Gumball
11-26-2013, 11:18 PM
UPDATED 7/21/16 - This rehash of an old how-to thread is for my friend Sten, who was asking about how I modified the spring clips for the headlight stone guards for a more period correct look. Hopefully, others will benefit from this one, too.
Original post follows....
I wanted to add a pair of stone guards to my headlamps (I'm using the Lucan PL700 housings), but I didn't like the idea of fitting them with the spring clip set-up that most come with. I really like the original version, which used knurled knobs on the sides of the headlamp housings. Unfortunately, those aren't available from many sources and tend to be pretty expensive. So, using a set of readily available stone guards and some hardware from McMaster-Carr, I made these using the stock FFR headlamp assembly.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1716171_zps89096db3.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1716171_zps89096db3.jpg.html)
The stone guards I used came from Moss Motors and included two sets of stainless spring clips - one long set and one short set. I used four of the clips from the long set for this project (two per headlamp) and simply bent the 90 degree end open a bit so that it was around 45 degrees. Here's a picture of one as they came and the other as bent by me. The ends of these clips are still in their as-delivered clip state, but to make this work you'll need to bend those fully around the outer ring of the stone guard as you'll see in a pic below - to do that bend, I used a pair of flat-nose pliers.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1718351_zpsbd84911b.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1718351_zpsbd84911b.jpg.html)
I then drilled two holes in the FFR trim ring. To get the holes in the right place, I followed a scientific process... basically I traced the trim ring out on a piece of lined paper, marked the top and bottom by using the rivet on the top and the drain hole on the bottom, then rotated the trim ring in the traced circle and located the two sides. For the clips I was using, which were pre-drilled, the holes in the side of the trim rings were .330" from the back of the trim ring. Here's my fancy template.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1720121_zps7441f43c.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1720121_zps7441f43c.jpg.html)
With the side brackets now wrapped around the stone guard outer ring, I bolted the assembly to the trim ring using #8 x 3/8" shouldered, knurled thumbscrews from McMaster - approx $10 for a set of five and a hex nut with lock washer on the inside. Note that the adjuster screw will get in the way on one side, so you'll either have to clock the side mounts just a bit or grind down the protruding end of the screw on the inside of the trim ring. I'm going to add serrated washers to both sides of the bracket to make sure it doesn't rotate, as well as swag the brackets to the outer ring of the stone guards so make sure they don't move.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1716361_zps9d909a20.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1716361_zps9d909a20.jpg.html)
Here are a couple more detail pics, including one of all the parts unassembled. Total cost for this mod was around twenty-two bucks versus the up-to $300 that I've seen these advertised for on the 'net.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1716541_zpsfe9aaf37.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1716541_zpsfe9aaf37.jpg.html)
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1719581_zpsbfb063f6.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1719581_zpsbfb063f6.jpg.html)
Original post follows....
I wanted to add a pair of stone guards to my headlamps (I'm using the Lucan PL700 housings), but I didn't like the idea of fitting them with the spring clip set-up that most come with. I really like the original version, which used knurled knobs on the sides of the headlamp housings. Unfortunately, those aren't available from many sources and tend to be pretty expensive. So, using a set of readily available stone guards and some hardware from McMaster-Carr, I made these using the stock FFR headlamp assembly.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1716171_zps89096db3.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1716171_zps89096db3.jpg.html)
The stone guards I used came from Moss Motors and included two sets of stainless spring clips - one long set and one short set. I used four of the clips from the long set for this project (two per headlamp) and simply bent the 90 degree end open a bit so that it was around 45 degrees. Here's a picture of one as they came and the other as bent by me. The ends of these clips are still in their as-delivered clip state, but to make this work you'll need to bend those fully around the outer ring of the stone guard as you'll see in a pic below - to do that bend, I used a pair of flat-nose pliers.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1718351_zpsbd84911b.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1718351_zpsbd84911b.jpg.html)
I then drilled two holes in the FFR trim ring. To get the holes in the right place, I followed a scientific process... basically I traced the trim ring out on a piece of lined paper, marked the top and bottom by using the rivet on the top and the drain hole on the bottom, then rotated the trim ring in the traced circle and located the two sides. For the clips I was using, which were pre-drilled, the holes in the side of the trim rings were .330" from the back of the trim ring. Here's my fancy template.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1720121_zps7441f43c.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1720121_zps7441f43c.jpg.html)
With the side brackets now wrapped around the stone guard outer ring, I bolted the assembly to the trim ring using #8 x 3/8" shouldered, knurled thumbscrews from McMaster - approx $10 for a set of five and a hex nut with lock washer on the inside. Note that the adjuster screw will get in the way on one side, so you'll either have to clock the side mounts just a bit or grind down the protruding end of the screw on the inside of the trim ring. I'm going to add serrated washers to both sides of the bracket to make sure it doesn't rotate, as well as swag the brackets to the outer ring of the stone guards so make sure they don't move.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1716361_zps9d909a20.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1716361_zps9d909a20.jpg.html)
Here are a couple more detail pics, including one of all the parts unassembled. Total cost for this mod was around twenty-two bucks versus the up-to $300 that I've seen these advertised for on the 'net.
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1716541_zpsfe9aaf37.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1716541_zpsfe9aaf37.jpg.html)
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/CCRsAC/IMG_20131126_1719581_zpsbfb063f6.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/CCRsAC/media/IMG_20131126_1719581_zpsbfb063f6.jpg.html)