Pro grill - baja s8 - shake?

I just installed the TRD Pro Grill and Baja Designs S8 light bar. I'm guessing they've updated the bracket because none of the install videos I saw had the bracket that came with mine. The bracket mine came with ties into the upper bolts of the grill with metal arms (but connects to the metal light bracket via the screws that mount the light bracket to the plastic. So not great) and has a rubber donut thing on an 3.5 in M8 bolt that presses on / rests against the center bar of the shutters. There's nothing in the Baja Designs installation guide that mentions where the rubber donut should wind up how hard it should press Etc.

This would all serve to keep the light from breaking the grill maybe but does nothing to steady the light beam.

The light bounces really bad over any little bump. If you tap on the grill or hood with your palm you can see the whole thing rattles and so do the shutters so I don't see any way of securing this any better but just checking if everyone's S8 in the Pro Grill rattles. A $1,000 light that rattles this bad seems crazy. I uninstalled and reinstalled the whole grill and light 2x. Maybe I missed something. Thabks

 

If you don’t have a bracket, order the Westcott design one. Should help stable it.

 

Oh I do have the bracket. I think its the baja designs bracket....that ties the light bracket to the top of the grill bolts and the bottom to the rubber donut that rests on the shutters. The issue is that entire grill assembly rattles like crazy. So the bracket is all tied into the grill plastic grill assembly that just rattles, and therefore so does the beam.

I just looked at the westcott design one....it looks better for sure, but there are no instructions on their website and I cant find them anywhere. Do you know if this bracket ties into metal on top and bottom?

 

I don’t have it as I have the 18” diode one. it does look larger. I’d hit up Westcott design. Their customer service is good. I plan on swapping my dd ditch light brackets for theirs. They seem more robust for my bigbangers.

 

I'm trying to get Westcott to answer, but they dont know. They also dont seem to just have a set of instructions they could send me, or point me toward - which seems silly. The bracket is like $250. It would appear though that it attachs to the same points that the diode dynamics mount attaches, see below. Thats all plastic, and it all rattles together. At least the westcott bracket appears to be a similar shape.

 

I haven't had any issues with my Baja Designs mount and light rattling.

 

Yes that is the same bracket I have. Mine rattles / shakes the beam like crazy even on pavement. When your hood is shut and you tap your hood or grill with the side of your fist or palm... The whole thing dosent vibrate?

 

It's hard to see in photo but do you have the bolt to that rubber donut run all the way out? I ran mine out until the donut contacted the shutters... Then went a 1/4 inch further so it presses against shutter but not too much. I have about an inch further I could extend the rubber donut. I just didn't see how making this tighter would reduce the vibration.

 

Westcott design for reference, no instructions, added washers where I thought needed and modifications as listed below.


Full grille setup




Top bracket, notice how I had to cut a notch for clearance of the TRD pro marker lights.



Bottom bracket, notice how I mounted the bracket to the bottom of the rivnuts instead of the top, I did this because if i went to the top it seemed to twist the grille up to much.

 

I don't have any issues with any shakes or vibrations whatsoever. The aluminum spacers under the brackets seemed to make everything solid.

I have a TRD OR though, so no shutter. Not sure if that makes a difference or not.

 

yeah looks like the westcot bracket just hits the plastic like the baja designs bracket does. super weird none of you are having the light beam shake and rattle. mine is bad on smooth pavement.

I mean, there are 12 actual bolts on the grill assembly, and a bunch of clips. all my clips are fully inserted and the bolts are all tight. everything lines up, i have no weird gaps or bulges on bumper/grill. but when I rap my grill with the side of my fist or palm of my hand lightly....my entire grill assembly shakes / vibrates and so does the baja S8.

i made a video

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N6Z7MRIvcuduxA2He2JoFugj0MVhOI9-/view?usp=sharing

 

Wild you have to cut.

 

I have the DD light and their bracket. Mine doesn't shake or vibrate. I would be wondering if there's something wrong in the install of your grille. Did you buy the OEM grille or is it a replica from Rave or Yota?

