[AA1PR]

LED Roof Rack Mounting DIY Option

I want side illumination off the rig for camping etc with these 4 18W slim LED’s



ok my desire is to add 4 LED's to the factory roof rack channels

this works for my 2004 gmc yukon, not sure if all years are the same or what other vehicles

I discovered through online research that Fastenal Part No. (SKU): 48590 seemed to be the part I needed ~ https://www.fastenal.com/web/products/details/48590?searchMode=productSearch&filterByVendingMachine=

so I got 8 of these 4 as spares, bag of 1" fender washers & 3/4" 1/4X20 bolts

these channel nuts are tapped for 1/4X20 thread, which easily handles the weight & load of any small light like this

Parts all gathered:



I decided to have the channel nut on the bottom of course, then a washer, the mounting bracket & then another washer to finish it all off

this keeps everything very tight

I had to put the channel nut down on the outside lip of the factory channel & give a firm downwards push to get it in & you may too

once its seated it looks like this






& a wider view



now if warmer weather ever gets here I'll get these installed & wired up & report back

I'm thinking with some Yankee ingenuity you could use this for other projects off the factory channel

 

[Pikey]

Awesome idea!

 

[AA1PR]

Awesome idea!

Thanks

I knew there had to be a way to skin that proverbial cat

 

[RayVoy]

Great idea, thanks

 

[Chesters]

Those channel nuts that you show are uni-strut nuts, just a FYI fastenal also carry all those parts in stainless nuts also.

 

[AA1PR]

Those channel nuts that you show are uni-strut nuts, just a FYI fastenal also carry all those parts in stainless nuts also.

I wish the sales person would have told me that

 

[AA1PR]

It was 24* as I was going to get the youngest at school, the sun was shining so I decided to get the light brackets bolted on





got all the washers & brackets onto the channel nuts, those smaller allen head bolts that secure the bracket to the light body looks like it a PIA





had to struggle to hold myself up, couldnt get the rear bracket as far as I wanted, orange lines show where they're at, kind of hard to see ?



so I tighten it down 17" from the rear & will get Jr to move it back further when I see him again, the front ones are 3.5" from the front of the channel

passengers side:



drivers side:



stopped by the hardware store & got 20' of lamp wire, its 18ga double molded, it'll hold the amperage



cant wait to get these operational



my wiring idea is to have 4' across the crossbar, 1' forward for each front light & 3' for each rear light, so the overall wiring will be an H shape when I'm done

also thinking I might get one more light & wire an extra line to the rear fro that one to be rear facing,

I'll add least add it now while I'm soldering everything together & just seal it off with some shrink tubing until its needed later on

I cant move now so over the weekend or next week when I can I'll solder all the lights in line as needed, for now I need to rest

 

[woytovich]

Looking good... can't wait to see how these look installed... I want to do just about the same thing...

THANKS!
Mark

 

[Crawdaddy]

How are you planning to get the wiring into the cab or down the side of the truck? I've been wanting to put a couple LED bars on the roof of my Suburban and couldn't figure out a way I like.

 

[Chesters]

How are you planning to get the wiring into the cab or down the side of the truck? I've been wanting to put a couple LED bars on the roof of my Suburban and couldn't figure out a way I like.

Chris, Do you think the wiring is already their maybe for running lights? Hate holes in the roof, but you might be able to adapt one running light as a junction point? Transition point? And keep it watertight?