The way we see it, there are two purposes for off-road lights: to see, and to be seen. Doing more desert trips with other vehicles we wanted to be sure to have some amber LED’s at the front and back, as well as some while LED’s for the front. A key criteria for us was that the light bar was hidden, partially to be more protected from the five-finger-discount, and also for practical aerodynamic reasons as described in LED Light Bar Aerodynamics.

The way that the 2014 F150 grill is designed, there is a perfect sized opening in the mesh to have some lights behind it. Check out the second half of this project in the F150 DIY Aux Upfitter Switches article.

The design approach for the LED bar mount was to notch some 1 inch square tubing so that it could be bent and welded. All of the mounting was to be based on existing factory bolts. Vertical and horizontal support planes will ensure that the lights are mounted rigidly and do not rattle around on rougher trails.

2014 F150 behind the grill LED bar mount bolt in DIY
Test fitting a tacked together LED bar mount.
2014 F150 behind the grill LED bar mount bolt in DIY
Closer look at the mounting feet of the LED mount. The front is supported by vertical beams that bolt directly to existing fasteners on the frame rail
2014 F150 LED bar mount diy
Was running low on scrap steel, and used the tube wall bent in on itself to create an end cap.
2014 f150 LED lightbar behind grill DIY bolt in boltin
Assembled LED Lightbar mount, ready to bolt in behind the OEM Grill
2014 F150 behind the grill LED bar mount bolt in DIY
LED bar mount installed and functional. Nicely hidden behind the F150 factory grill, and no problem letting the light through.
2014 F150 behind the grill LED bar mount bolt in DIY
Closeup of LED bar behind OEM 2014 F150 grill
2014 F150 behind the grill LED bar mount bolt in DIY
The mount has held up flawlessly on many offroad trips. The additional amber LED pods are excellent for dusty conditions, mainly they help others see our truck through the dust.