My Rear Light Bar Idea?

[GolfVenture]

I've been thinking of how to use the approx 1 inch square SS bathroom towel rack tube for my rear light bar. I have 3 Custom Dynamic LED lights. 2 amber directioinal and 1 sequental (Back and forth) stop. Each are about 3/4 inch in with and 4 to 5 inches in length.

 

I'd like input into drilling into the chrome trunk rack. That is from the rear of the VR looking at the back end of the chrome rack, just underneath the bottom of the trunk. I'm mainly concerned with the possibility of the chrome pealing off. I could drill three holes, one near each end and one in the middle of the towel rack and corresponding holes into the chrome trunk rack. The hole in the towel rack would need to be just large enough to put a SS screw and a screwdriver into it. With the SS towel rack mounted, I would then from the bottom of the towel rack and in the center drill another hole to accommodate 6 wires for the LED lights to be routed out of the towel rack and connected to the VR under the seat. The LED wires are about the size of telephone wires. I could feed the wires for each light in through the 3 outside holes and the three LED lights have double sided 3M tape. Each light would then mount centered covering the holes.

 

I could not find any square plastic plugs to put into the ends, but did find some round ones. I'm pretty sure I can make it fit. The circular cap covers the end except the oh so small part of the 4 square corners, of which I have some black silicone glue.

 

Maybe I could put some sort of metal bonding waterproof glue to keep moisture from getting under the chrome where the hole is drilled. Have any suggestions?

 

Also I'm wondering about the drilling process into the chrome trunk rack. That is how to prevent pealing during the drilling process.

 

I know that the location is ok, further back would be a little better, however the rear part of the trunk rack does jet out from the rear trunk bolt location and the 1 inch towel rack does bring it out that much farther. Then the observers behind me are a good distance away so it would be pretty much eye level. The turn signals providing directional signals are very eye catching and the stop lamp will be like the Sequential light like in the show Knight Rider. The center red light will sequential back and forth when the brakes are applied. All the light movements are very eye catchy and hard to ignore. The movements of the lights seems to draw the eye balls.

[bendtdj]

Brian,

 

Here is what I did on my 1984:

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=40573

 

The rear lights on mine are running and brake only. I used stainless steel "U"bolts on the trunk mountin rack into a piece of 1 1/2" X 2" X 1/8" angle iron. Using the longer side horizontally from teh rack moved the lights out even with the trunk. I, myself, would be leery of drilling into the rack itself. I think that most of the "U"bolts I have purchased come wtih a flat piece that sort of acts as a washer. YHou may beable to use two of these on each U to make a "sanwich" to hold the towel bar you are using. I am sure other will pitch in with other ideas as well.

 

Good luck.

 

Dave

[GolfVenture]

Brian,

 

Here is what I did on my 1984:

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=40573

 

The rear lights on mine are running and brake only. I used stainless steel "U"bolts on the trunk mountin rack into a piece of 1 1/2" X 2" X 1/8" angle iron. Using the longer side horizontally from teh rack moved the lights out even with the trunk. I, myself, would be leery of drilling into the rack itself. I think that most of the "U"bolts I have purchased come wtih a flat piece that sort of acts as a washer. YHou may beable to use two of these on each U to make a "sanwich" to hold the towel bar you are using. I am sure other will pitch in with other ideas as well.

 

Good luck.

 

Dave

 

 

I looked at your pictures, and have a couple of questions.

 

Did you drill through the bottom of your trunk so the U bolts would go over the trunk rack. I could not really see it clearly.

 

Did you chrome the angle iron. Or did you paint it to protect it from rusting ?

 

I was thinking of sliding an L shape aluminum inbetween the rack and the bottom of the trunk and cover the aluminum with a sheet of chrome adheisive tape. But then I would fell that I would need to put spacers in the front inbetween the rack and the bottom of the trunk so to not put uneven pressure on the plastic trunk. Then I was wondering if there might be other adjustments I would need to make for the back rest.

 

I like the idea of using u-bolts, but did not want to drill into the bottom of the trunk.

 

I guess I could use chome plated zip ties and tie the SS towel bracket to the rear of the trunk rack. I think that Custom Dynamics has chrome plated zip ties.

 

I kind of like the idea of using chrome plated zip ties. It is simple and fast and I don't have to drill into the chrome rack.

 

This is good, for new ideas are coming to me.

 

Looking forward to others chiming in.

 

Thanks.

[GolfVenture]

Hey I can use regular zip ties, by drilling extra holes in the rear of the towel rack and the zip ties won't even show.

 

Sure helps talking things out with the group.

[Shorty]

Here's what I did. It's a little hard to see in this picture but for the person behind you it's really bright (LED). It flashes, so as long as I have the brake lever or foot brake on it's just blinking away. No holes were drilled, it's put on with two sided tape, and has been on there for a number of years. You could put it under your luggage rack. I bought it at either Auto Zone or Advance Auto. I just spliced into the brake light wiring, works GREAT, and was fairly cheap.

[Jayceesfolly]

I had Earl (Skydoc) remove the helmet locks under the trunk and use those two flanges to mount a flat SS plate to install a Custom Dynamics light bar. I don't have a pic of it on this computer, as I am on the road this week. But I will take a pic of it and post it on Friday, when I am home. It looks good and looks like it belongs there.

 

Jim

[GolfVenture]

I had Earl (Skydoc) remove the helmet locks under the trunk and use those two flanges to mount a flat SS plate to install a Custom Dynamics light bar. I don't have a pic of it on this computer, as I am on the road this week. But I will take a pic of it and post it on Friday, when I am home. It looks good and looks like it belongs there.

 

Jim

 

My VR is a 91 and the helmet locks are in front of the side bags on the crash bars.

[bendtdj]

Brian,

 

I hooked the U bolts over the rack and drilled through the angle iron. I thought that this would allow some adjustments to be made for the proper positioning. I did pain the angle iron a flat black using Rustoleum spray paint. Last I looked, I could not see any rust yet. If you want some more pictures, I will take some tonight after work.

 

Dave