Offroad Trailblazers and Envoys

FINISHED MDB FAB BUMPER

Any special projects involving a decent amount of fab work (bumpers, sliders, roof racks, etc)

by larryk » Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:34 pm

First, MAJOR props to Mike for doing all the design and bending work. His kits are top notch, and if you are having any hesitation on getting one.... don't. They fit well, good steel, proper gauge for the job, and proven off road. If you get the idea I'm happy.....good call :)

Anyhow, here are pics with my recently painted to match SS grille....

Oh, I added the frenched in Rigid lightbar..... the rest is completely Mike's design.
Attachments
tmp_28573-20170608_160407378238579.jpg
tmp_28573-20170608_1603421481658956.jpg
tmp_28573-20170608_1603321370748389.jpg
tmp_28573-20170608_1603191465782707.jpg
larryk
Off-Roader
 
Posts: 127
Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:14 am
Name: Larry
Vehicle Year: 2004
Vehicle: Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ Limited Slip

by BC backroader » Thu Jun 08, 2017 10:12 pm

Great looking job, Larry. I really like the lightbar treatment
My build thread: viewtopic.php?f=74&t=5844
User avatar
BC backroader
Trail-Blazer
 
Posts: 304
Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2014 1:45 am
Location: B.C. Abbotsford
Name: Brad
Vehicle Year: 2005
Vehicle: Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ G80
Rank: Trail Ready

by larryk » Thu Jun 08, 2017 10:58 pm

BC backroader wrote:Great looking job, Larry. I really like the lightbar treatment


Gotta give credit where due.....Mike had a small Light bar in a similar setup in his personal bumper..... along with the round ones on the wings. Gave me inspiration :)

It's a super tight fit where it's mounted.... there is only about 3 1/2" between the bumper face and the ABS crossmember. To actually French it in a 1/4, I used a Rigid bar (best quality and most shallow I could find) that's 3" deep... leaves a 1/4" clearance. Tight
larryk
Off-Roader
 
Posts: 127
Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:14 am
Name: Larry
Vehicle Year: 2004
Vehicle: Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ Limited Slip

by bartonmd » Fri Jun 09, 2017 7:55 am

Looks good, Larry!

Mike
bartonmd
Moderator
 
Posts: 4469
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:35 am
Location: IN, Indianapolis
Name: Mike
Vehicle Year: 2007
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ G80
Rank: Offroad Rated

by Trail X » Fri Jun 09, 2017 9:39 am

Looks great. Looks especially good with the SS grill. What do you think of the light bar? Those LED bars just don't always give a great beam in my experience.
8-) Build Thread | ExPo Build | YouTube Videos
Not all who wander are lost. -Tolkien
User avatar
Trail X
Founder
 
Posts: 9935
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:22 pm
Location: VA, Roanoke
Name: James Downing
Vehicle Year: 2005
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ Aftermarket Locker
Rank: Expedition Guide

by bartonmd » Fri Jun 09, 2017 9:51 am

Trail X wrote:Looks great. Looks especially good with the SS grill. What do you think of the light bar? Those LED bars just don't always give a great beam in my experience.



I've had really good and really bad light bar beams. For instance, the 30" bar on my 3/4 ton is a ton of light, but it's just all "blah'd" out there with no particular beam. It's OK for what I use it for, which is watching for deer and stuff off the sides of the road, at night, but it's not great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AC ... UTF8&psc=1


Image

However, the ones I've got on and in my bumper are actually a really good, usable, reasonably long distance beam! I was really surprised!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016K ... UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016K ... UTF8&psc=1

The bars are on a separate enable switch, but the 42W round ones are on with the brights. The 42W round ones are also a "bunch of light in no particular direction" pair of lights. Good for spotting deer and such.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JW ... UTF8&psc=1

I am considering replacing them with something like this, though:

https://www.amazon.com/Lightronic-5inch ... 8NAPYY6NMW

Mike
bartonmd
Moderator
 
Posts: 4469
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:35 am
Location: IN, Indianapolis
Name: Mike
Vehicle Year: 2007
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ G80
Rank: Offroad Rated

by Trail X » Fri Jun 09, 2017 10:14 am

I guess my problem with the LED bars is that they still haven't figured out how to make anything other than a conical beam. You either get a conical pencil beam, or a conical flood beam. I'd love to see a LED bar with a nice wide ground pattern, with minimal vertical spread... Projector-esque, but I haven't really seen that happen yet. I believe the auto makers that are doing LED headlights are attaining this by basically putting an LED behind a projector lens.
8-) Build Thread | ExPo Build | YouTube Videos
Not all who wander are lost. -Tolkien
User avatar
Trail X
Founder
 
Posts: 9935
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:22 pm
Location: VA, Roanoke
Name: James Downing
Vehicle Year: 2005
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ Aftermarket Locker
Rank: Expedition Guide

by bartonmd » Fri Jun 09, 2017 10:45 am

Trail X wrote:I guess my problem with the LED bars is that they still haven't figured out how to make anything other than a conical beam. You either get a conical pencil beam, or a conical flood beam. I'd love to see a LED bar with a nice wide ground pattern, with minimal vertical spread... Projector-esque, but I haven't really seen that happen yet. I believe the auto makers that are doing LED headlights are attaining this by basically putting an LED behind a projector lens.


