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How to Prevent Theft on Aux Lighting?

EmptyV

By EmptyV,
in 96-2004 R50 Pathfinders

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EmptyV NPORA Veteran

EmptyV

Posted
Posted

So a week ago I went to an Off-Road Expo. I walked past a small booth for Clean Dezert which had an attractive chick selling raffle tickets. The deal was $1 per ticket and tickets scores you a t-shirt. My buddy told me I'm wasting my money and I told him I wanted a $20 t-shirt.

 

Well I ended up winning 2 of the lights pictured below which retail for about $450/ea! All of the other prizes maxed out at about $200 The whole reason I went to the show was to see what kind of lights to buy and HiD's were way out of my budget so I'm beyond stoked.

 

Well I was hanging out with a buddy who is very well versed with jeeps and he asked me how I'm going to safeguard them from theft. Does anyone know how I can accomplish this? He was thinking of welding cages on to the safari basket. Does anyone have any other ideas?

 

Sorry for the long story.

 

ATT00001.jpg

 

613240.jpg

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Simon NPORA Old-Timer

Simon

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The easiest way, if you have access to a welder, would be to weld a couple of tacks on the mounting bolts. Tack the nut to the bolt. That way, a perspective thief would need to carry a grinder to get them off. I'm not talking about full on welds, just enough so that if you need to remove them, a couple of minutes with a grinder will allow you to unbolt them.

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adamzan NPORA Old-Timer

adamzan

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The easiest way, if you have access to a welder, would be to weld a couple of tacks on the mounting bolts. Tack the nut to the bolt. That way, a perspective thief would need to carry a grinder to get them off. I'm not talking about full on welds, just enough so that if you need to remove them, a couple of minutes with a grinder will allow you to unbolt them.

That is exactly what I did.

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FUELER NPORA Old-Timer

FUELER

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here they are on the hummer:

 

PS my buddy has it good - SHE pays for the toys and HE just thrashes them!!

 

PA160178.jpg

 

PA160180.jpg

 

 

 

sorry not sure what kind of security they got. But she parks in a neighborhood with very high theft rate and they havent been jacked yet....

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EmptyV
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EmptyV

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holy cow - nice lights!!!!!!! my buddys girlfriend has three of them on her hummer and they are BAD ASS !!

 

wanna sell them to me for cheap ??

 

Sounds like your buddy's got a sweet deal, it's just a shame he's stuck with a hummer. Well I just pulled the brackets off with an adjustable wrench and socket so it looks like I'll have to think of something for those too. I'm guessing I'll have to weld the brackets to the safari basket as well. I think I'll send them out to my fabicator to have a few more made. They sell them for $50/ea I can probably have them made for $10. Thanks for the input guys and sorry Fueler but I gotta turn down your offer. Are these basically the craziest aux lights out there? As far as price goes they're some of the most expensive I've seen.

 

Billy

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DavefromOZ NPORA Old-Timer

DavefromOZ

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Another option, drill a hole in the bolt, then once the lights are installed you can pop a rivet in there, that way all you need to do if you want to remove them is to drill the rivet out. Then pop another one in when you re-install them, heaps easier than welding.

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EmptyV
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EmptyV

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Great score on those lights, man! Since you got 'em for free, you can pony up a few bucks for some light locks. Both KCHilites and PIAA make similar products. Google for "PIAA light locks" or "KC light locks".

 

Well I got the lights today and DAMN! Unfortunately those locks won't work because the mounting surface is a bolt through design. I'm going with these stainless security bolts with stainless nylon locknut washers and lots loctite 277. If someone tries to remove them with a wrench or socket they'll just spin in place and wont be able to grab the bolt's head because they'll be countersunk into the plates/brackets. This type of loctite requires heat to break the seal so unless they've got the security tool bit, a torch and a wrench set there's no way these are coming off. I also just sent off the stock Surco mounting plates to have some new ones made that are wider that fit the 3 bolt pattern on the lights and have some new steel(aluminum is what surco uses) c-brackets made which secure the mounting plate to the safari basket. The bottom pics is of the stock ones. So does this sound like a good plan? In theory it makes sense!

 

I'm having a bunch of extra ones fabbed so if anyone is interested they'll be for sale. They'll be stronger and wider and cheaper then the stock brackets.

 

photo-1.jpg

 

IMG_0224.jpg

 

94063A249L.gif

 

sur-lt1001.jpg

Edited by EmptyV
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EmptyV
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EmptyV

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UPDATE Well I got the new hardware in. New stainless security bolts and nylon lock nuts, new powdercoated wider aluminum plates with 2 additional hole for more mounting options and new brackets for mounting the plates to the safari basket. I've got some extras for sale if anyone is interested. Here's some pics of the old Surco Hardware and of my new stuff.

 

New Stuff

 

SecurityBolt2.jpg

 

NewPlate.jpg

 

NewHardware.jpg

 

NewBacket.jpg

 

NewAssembly.jpg

 

Surco Stuff

 

OldPlate.jpg

 

OldHardware.jpg

 

OldBracket.jpg

 

OldAssembly.jpg

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