We're often asked how to add lighting to your ECB Bullbar or Nudge Bar. One of the main reasons people fit Nudge Bars to their vehicle is for adding extra lighting as the majority of OEM vehicles don’t accommodate for extra driving lights. This guide will help you identify the best solution for your requirements and how to drill into alloy to add lighting to your Bullbar.
East Coast Bullbars are manufactured to accommodate extra lighting straight onto the main 6mm thick alloy channel. Today, as lighting comes in all shapes and sizes, there are no pre-drilled holes on an ECB channel.
Whether you want to fit the latest set of 200mm (6”) driving lights or 22” (558mm) LED bar, your ECB Bar can accommodate both. Some Bullbars are equipped with a brace tube with light tabs for mounting driving lights above the channel.
Most light tabs have a weight limit of 1.75kg, and some of the larger American vehicles (Chevrolet, RAM, Ford F-Series) have our heavy-duty light mounts that are capable of accommodating 3.5kg per tab.
Nudge Bars generally come with light tabs attached, which can be a little more limiting on the size and range when adding extra lighting to your vehicle. The tabs are weight limited to 1.75kg per tab for most vehicles, whilst some of the larger 100mm Nudge Bars have heavy-duty light mounts that are capable of 3.5kg per tab.
Please note that some vehicles have sonars fitted into the grille which can limit the size and style of additional lighting or eliminate the ability to add lighting to the top of a Nudge Bar.
ECB recommends fitting light bars with slide rail adjustments, which are available from all leading resellers.
The majority of Bullbars don’t require light tabs for fitting additional lighting, however most Nudge Bars come standard with 2 light tabs.
Depending on the shape and the length of the light bar, another option is to fit the light bar to your Nudge Bar with light bar clamps. This will often allow you to fit larger lights or light bars as they are fully adjustable.
Important Information
It is best to check local laws in each State or Territory as the fitting of additional lights can be deemed illegal if not fitted correctly. The placement of the lights is just as important. For example, Bullbars cannot have anything attached to the top of the tube or protruding past the front of the Bullbar.
When adding lighting to the top of a channel ECB’s Hi-tensile alloy is a strong and sturdy material, but soft enough to drill into. ECB recommends professional installation of lighting to ensure proper wiring, all vehicle limitations are addressed, and that lighting does not impede on any of the safety features of the vehicle.
You will need a good quality, sharp metal drill bit and a slow speed.
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