hoping to have an additional lightbar fitted on my roobar (I have one fitted under the roof rack). Similar to the demonstration Gren in SLRV, but that one is on top of the cross bar on the roobar.

 

[TheDocAUS]

Where does one find the NSW road rule for light bar placement on the front of a vehicle? I was so hoping to have an additional lightbar fitted on my roobar (I have one fitted under the roof rack). Similar to the demonstration Gren in SLRV, but that one is on top of the cross bar on the roobar.

Look here. I have seen it said lightbars cannot be on top of the hoop in NSW. And I think they base that on these two requirements. In Queensland they do not have that requirement. I even discussed this difference with Warwick at XHQ.

I am still trying to find the pamphlet with images showing this, which the NSW govt put out.

 

[TheDocAUS]

Where does one find the NSW road rule for light bar placement on the front of a vehicle? I was so hoping to have an additional lightbar fitted on my roobar (I have one fitted under the roof rack). Similar to the demonstration Gren in SLRV, but that one is on top of the cross bar on the roobar.

This thread, obviously, shows a single and double 20 inch Lightforce Viper lightbar fitted to the Grenadier. The single Viper puts out lots of light and the double even more. As fitted, both are legal in NSW.

 

[TheDocAUS]

VIPER OUTBACK PERFORMANCE - OBSERVATIONS
Today I adjusted the 20 inch Viper as it was directing too much light into the air, a slight adjustment gave better light direction. I tested it again tonight. The combination of the Grenadier’s high beam, spot lights and the 20 inch Viper bar is a powerful combination, giving a well balanced combination of spot and flood lighting. Flood lighting goes out 20-30 metres offroad, but more light is directed forward down the road.

The 4 LEDs on the each end of the Viper have reflectors to spread light and the centres LEDs use spot reflectors. The Viper compliments the lights already on the Grenadier. There is no noticeable variation in colour temperature between the Viper and the Grenadier’s lights. Both are easy on the eye for long drives.

Final thing to do is adjust the 40 inch INEOS lightbar, which can only be used off road.

In my opinion, if you have a 20 inch Viper lightbar (single or double row), you do not need the 40 inch INEOS lightbar, as the Viper's combination with the Grenadier’s lights is excellent - even with the Outback soaking up the light.

 

[TheDocAUS]

After using it the 20 inch Viper in the Outback for a few weeks, I am very happy with the setup. Abundant light.