light bar on a CX-5??

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calebian21

Member
:
2015 Subaru WRX
so I have a 20" light bar that I took off of my WRX before I sold it. I'm wanting to put it on my CX 5 and wanted to know if yall think that the lower portion of the front bumper would be supportive enough to hold it or not.
 
The lower area of the front bumper with the opening and black cross bars isn't very sturdy at all. I hit a tiny piece of a tire kicked up by another car and it cracked those plastic bars pretty easily. I had to super glue them and plastidip over it to avoid getting a whole new bumper. Depending on the weight I wouldn't trust it to hold a lightbar.
 
Seminole said:
The lower area of the front bumper with the opening and black cross bars isn't very sturdy at all. I hit a tiny piece of a tire kicked up by another car and it cracked those plastic bars pretty easily. I had to super glue them and plastidip over it to avoid getting a whole new bumper. Depending on the weight I wouldn't trust it to hold a lightbar.
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Ah dang it. I was hoping to be able to avoid having to get a bull bar to mount it on but if it is that flimsy I think I'll just spend the money for the bar.
 
calebian21 said:
so I have a 20" light bar that I took off of my WRX before I sold it. I'm wanting to put it on my CX 5 and wanted to know if yall think that the lower portion of the front bumper would be supportive enough to hold it or not.
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If you're talking about the plastic bumper COVER, of course it's not a suitable mounting spot!
 
calebian21 said:
Ah dang it. I was hoping to be able to avoid having to get a bull bar to mount it on but if it is that flimsy I think I'll just spend the money for the bar.
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"Bull bars" compromise the crash protection built into every CX-5. I recommend you not go that path. Which headlights did your CX-5 come with and why do you want more light?
 
MikeM. said:
"Bull bars" compromise the crash protection built into every CX-5. I recommend you not go that path. Which headlights did your CX-5 come with and why do you want more light?
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I currently have the regular halogen lights. I got used to the LED's in my WRX and want them back. I am going to be installing VLED's Low beams within the next week and want the light bar to wire into my high beams.
 
calebian21 said:
so I have a 20" light bar that I took off of my WRX before I sold it. I'm wanting to put it on my CX 5 and wanted to know if yall think that the lower portion of the front bumper would be supportive enough to hold it or not.
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Not sure what a light bar is but check my post surrounding insurance when you have a grill bar/bull bar.
 
bmninada said:
Not sure what a light bar is but check my post surrounding insurance when you have a grill bar/bull bar.
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I just saw that about the bull bar/insurance thing. I think I'll just try to put the light directly on the lower bumper and see how it holds.
 
I'd just mount the light bar to the bumper structure (not the cover) in such a way that it is visible through the cover opening. Should be simple enough with some aluminum stock bent and drilled to fit. If you value the bar, I wouldn't mount it to the plastic cover.
 
Why not make some brackets and install it in front of the radiator, this way it would be inside the bumper, behind the lower grill.
 
Wouldn't the lower grille section be too low? How about installing one on the actual grill itself? OR installing 2 smaller ones unto some aftermarket foglight housings?

mazda-cx5-fog-lamp-cover-daylight-running-light-bar-cardeco28-1510-07-cardeco28@8.jpg
 
I don't think it'd be too low. I had it on the lower portion of my WRX's grille and it worked great. And I really don't want to spend any more money on additional lights. I think I'm going to have my buddy that works for a fabrication company make some brackets to mount it somewhere behind the lower grille.
 
I was planning to put a light bar in the same spot till I found out moving to VA meant I had to put on a front lic plate, which blocks the middle of the slot. So now thinking maybe to smaller like 8" lights on either side. I was also thinking if I got the roof rac I could mount a full size bar under the cross beam so it would blend in and light would spread much better from that height.

I drive through really bad deer county 45 miles every night on the way home from work, so the more light the better.

I think why someone asked the op which lights he had was because the stock led lights on the 2016 gt are pretty amazing. Sometimes the reflection off big highway signs is blinding. Other threads have talked about just buying the lights and putting them in I think.
 
BambooBen said:
I was planning to put a light bar in the same spot till I found out moving to VA meant I had to put on a front lic plate, which blocks the middle of the slot. So now thinking maybe to smaller like 8" lights on either side. I was also thinking if I got the roof rac I could mount a full size bar under the cross beam so it would blend in and light would spread much better from that height.

I drive through really bad deer county 45 miles every night on the way home from work, so the more light the better.

I think why someone asked the op which lights he had was because the stock led lights on the 2016 gt are pretty amazing. Sometimes the reflection off big highway signs is blinding. Other threads have talked about just buying the lights and putting them in I think.
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I would suggest double checking your state laws before putting it on the roof. I know that here in WV you legally aren't allowed to have lights above your headlights, although it isn't enforced. I only have the Touring model and am putting in a set of VLED's in my low beams and want the light bar put on to use as my high beams.
 
calebian21 said:
I don't think it'd be too low. I had it on the lower portion of my WRX's grille and it worked great. And I really don't want to spend any more money on additional lights. I think I'm going to have my buddy that works for a fabrication company make some brackets to mount it somewhere behind the lower grille.
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Second thought you're right placing these lights are better off low...lower = better simply because those LED bars have no cutoff. They're basically going to throw out high beam light patterns to illuminate trees, signs, not to mention produce glare. Are these for off road use only or for improved lighting in the city?
 
CX-5um said:
Second thought you're right placing these lights are better off low...lower = better simply because those LED bars have no cutoff. They're basically going to throw out high beam light patterns to illuminate trees, signs, not to mention produce glare. Are these for off road use only or for improved lighting in the city?
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In WV I know they're only legal as off road lights. I still use mine as a high beam on the back roads so that I can see wildlife easier and hopefully avoid hitting something.
 
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