Lightbar Placement & Adaptive Cruise Control Sensor

QNH_250

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📛 Founding Member
Dec 20, 2024
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Dubai, UAE
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2024 LC Prado J250
Hi all - anyone have any insights into whether placing a lightbar just clear of the bottom of the cruise control sensor would interfere with its function? Picture below for proposed placement.

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I am trying to achieve a higher and more unobstructed placement than the lower grille offers. Fabricating brackets is not a concern, I have a solid guy taking care of that. My only concern is the proximity to the ACC sensor. The lightbar is clear of the bottom of it, but I can't find any information or documentation on whether the beam comes out straight-on, or more cone-like (in which case the lightbar may block/reflect it).

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
 
Look at this bumper, the sensor looks to be way in the back, I don't think you'll have problems doing what you want.

 
Hi all - anyone have any insights into whether placing a lightbar just clear of the bottom of the cruise control sensor would interfere with its function? Picture below for proposed placement.

View attachment 23750

I am trying to achieve a higher and more unobstructed placement than the lower grille offers. Fabricating brackets is not a concern, I have a solid guy taking care of that. My only concern is the proximity to the ACC sensor. The lightbar is clear of the bottom of it, but I can't find any information or documentation on whether the beam comes out straight-on, or more cone-like (in which case the lightbar may block/reflect it).

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Why not just get the CA tuned bull bar instead? not that expensive and gives you a little more protection while you're at it. I believe they have mounts that would work for a light bar and would be about the same level.

I personally have my light bar behind the lower grill and find that it projects light super far. I like the tucked look of it but that's just me.

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Look at this bumper, the sensor looks to be way in the back, I don't think you'll have problems doing what you want.

Good spot - if anyone has the Rago bumper and can confirm whether their ACC works as expected, would very much appreciate it!

Why not just get the CA tuned bull bar instead? not that expensive and gives you a little more protection while you're at it. I believe they have mounts that would work for a light bar and would be about the same level.

I personally have my light bar behind the lower grill and find that it projects light super far. I like the tucked look of it but that's just me.

This type of bull bar is not ideal for the high speed desert driving we do here in the UAE. It's a damage multiplier when hitting the bumper and underside at speed (almost guaranteed when on the dunes), and the way it's mounted from the recovery points means you lose approach angle and ground clearance. If I go in that direction, I'll likely just get an aluminum bumper fabricated locally.

Second reason is that it's pretty expensive getting steel parts shipped half way across the world :) That $500 price is indeed great, but unfortunately, landed cost to get it to Dubai would likely be double.

Good to hear that projection is good from that lower position, and there's a good chance I'll save myself the headache and just mount it there. Do you happen to have any pictures with your lightbar on at night?
 
Good spot - if anyone has the Rago bumper and can confirm whether their ACC works as expected, would very much appreciate it!



This type of bull bar is not ideal for the high speed desert driving we do here in the UAE. It's a damage multiplier when hitting the bumper and underside at speed (almost guaranteed when on the dunes), and the way it's mounted from the recovery points means you lose approach angle and ground clearance. If I go in that direction, I'll likely just get an aluminum bumper fabricated locally.

Second reason is that it's pretty expensive getting steel parts shipped half way across the world :) That $500 price is indeed great, but unfortunately, landed cost to get it to Dubai would likely be double.

Good to hear that projection is good from that lower position, and there's a good chance I'll save myself the headache and just mount it there. Do you happen to have any pictures with your lightbar on at night?
get what you're saying about the shipping lol I'm sure that would make it unfeasible.

don't necessarily agree on the damage multiplier though. my main concern on the front end is protecting the radiator bracket. if you search this forum, there was a guy off roading in the sand dunes in CA or something and bottomed out the front end, busted the bracket, radiator and condenser. over 7K repair and he didn't even notice an impact that hard while off roading. others done it too outside of sand dunes. In my mind, if I am slamming that bull bar on something, it damages the bumper first before impacting the radiator potentially preserving the complete functionality of the car in a worst case scenario. there is a bunch of empty space behind the grill before it would impact the radiator and condenser.
This is also why I will be replacing the first edition skid plates. they are thick but they mount to that radiator bracket on the 2 front bolts. terrible design. The victory 4x4 skids mount to the tow hooks. anything attaching to the tow hooks is going to protect that radiator bracket.
Eventually I want to get a full front end replacement but I am going to wait a while for more products to come out.

