Howdy ya'll


Couldn't find if anyone has discussed this prior so here it goes.

How do ya'll deal with accessories like GPS units, phones, cameras and things that you prefer bar mounted?

In our jeep wrangler we have a dash bar for mounting accessories like our camera that I used to film a 6k trip across the country and phones. Jeep also has another oh ***** bar in front of the passenger above the glove box.

On a previous thread I had shared pictures of the overheard oh ***** handles I installed above the doors. I was actually considering doing something similar to the jeep but with the same style as my overhead ones but obviously longer lengths.

Wouldn't take more than an hour to install each one once correct product is found and would match handles, stay classy AND utilitarian I think.

Let me know your thoughts.

 

Google "Grab Bars" or search Amazon, bunch of options. Also some good options for entry and exit assist bars.

 

How do you install that handle when you cant get to the back side?
The 80's trucks have a double roof panel so nothing like that could be added.

As for the phone, I came from a "hands free" state, big fine if caught, and as a truck driver the fed govt. has the same rule and a hit on your CDL.
In the pick up the phone is set on the seat face up so I may see who calls at a quick glance but it is left there till I pull over and stop.
Same in the work truck it was in the consol so I could see at a glance like the radio but had to wait longer for me to get back to it as you cant just pull over a 18 wheeler.
We also had cameras so safety on spot checks could see if you were on the phone or not.

For GPS work truck I had a truckers GPS stuck to the windshield. I also use the same in my personal if going on a long trips mostly out of state and it also sticks to the glass.
The pickup only goes local so I use Google Maps on my phone and with the volume turned up I can hear when to turn without looking at it on the seat.
Also with the truck GPS, used as a tool or phone, I map out the trips with Google Map so I have a clue what road I should be on and a paper map as back up in the work truck.

On the motorcycle I do have a handle bar mounted phone holder but have not ridden the bike with it installed yet. Again I would use Google maps if I had to.

With everything having blue tooth now days there should not be a need to look at phone or GPS unit.
LOL with that said all my s*** is too old to have a BT radio and I dont like wearing a 1 ear head set, so I just crank up the volume and hope for the best
I am old enough now that the OH S*** days are over
Dave ----

 

Are there any holes or pathways that would allow a nut with washer to get through. I recall using some nuts with washers glued on inside a frame to mount a hitch, they had long stiff but easily bent wires attached for easy positioning from a foot or so away.

I thought about nut-serts but they'd work loose I think.

I thought about adding some up above the door but gave up on that idea. I "trapped" the door seal inside the cab, used those fender washers.

 

A fellow FTE member made these for me, out of plate steel and d/s safety loop material.


Carriage bolt head almost flush mount. Also almost flush with the pinch seam edge. Does not roll the pinch seam or compromise the integrity of the A pillar.

My left hand will also fit thru the gap to climb in that way.



Can not remember what these came off of, some Ford in the JY. Were mounted with a nut sert and torx head screw. Could do the carriage bolt set up I recon.


FTE member idea, probable need HD'er handle , HD hdwr and reinforce that back side of the dash. But a good idea if you do not have a/c vent there.

 

Oh installing a dash bar or a grab bar in front of the glove box would be easy and similar to how I did the handles, they have thread on them so you just get to the back side with a nut. I've had the dash ripped apart so many times I can get all the access I need in just a few minuted.

Hard part is probably gona be finding the pieces with the right length, offset/rise. Gotta get some measurements when I get home.

 

No the 80's trucks inner roof panel runs from door to door and front to rear glass unlike yours where you drop the head liner and the is a gap between the outer panel and the part that runs around the roof inside.
If we have a head liner it sits right next to the inner panel and held into place with a molding around the outside of the liner.

We also have cover moldings on the A pillars that are vary hard to come by and are different with or without head liner and they turn to dust with age, so we cant bolt handles in that area too.
I know my wife would love a handle on the A pilar when getting in the truck.

I also know of the nuts on wire as my frame mounted hitch uses them on the cross bar. Again there is no openings like yours.
Only picture I have

Dave ----

 

Yes without the open headliner access to the inner skin pretty hard to put one up top on the newer rigs. And then all that plastic dash stuff. And the plastic A pillar cover hard for a guy to get a handle in their any where. What about grafting a 2004-2008 A pillar handle and cover all in one set up, over to the 80's stuff?

 

Oh, I see. No holes presently. One might could cut some holes to get in there, then make thin metal covers to dress them up, if there is sufficient room between inner / outer metal? Might work, or might really screw it up?

Or use nut-serts I guess?

 

So here is where my brain is at. Took some measurements and a gander at the hardware at the marine store.

Use orange and grey magnets for photo references.

Picture 1. Ideal spot would be here but the glove box door is going to be obstructed unless you had an offset the length of the door so that is a no go.

Picture 2. Not much better due to the bezel trim and the bar may be too big on the raised area under the trim. Would have to cut or remove trim. Don't think this will work either.

Picture 3. Only issue here is grab bar would be angled down slightly but the readily available 24" at my local marine store would probably fit here really nicely. I may purchase the 18" and the 24" so see which I like better and return the one not used.

Pictures 4&5. Max usable dash length roughly 57" I believe. Ideally the bar would have low rise/offset and span 90% of the dash. May have to search online, make my own or search the boat junkyard.

Pictures 6,7&8. Hardware at the store for ideas and reference.

I will upload what we have setup in the Jeep later for reference but similar to what I am describing.

 

Sorry for the bad lighting and clutter but the pictures show the setup in our Jeep.

The jeep came with the glove box handle from the factory which we have found useful.

Last year my wife bought that premade bar that bolts into the dash easy peasy. I wish she got it years ago because it has been handy for our phones, Garmin 64 and gopro. We are considering getting the insta360 camera next.

 

After talking with the wife and my buddy in order to keep it asethetically pleasing and the lines correct we have deceided 18" center on glove box button.
I will probably wait till next weekend to install so my brain can process the information.


We have deceided to forgo the dash bar option as it would be too difficult to find the appropriate bar and would be "Too much".

Also, 18" wouldn't look bad for exterior cab handles as well.

 

Interior handle placement looks good, don't forget to reinforce behind the dash.

Do not put handles on the outside of the B pillars, you're just asking for a rust problems at the attachment points and down in the cab corners.

 

B pillar handles do look good though...

Yup mending braces behind the dash. Will take me an hour of measuring and paranoia and then probably 10 minutes to install. 👨‍🔧

 

Those I like, smooth not so rough on a head, and a help getting in / out. Please no outside grab bars behind the door. They look OK, but the day will come, you'll wish you hadn't. I do like that watch band latch too.