LR4 Grill Mounting Light bracket

[Land Rover Joe]

I have the OEM lights which @Rover Range provided the instructions.

Yes, the install is very involved and not very fun. There are a lot of issues sorted out and as one person said on this forum a long time ago (when I did mine, which was 2015)... you pay $1000 to get the OEM wiring harness (which is basically true).

The good thing about the OEM set is that after all this wiring, you have a pretty good looking (with its own Relay which is basically added-onto the relay box under the hood) switch in the cabin. Of course, that switch is compliant with EU regulations...so that means that your Accessory Lights only work with the brights (as installed). I am sure there is a way to rewire all this stuff...but that is a project I simply haven't bothered with (yet). Plus, I am headed back to Europe shortly so I will need to have those lights compliant (yes, they do check with their various annual inspections - called the "MOT" in the UK [Ministry of Transportation Vehicle Inspection]).

Another "good thing" about the OEM is that they are indeed strong enough to deal with the lights with all this plastic in front. You simply cannot bolt lights onto the existing bumper or grill because it is just not strong enough. The OEM assembly has two pretty large steel upright supports which bolt to the frame and extend THROUGH (requiring some cutting/drilling) the OEM bumper.

I have the plastic bumper guard accessory as well (no longer available, apparently) and the OEM lights fit pretty well with that installed as well.

SO: BAD IDEA - bolt lights to the plastic. BETTER IDEA - Get some steel supports (OEM or otherwise) and modify those for your application. BEST IDEA - Just get a steel bumper and be done with it.... (again, I cannot since I have to go back to Europe and the truck needs to be compliant).

The OEM lights are Hellas and not great (at all). Mine worked ok for the first ~4 years but then the seals got compromised and started to leak, corroding the reflectors and fogging up. At this point, I am done with them and bought some Baja designs lights to replace them (with a whole new wiring harness). This is a future project and can let people know how that works out (priority right now is the engine) but may be germane to this discussion.

Curious on folks thoughts -

 

[Land Rover Joe]

This is what the OEM (Hella) Lights installed on my LR4 look like (with the "older" bumper / grill / lights and the plastic brush guard thing).

If folks were wondering about the brush guard, I can tell you all about it...but since it's no longer available I figure folks are not very interested.

 

[Land Rover Joe]

This is what the OEM bracket looks like which the Hellas then connect to. This variation has the rise for the lights to fit over the plastic brush guard. The steel bracket ties-into the steel uprights which descend downward and bolt onto the frame. One note about the brackets and steel - the OEM stuff is strong and solid but rusts quickly (I will be cleaning and repainting).

Also, the OEM Hellas, while the assembly is solid, have a tendancy to slip and therefore lose their aim. They worked pretty well for about two years but after that they would just slowly move all over the place and require constant repositioning and reaiming (which I gave up on).

 

[Land Rover Joe]

Here is a close-up of the upright steel bracket which you can see behind the plastic (old-style) bumper assembly - circled in red.

 

[Land Rover Joe]

Update on my upgrades and project - attached are two photos of the front grill area with the OEM accessory light mounts (without the OEM light brackets and lights or the plastic "Protection Bar").

The Red circle illustrates the steel upright (now cleaned and painted).

Plan right now is to install new accessory lights from Baja Designs and we are still working through wiring harnesses and whatnot such as how to best mount the new accessory lights.

 

[Land Rover Joe]

Update Part II: we have done the first installation for the new Baja Designs lights (LP6; the LP9 seemed too big and bulky for the mounting in front of the grill...they were almost as big as the grill!)

Here are a couple quick photos of what they look like. More testing and design necessary but I am certainly interested in what folks think...Any additional insights most welcome (perhaps there are a few who have tried the Baja Designs out there?)

 

[Rubber Cow]

I'm going through this hell currently. Making my own wiring harness with a diode. And I really can't find a decent mount like I have on my LR3 Bull Bar where I run Hella 4000 Pencil Beams- which, perhaps sadly, I'm addicted to.

I just purchased these from the UK- but I think they're going to be too flimsy for the Hella 4000s.

I'm also looking into modifying a bracket from the bumper core and up through the bumper cover.

Last option/alternative is the Lucky8 LLC Bumper or Proud Rhino....but I have zero interest in running a winch.

 

[Land Rover Joe]

I'm going through this hell currently. Making my own wiring harness with a diode. And I really can't find a decent mount like I have on my LR3 Bull Bar where I run Hella 4000 Pencil Beams- which, perhaps sadly, I'm addicted to.

I just purchased these from the UK- but I think they're going to be too flimsy for the Hella 4000s.

also looking into modifying a bracket from the bumper core and up through the bumper cover.

Last option/alternative is the Lucky8 LLC Bumper or Proud Rhino....but I have zero interest in running a winch.

Welcome !

Keep us posted - this is one of those deceptively complicated and tricky subjects (how hard could it be to mount a couple accessory lights?)..........

 

[Land Rover Joe]

Update -

Where we stand mid-July with the light upgrade, and perhaps it would be worth opening a new thread on Baja Designs?

I am not happy with the present layout but am very happy with the way they look and sit on the truck. The issue here is that they are too low for the "Protection Bar" so I am looking at getting some aluminum blocks machined so we have about an inch rise - which should fit just right inside the protection bar (and maybe even look better as they will be on the center of the grill then.

Still working on the wiring harness....

More to follow and certainly welcome anyone's expertise!

 

[Rubber Cow]

Brackets installed. Lights mounted and wired. Function test scheduled for tonight
Two observations/questions:
1. Brackets are clamped to the radiator protector/cross members- there's lot of vibration. Inducing movement in one lamp causes the other to move as well. May end up needing additional stabilization....bouncy lights are the suck.
2. Where the F do you route the switch wires through the firewall on a Left Hand Drive(North America spec) '12 LR4?