Jeep Liberty light bar on a VX

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

Its a work in progress...I eliminated the overhangs and mounted it in place of my roof rack. I haven't wired them up yet and just installed it when I took the photos so I haven't adjusted the aim yet. Each light (Hella) has individual up & down adjustment.

In 7 years of ownership I've never used my roof racks for anything so it doesn't bother me to remove them for this mod. The roof baskets just aren't for me as I really don't want to keep a wheel/tire up there. My main concerns were:

1) Have an easily removable light bar that is securely mounted as opposed to a permanently mounted one like the Liberty Renegade. It is as easy to remove/install as the original roof rack other than it weighs more.

2) Pass for a factory, OEM installation (okay..to the unsuspecting public..lol).

3) Be out of the way for a future installation of a power moon (sun?) roof.

Until I get them working & adjust the beams I won't know for sure if there is any issues to work out but all in all I love the look...hope you guys do to!

I plan on mounting a full-size wheel/tire carrier (baja racing style) in place of the rear seat that is removable so I can switch back & forth when I need to carry passengers.

[djkymar]

Looks really cool man. Now your going to have lots of light at night time lol
P.s i like te look of your cladding too. Did you shine it up or did you painted?

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

Looks really cool man. Now your going to have lots of light at night time lol
P.s i like te look of your cladding too. Did you shine it up or did you painted?

Thanx! I shined the cladding up with Meguiar's Tire Shine (spray can w/ adjustable nozzle) available at Wal-Mart and Advance or Autozone. I like it because it doesn't streak when it gets wet for like 3-4 weeks until it wears off. Just be sure to wipe off any excess.

[don moore]

were did you get the light bar..(junk yard ,dealer?)..and how much...I was looking into the CARR light bars..

Oh it looks kool

Chin Up

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

were did you get the light bar..(junk yard ,dealer?)..and how much...I was looking into the CARR light bars..

Oh it looks kool

Chin Up

Thanks! I got mine on Ebay...just search either (Jeep Liberty, light bar) or (Renegade, light bar) on ebay and you'll probably see some listed. When I bought mine there was a used one and some new ones. I paid $185 plus $20 shipping for new in box. They retail for about $445 from dealer carrying Mopar parts.

[Chopper]

Excellent. You're only slightly less lit up than a UFO. How much is all that gonna draw, when you flip the switch? Any need to add a battery, or get a bigger alternator. Get a set of those giant, hood mount, landing lights the WRC guys use. Looks great.

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

Excellent. You're only slightly less lit up than a UFO. How much is all that gonna draw, when you flip the switch? Any need to add a battery, or get a bigger alternator. Get a set of those giant, hood mount, landing lights the WRC guys use. Looks great.

Thanks!...I think...Hey wait a minute....you're using sarcasm aren't you!

The PIAA's are for fog. The Headlights are for street driving. The lightbar is for off-road in conjunction with the headlights. Doubtful it will strain the alternator if used properly. The Jeep Liberty "Renegade" seems to operate ok with it.

Its a work in progress...I haven't wired them up yet....Until I get them working & adjust the beams I won't know for sure if there is any issues to work out....

There are some VX'ers here with lights mounted up on the cargo baskets...I just chose to go a different route as I've always liked the look of the Baja racing trucks and yes...even rally racing :-)

[etlsport]

Excellent. You're only slightly less lit up than a UFO. How much is all that gonna draw, when you flip the switch? Any need to add a battery, or get a bigger alternator. Get a set of those giant, hood mount, landing lights the WRC guys use. Looks great.

yea my lights draw 100w x 4 lights (roughly 30 amps) i run those along with my sound system which draws no more than 40 amps and i havent had to upgrade my alternator, running an optima blue top.. never had any power issues

[JHarris1385]

I think that looks GREAT. How hard was the install?

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

I think that looks GREAT. How hard was the install?

Thanks... I won't lie to you...I am (and will be for some time!) shop-vac'ing the heck out of my basement after the carnage! Lots 'o' debris & dust from cutting (carbide cutter), grinding (dremel, bench wheel grinder), drilling (hand drill), filing (hand file). I've had this thing sitting in its original box since February and finally got the time & inclination to work on it now!

**I was concerned before I bought it that the light bar had a non-adjustable angle strictly for placement atop the forward roof directly above windshield as on Liberty Renegade. After stalking some Jeep Liberty's...lol...each light (Hella) does have an up/down angle adjustment which I have not played with yet and am assuming will be sufficient.


Alot of the work involved a simple mock-up & measurements on my VX. Sitting back and deciding what I didn't like (the overhang, height from roof). Spending like 4 hrs. after work in the evening contemplating & actually working to shorten the overhang without getting too excessive and ruining the light bar. Than thinking @ work what I needed to do to add additional support so it could be a "stand-alone assembly" rather than a "bolt directly to your roof assembly" as it was intended. Than spending more time after work laying-out what I decided to use for support (Ldubs favorite material..lol.) & cutting it out to match shape of bottom of light bar & marking, drilling the mounting holes & hole for wiring harness w/rubber grommet. Than spent another evening robbing one of my original roof racks of its support brackets and modifing them (more measuring, cutting, grinding & filing, plus mock-up) to get the height & level mounting face right. Then buying some slightly stronger bolts (allan bolts..one per side) to fasten the support brackets to the new light bar bottom... which had one issue that I had to remove each outboard light (left + right) to drill & fasten the support brackets and than re-install outboard lights. Finally, tearing it all down to clean dust, primer & paint flat black the support piece (you know, the one made from Ldubs favorite material ) and after drying..re-assembling the whole unit. For now, I capped-off the left & right side ends of the light-bar (after I cut off to remove the over-hang) with that screen you buy for auto-body work (to spread bondo over) which I cut to shape using a template & painted flat black & attached with black RTV. I may make actual plastic pieces instead later...but, for now It seems to work & look okay. I don't see much moisture ever getting inside as there is more plastic "baffles" if you will inside and the wiring is all done with plug-in connectors so there really is no bare wiring inside.

The finished light bar will have a plug-in wiring harness (not currently wired up...harness is coiled-up & tie wrapped presently) so that all you have to do to remove it is disconnect plug, remove the same single allan-screw you have on a stock VX roof rack support for each side, pick-up and swing off roof!


Total cost of project:

Jeep Liberty Renegade light bar on ebay $185 plus $20 shipping = $205
Support piece (Ldub's favorite stuff) 44"L X 8"W X .25"thick= $20
Rustoleum Primer from Lowe's (had on hand for repainting wiper arms)=$4
Rustoleum flat black paint from Lowe's (also from wiper arms)=$4
Body supply screen from Advance Auto (2 sheets in pack) = $4.50
Tube of black RTV = $3-$4
hardware...7 bolts scavenged from light bar kit, bought 7 nuts, washers, lock washers, 2 metric allan bolts w/nuts + lock washers for support bracket mounting, re-used the 2 VX allan bolts used as fasteners for roof mounting. = maybe $4 total from True Value Hardware.

already had all power tools & bits & accessories on hand.