Here are the only pics I have on me right now. I will try to get some better ones tonight. maybe a video against a building wall back drop so you can see how it projects. I angled mine very slightly up. Its an amber/white combo so if you went all white, you would get more brightness and throw. Keep in mind since this one was 28 inches, i couldn't install by slipping the bar underneath, had to remove the whole bumper which was a major pain in the ass. you can see those pics on my previous media posts. but the factory brackets fit perfect at 28 inches! if you wanted a way easier install you would have to go down to like 22 inches I think there is a guy on YT that does it.

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get what you're saying about the shipping lol I'm sure that would make it unfeasible.

don't necessarily agree on the damage multiplier though. my main concern on the front end is protecting the radiator bracket. if you search this forum, there was a guy off roading in the sand dunes in CA or something and bottomed out the front end, busted the bracket, radiator and condenser. over 7K repair and he didn't even notice an impact that hard while off roading. others done it too outside of sand dunes. In my mind, if I am slamming that bull bar on something, it damages the bumper first before impacting the radiator potentially preserving the complete functionality of the car in a worst case scenario. there is a bunch of empty space behind the grill before it would impact the radiator and condenser.
This is also why I will be replacing the first edition skid plates. they are thick but they mount to that radiator bracket on the 2 front bolts. terrible design. The victory 4x4 skids mount to the tow hooks. anything attaching to the tow hooks is going to protect that radiator bracket.
Eventually I want to get a full front end replacement but I am going to wait a while for more products to come out.

Here are the only pics I have on me right now. I will try to get some better ones tonight. maybe a video against a building wall back drop so you can see how it projects. I angled mine very slightly up. Its an amber/white combo so if you went all white, you would get more brightness and throw. Keep in mind since this one was 28 inches, i couldn't install by slipping the bar underneath, had to remove the whole bumper which was a major pain in the ass. you can see those pics on my previous media posts. but the factory brackets fit perfect at 28 inches! if you wanted a way easier install you would have to go down to like 22 inches I think there is a guy on YT that does it.

View attachment 23770View attachment 23771

Oh and here are some I have of running the amber only. I think it looks pretty slick at night especially behind the grill.

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This is also why I will be replacing the first edition skid plates. they are thick but they mount to that radiator bracket on the 2 front bolts. terrible design. The victory 4x4 skids mount to the tow hooks. anything attaching to the tow hooks is going to protect that radiator bracket.
Eventually I want to get a full front end replacement but I am going to wait a while for more products to come out.

You're spot on with your concerns - I think it's a must if you're exposing the underside to any kind of strong impact. Just got my new skids installed on the car today to solve for exactly this. I had a local fabricator make them (8mm aluminum) with a 6mm steel reinforcement bracket that attaches to the recovery points. The skids connect to the steel bracket.

Hit the bottom hard on the sand a few weeks ago and sh*t my pants worried that I did the same thing to my condenser/radiator as the guy you mentioned. I've seen the horror stories. Thankfully walked away to fight another day with only the factory skid trashed (our top spec here comes with the soda can thin black skid, not the beefier FE ones you get in the US) and have refused to take it offroad again until I could beef it up.