 

Oem grill bought directly from dealer. Did you see the video I posted? That's the shake I'm talking about. Yours dosent shake like that?

Honestly having the entire front out I don't know how it wouldn't be shaky. There is no connection in the middle part of grill only top and bottom. Add heavy light to the center... And boom - shake.

Do all the tundras have the shutters?

 

The grilles shake a little bit but I don't consider a minor amount of shudder or vibration a big problem.

I use my light bar monthly. We own a cabin up in the mountains with a 40 min drive in country roads that start as farmland and end up as mountain roads. Going anywhere from 45 to 70mph. Lot's the mule dear and elk. I consider the light bar in my grille and the aftermarket DD fog driving lights to be essential for driving on these roads at night. I don't notice any sort of bouncing or noticable vibration when I use my light bar. I installed the OEM grille and light bar, DD aftermarket/ afterthought bracket. I've pulled the grille and front end off three times. For the grille itself, an aftermarket bumper, and then a winch. No significant issues.

My guess is your grille isn't installed correctly or you're being unnecessarily anal.

 

Same reason I have them. Country roads with lots and lots of deer. I've never used a grill mount light before. I've always had bumper mount and/or A Pilar mounted lights. Maybe I am being anal. But everyone here saying zero shake. Mine has very noticeable shake. The beam flutters with every little bump. Did you see the link to the video I posted? If your light vibrates and shakes like that and you don't notice it translate to the beam then I must be anal.

 

I saw it. I'd classify that as minor vibration. I'm sure mine shakes like that too, but when driving I don't see it, or I don't notice it.

 

A 1000 dollar light that comes with a specificly made bracket for a very specific application shouldn't rattle on pavement. Does the factory light bar rattle like that?

 

We're all using the same grill, so.....

 

with different lights, different brackets, some with shutters some without, and all with a different tollerance for light shake apparently.

 

Westcotts is larger than diodes. Diodes bolts onto the bottom of the camera mount.

 

My truck is a TRD OR and has shutters. Perhaps the shutters make for a more sturdy grill but as far as brackets the BD, Wescott, and DD brackets all pretty much mount at the same points. There doesn't appear to be a significant difference between them. I pounded my fist on the moustache this morning and saw the same bounce or vibration. But like I said I don't see the bounce in the projected light when driving at night with the exception of the last 1/4 mile into our cabin where some washboard and drainage runoff creates some slippery jouncing through out the entire truck.

 

My DD mount does bolt into the camera mount, at one spot, but that same bracket piece extends down to the bottom of the grill and bolts there as well. (Into the shutter actually) The camera mount is just a bonus bc that bracket arm is really bolting onto the bracket-surround of the light. The fact that it also ties into the camera mount is benign

 

For sure. Look at the pictures of Westcott. It goes past the camera to the top of the grille

 

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your point but the DD also has a top bracket that bolts into the same spot as the Wescott. The photos of the Wescott BD and my DD are all largely the same. Bracket surround, top leg, bottom leg. And they're all bolting onto the likely the same points

 

I think the biggest issue with the baja designs mount is that it just rests on the center, with a rubber donut, on the middle bar of the shutter. There is nothing in the instructions to say....how tight to make this connection. So the DD and westcott bracket is likely more stable even though it doesnt attach to metal, because it attaches to the top and bottom of the plastic grill (where it would be the most stable). I'm willing to try the westcott bracket, its just a $250 bracket so I was hoping to get some user feedback before ordering.

 

Do you not have the bracket mounted with the four screws and spacers as well, then there's the two brackets that tie into the upper grill as well. The rubber piece is used as a secondary spacer to help with rigidity.

 

The diode top mount goes to the camera. That’s it. The Westcott goes past and to the top.

 

Yes I have the Baja Design bracket that loosely ties into two of the top four bolts that hold grill in place, then 3 or 4 screws with spacers around light opening on grill, and the bottom point being the rubber doughnut that presses on the shutter.

 

The Baja bracket goes to the top too... The issue is the shutter vibrates with the entire grill.... And that rubber doughnut presses on shutters... So I whole light also vibrates.