That's the truth, which is why I only use them as high beams. However, Rigid has an SAE-compliant fog light LED setup that is how you describe... IF you want to pay $279 for a pair of them...

http://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/50481
bartonmd
Moderator
 
Posts: 4469
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:35 am
Location: IN, Indianapolis
Name: Mike
Vehicle Year: 2007
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ G80
Rank: Offroad Rated

by bartonmd » Fri Jun 09, 2017 10:47 am

bartonmd wrote:
Trail X wrote:I guess my problem with the LED bars is that they still haven't figured out how to make anything other than a conical beam. You either get a conical pencil beam, or a conical flood beam. I'd love to see a LED bar with a nice wide ground pattern, with minimal vertical spread... Projector-esque, but I haven't really seen that happen yet. I believe the auto makers that are doing LED headlights are attaining this by basically putting an LED behind a projector lens.


That's the truth, which is why I only use them as high beams. However, Rigid has an SAE-compliant fog light LED setup that is how you describe... IF you want to pay $279 for a pair of them...

http://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/50481



Or $660 for a pair of their SAE/DOT driving lights:
http://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/106612
bartonmd
Moderator
 
Posts: 4469
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:35 am
Location: IN, Indianapolis
Name: Mike
Vehicle Year: 2007
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ G80
Rank: Offroad Rated

by HARDTRAILZ » Fri Jun 09, 2017 12:15 pm

Mike...did the 42w round make a big difference over the 27w ones?
I hate to advocate weird chemicals, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone...but
they've always worked for me.
User avatar
HARDTRAILZ
Moderator
 
Posts: 6342
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 1:49 am
Location: IN, Batesville
Name: Kyle
Vehicle Year: 2006
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ Aftermarket Locker
Rank: Extreme Offroader

by Trail X » Fri Jun 09, 2017 4:11 pm

bartonmd wrote:That's the truth, which is why I only use them as high beams. However, Rigid has an SAE-compliant fog light LED setup that is how you describe... IF you want to pay $279 for a pair of them...

http://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/50481


They seem to be staying on top of the industry, that's for sure. Technology AND price wise.
8-) Build Thread | ExPo Build | YouTube Videos
Not all who wander are lost. -Tolkien
User avatar
Trail X
Founder
 
Posts: 9935
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:22 pm
Location: VA, Roanoke
Name: James Downing
Vehicle Year: 2005
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ Aftermarket Locker
Rank: Expedition Guide

by larryk » Fri Jun 09, 2017 7:23 pm

Well, I looked at those Amazon bars, and the long term quality seemed suspect to me. I wanted a bar that wouldn't fog up, yellow, etc. Too many reviews with poor long term life. I went with the Rigid, and while expensive, I believe worth it. While I haven't off roaded with it yet, drove it around last night and beam pattern was very good. I have the combo bar, so outside four on each side are flood, and the middle 14 are spot. The optics are actually engineered and not just led in a reflector. Also, many bar's are single row, and 3.25"deep. This bar is 3", which allowed me to recess it the 1/4" I wanted to. Better protection :)
larryk
Off-Roader
 
Posts: 127
Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:14 am
Name: Larry
Vehicle Year: 2004
Vehicle: Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ Limited Slip

by HARDTRAILZ » Mon Jun 12, 2017 8:44 am

Had my Amazon lightbars for several years with no issues. The light output is different than a regular spotlight/driving light in the halogen round or square, but I personally like it far better. I don't run fast when I need the lights and the disbursement allows for more usable light to me.
I hate to advocate weird chemicals, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone...but
they've always worked for me.
User avatar
HARDTRAILZ
Moderator
 
Posts: 6342
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 1:49 am
Location: IN, Batesville
Name: Kyle
Vehicle Year: 2006
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ Aftermarket Locker
Rank: Extreme Offroader

by bartonmd » Mon Jun 12, 2017 2:59 pm

HARDTRAILZ wrote:Mike...did the 42w round make a big difference over the 27w ones?


There's a little more light, but it's not appreciable, I don't think. Despite the labeling on the package, I'm not sure these aren't the "wide" beam, as the lights seems more spread than the 27W ones.

Mike
bartonmd
Moderator
 
Posts: 4469
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:35 am
Location: IN, Indianapolis
Name: Mike
Vehicle Year: 2007
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ G80
Rank: Offroad Rated

by joemoto311 » Tue Jun 20, 2017 7:22 am

Trail X wrote:I guess my problem with the LED bars is that they still haven't figured out how to make anything other than a conical beam. You either get a conical pencil beam, or a conical flood beam. I'd love to see a LED bar with a nice wide ground pattern, with minimal vertical spread... Projector-esque, but I haven't really seen that happen yet. I believe the auto makers that are doing LED headlights are attaining this by basically putting an LED behind a projector lens.



As kind of mentioned....if you spend a little more, you can get a really good light bar that does both. I have one very similar to the rigid one. Its every bit of 900 watts as it says and puts light where you actually want it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XJ ... UTF8&psc=1
User avatar
joemoto311
Cruiser
 
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon May 08, 2017 12:42 pm
Location: Virginia Beach
Name: Joe
Vehicle Year: 2004
Vehicle: GMC Envoy
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ G80

by Miltman » Wed Nov 01, 2017 9:50 am

Sorry to steal your thread. Mike I'm interested in a bumper for an 04.
Miltman
Cruiser
 
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:51 am
Name: Tim
Vehicle Year: 2004
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD

by bartonmd » Wed Nov 01, 2017 8:54 pm

Miltman wrote:Sorry to steal your thread. Mike I'm interested in a bumper for an 04.


You've found it and replied by now, but I replied to your PM last night.

Mike
bartonmd
Moderator
 
Posts: 4469
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:35 am
Location: IN, Indianapolis
Name: Mike
Vehicle Year: 2007
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer
DriveTrain: 4WD w/ G80
Rank: Offroad Rated


Return to Fab Work