WhatsApp Image 2025-01-08 at 17.31.43.jpeg


Here are the only pics I have on me right now. I will try to get some better ones tonight. maybe a video against a building wall back drop so you can see how it projects. I angled mine very slightly up. Its an amber/white combo so if you went all white, you would get more brightness and throw. Keep in mind since this one was 28 inches, i couldn't install by slipping the bar underneath, had to remove the whole bumper which was a major pain in the ass. you can see those pics on my previous media posts. but the factory brackets fit perfect at 28 inches! if you wanted a way easier install you would have to go down to like 22 inches I think there is a guy on YT that does it.

Very nice, thanks for sharing. What light bar is that? Can you toggle the amber and white separately? I went with a 20" Amber Baja S8 so should hopefully be able to avoid full bumper removal if I go in that direction.
 
You're spot on with your concerns - I think it's a must if you're exposing the underside to any kind of strong impact. Just got my new skids installed on the car today to solve for exactly this. I had a local fabricator make them (8mm aluminum) with a 6mm steel reinforcement bracket that attaches to the recovery points. The skids connect to the steel bracket.

Hit the bottom hard on the sand a few weeks ago and sh*t my pants worried that I did the same thing to my condenser/radiator as the guy you mentioned. I've seen the horror stories. Thankfully walked away to fight another day with only the factory skid trashed (our top spec here comes with the soda can thin black skid, not the beefier FE ones you get in the US) and have refused to take it offroad again until I could beef it up.

View attachment 23782



Very nice, thanks for sharing. What light bar is that? Can you toggle the amber and white separately? I went with a 20" Amber Baja S8 so should hopefully be able to avoid full bumper removal if I go in that direction.
the light bar is from extreme LED. Here is a link. they are 2 separate functioning lights essentially but I do have them both wired to a caliraised dual function switch that is made for exactly this kind of light bar. must be a pain having to get everything custom over there lol. looks like you still have a few bolts in that radiator bracket though. the victory plate just omits those mounting points completely.

Eventually, I think they will come out with something like this for the LC to support that bracket area more. all would be irrelevant when I eventually do a full steel front end replacement that wont let anything touch the radiator.

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must be a pain having to get everything custom over there lol. looks like you still have a few bolts in that radiator bracket though. the victory plate just omits those mounting points completely.

Eventually, I think they will come out with something like this for the LC to support that bracket area more. all would be irrelevant when I eventually do a full steel front end replacement that wont let anything touch the radiator.

It's just because the 250 is so new. There are a bunch of fabrication garages that have really high quality designs for a range of cars - LC70s/100s/200s/300s, FJs, Wranglers, etc. Japanese, US and Australian imported parts are also common, but pricey.

The offroad scene is crazy popular here, I expect there'll be an established market over the next few months. Waiting for that to happen before changing the bumper. Here are the instas of a couple of prominent garages: Titan Performance, Ramy

Those bolts in my skids aren't attached to the radiator bracket. They bolt into a custom steel bracket that looks exactly like the Tundra one you linked to.
 
Took my 250 out in Al Qudra and first thing I knew i had to do was more underside protection. Got my plate installed by Titan and they really did a good job. Went out to Sweihan over the weekend and had 2 big bumps again - was very thankful for that extra protection! While it was at TP i had them install a 21" Stedi bar in the bottom grill. i'm happy with the placement and angle of the beam. to note though, i have the GXR, so no ACC for me :/

Next up will be a 2" lift and tyre upgrade. I'm also looking to get some custom drawers done in the back for all the recovery gear.
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Took my 250 out in Al Qudra and first thing I knew i had to do was more underside protection. Got my plate installed by Titan and they really did a good job. Went out to Sweihan over the weekend and had 2 big bumps again - was very thankful for that extra protection! While it was at TP i had them install a 21" Stedi bar in the bottom grill. i'm happy with the placement and angle of the beam. to note though, i have the GXR, so no ACC for me :/

Next up will be a 2" lift and tyre upgrade. I'm also looking to get some custom drawers done in the back for all the recovery gear.

Super clean! How did you like it on the sand?

