Broke my tail light

[Dr_Al]

While it was cold out I backed into my snow blower and broke the red lens and cracked the mud flap. It really didn't take much, barely hit it at all. Several times now I have got the mud flap caught and pulled it off.

Since I was planning on making a rear bumper anyway I now looking for a design. The aftermarket bumpers are designed with the taillights and mud flaps staying but I'm going to remove both of them so none of them will work. So I'll have to make something kind of like this.

I have a set of dies to bend 1 3/4" tube for roll cages so I can bend the ends in. I'm thinking of using the 2" x 6" sealed LED taillights and reverse lights so I'm thinking of spacing the two tubes about an inch or so apart and fill it with metal.

Since I'm still in the planning phase I'm looking for ideas.

[sfrankland]

I think if you wraped the tube around and extended it up to where the wheel arch starts and then beveled cut the two tubes to follow the lines of the rear break light assembly. Also if you somewhat frenched your tail lights into the tube it would offer them some protection.

[Dr_Al]

Looks like I'm going to have to change the design a little. I use my BR for hauling firewood and the tailgate kind of got in the way so I removed the two straps so when it's open it hangs straight down. The tailgate has indentations in it below the latches that are there so they don't hit the mud flaps.

So two lights on each side will not work easily. I ended up buying a pair of Maxxima Hybrid oval taillights that have both red stop/ tail lights in the center and white reverse lights around the outside edge. I've wanted to add reverse lights for some time now.

[Dr_Al]

It's been too cold to do much of anything making a bumper but I did modify the broken mud flap so I could get an idea what the new lights will look like. The oem taillights are held in place with a plastic post going through rubber grommet. BTW they are LEDs.

After removing the broken one and cutting some of the plastic away I was able to mount one of the Maxxima LED lights. I was able to find a guy on ebay who sold connectors that use a similar type of pin so after removing the plastic connector housing I was able to reuse the pins. I didn't wire up the reverse light yet but the brake and tail light works.

[Johnnyd]

id do what sfrankland said ! sounds about right