How are you planning to achieve the lift - spacers/collars or a suspension kit? Just got a quote for a King LC250 kit and very tempted to pull the trigger...
 
Super clean! How did you like it on the sand?

How are you planning to achieve the lift - spacers/collars or a suspension kit? Just got a quote for a King LC250 kit and very tempted to pull the trigger...
That skid plate looks great. Excited to hear how it did in the sand. ( I'm the guy who destroyed the bottom on the dunes-ended being $12k in damage).
 
That skid plate looks great. Excited to hear how it did in the sand. ( I'm the guy who destroyed the bottom on the dunes-ended being $12k in damage).
o_O I have been telling your story all over the forums lol. now I am learning its 12K in damage not 7K
 
Super clean! How did you like it on the sand?

How are you planning to achieve the lift - spacers/collars or a suspension kit? Just got a quote for a King LC250 kit and very tempted to pull the trigger...
Still considering all the options, i dont want to go much bigger that 33" and the stock suspension is actually good. so leaning towards a westcott preload collar kit.

Even in stock form the 250 is a dream in the dunes, the only downside being ground clearance. initial thoughts of the 2.4 non hybrid was that it will struggle a bit, but i find it has more than enough torque to get the job done. Some aftermath of the plate doing exactly what its supposed to do :)
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Still considering all the options, i dont want to go much bigger that 33" and the stock suspension is actually good. so leaning towards a westcott preload collar kit.

Even in stock form the 250 is a dream in the dunes, the only downside being ground clearance. initial thoughts of the 2.4 non hybrid was that it will struggle a bit, but i find it has more than enough torque to get the job done. Some aftermath of the plate doing exactly what its supposed to do :)

Doing what they're supposed to do!

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33" will fit without a lift, spare included. I have 275/70/R18s, which come out to just over 33", and they've been perfect. Pic below.
Fully agree on ability - also went in with low expectations but have been very impressed with what the 4 pot can do. Glad you're enjoying the ride!

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That skid plate looks great. Excited to hear how it did in the sand. ( I'm the guy who destroyed the bottom on the dunes-ended being $12k in damage).

Ah man, what an absolute nightmare. Looks like she's back in fighting shape though? Your sacrifice was not in vain - you scared the rest of us enough into taking the necessary precautions :LOL:

It did great on the sand. Posted a trip report and video here a few days ago: A sandy rollercoaster ride in the 250 - Sweihan, UAE
 
You're spot on with your concerns - I think it's a must if you're exposing the underside to any kind of strong impact. Just got my new skids installed on the car today to solve for exactly this. I had a local fabricator make them (8mm aluminum) with a 6mm steel reinforcement bracket that attaches to the recovery points. The skids connect to the steel bracket.

Hit the bottom hard on the sand a few weeks ago and sh*t my pants worried that I did the same thing to my condenser/radiator as the guy you mentioned. I've seen the horror stories. Thankfully walked away to fight another day with only the factory skid trashed (our top spec here comes with the soda can thin black skid, not the beefier FE ones you get in the US) and have refused to take it offroad again until I could beef it up.

View attachment 23782



Very nice, thanks for sharing. What light bar is that? Can you toggle the amber and white separately? I went with a 20" Amber Baja S8 so should hopefully be able to avoid full bumper removal if I go in that direction.
Great photos! Does yours have the auxiliary fuel tank? Would love some photos of it if it does. Thanks for posting!
 
We get a 110L (29 US gallons) tank as standard here.
Thank you! Is that split between an 80L main and 30L sub tank on they turbo 4 hybrid petrol/gasoline?



- Adding an 30L/8 Gallons to our 68L/18 gallon would be a 44% increase! Very substantial.
Would love to see any photos you could send of the 30L (8 gallon) including plumbing and brackets.


- If it's actually a single 110L (29 gallons) tank would love to see photos including plumbing and brackets. That would be a 62% increase! Wow!

Thank you again for posting!
 
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