Driving Lights for the Discovery Sport, any suggestions?

[badbaddog]

Has anyone managed to add extra lighting to the front of their Discovery Sport?

As there does not appear to be any nudge bars, roo bars or even bull bars for the 2017 Sport I am struggling to find a neat, safe way to add some driving lights. The default lighting on the Sport is good but it is still a scary experience driving the unfenced roads in the Northern Territory at night.

People have suggested using a number plate mount but considering the number plate is held on using self-tapping screws into the plastic front panel , I do not consider this is a good idea.

I am not interested in a LED bar, I am trying to fit something like the Lightforce Striker 170, light weight and long range.

Any suggestions?

[outasight]

RANGE ROVER SPORT LIGHT BAR BRKT + STEDI 22 inch LED LIGHT BAR DOUBLE ROW | eBay (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RANGE-ROVER-SPORT-LIGHT-BAR-BRKT-STEDI-22-inch-LED-LIGHT-BAR-DOUBLE-ROW/222874198233?hash=item33e45660d9:g:5T0AAOSwUN9aofM-)

[badbaddog]

RANGE ROVER SPORT LIGHT BAR BRKT + STEDI 22 inch LED LIGHT BAR DOUBLE ROW | eBay (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RANGE-ROVER-SPORT-LIGHT-BAR-BRKT-STEDI-22-inch-LED-LIGHT-BAR-DOUBLE-ROW/222874198233?hash=item33e45660d9:g:5T0AAOSwUN9aofM-)

Interesting, the title says "Range Rover Sport Light Bar Bracket" but the description and contents list do not anything but standard STEDI mounts.

I will ring Autospark and ask them about the brackets and how they are installed.

Thanks.

[outasight]

Oops - my bad - sorry I got mixed up between Discovery Sport & Range Rover Sport.

Given what else they do though I'd expect they may have a bracket they can do for the Disco Sport too - or one of their others may suit.

[Mamil]

Not mine, but these might give you some ideas...

143410

143412

One I like the look of, and one I don't. Can you guess which [thumbsupbig]

[badbaddog]

Oops - my bad - sorry I got mixed up between Discovery Sport & Range Rover Sport.

They do sell a bracket for the Discovery 4 (LAND ROVER DISCOVERY 4 UNIVERSAL BLACK SPOT LIGHT BAR STAINLESS MOUNTING BRACKET | eBay (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LAND-ROVER-DISCOVERY-4-UNIVERSAL-BLACK-SPOT-LIGHT-BAR-STAINLESS-MOUNTING-BRACKET/222519835307?hash=item33cf373aab:g:KlcAAOSwIaFZIlp 1)) which seems expensive until I realise that I don't have the equipment to make something to that quality.

It certainly looks that it will be worth calling them latter.

[badbaddog]

Not mine, but these might give you some ideas...

143410


This one got me interested, but the pictures on their homepage (Land Rover Matzker, Köln - Land Rover & Range Rover Vertragshändler, Werkstatt und Tuning, Köln (https://www.matzker.de/)) sparked my interest, especially the one of a Discovery with a front mounted winch hidden in the original (looking) bumper.

Thanks for that.

[badbaddog]

RANGE ROVER SPORT LIGHT BAR BRKT + STEDI 22 inch LED LIGHT BAR DOUBLE ROW | eBay (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RANGE-ROVER-SPORT-LIGHT-BAR-BRKT-STEDI-22-inch-LED-LIGHT-BAR-DOUBLE-ROW/222874198233?hash=item33e45660d9:g:5T0AAOSwUN9aofM-)

Well, I rang them in Perth. They have brackets for the Range Rover Sport and Discovery 4 (same bracket slightly modified).

They don't have anything for the Discovery Sport but said they will check out the next Sport they get into their workshop and see if it is worth making/modifying a bracket to suit.

Thanks for the link, all my Google Fu had not found Autospark.

[Mamil]

This one got me interested, but the pictures on their homepage (Land Rover Matzker, Köln - Land Rover & Range Rover Vertragshändler, Werkstatt und Tuning, Köln (https://www.matzker.de/)) sparked my interest, especially the one of a Discovery with a front mounted winch hidden in the original (looking) bumper.

Thanks for that.


Unfortunately they don't do the winch for the DS, only the full fat Disco, and I'm not sure how legal it'd be anyway, as I'm sure you've seen the large yellow warning sticker under the bonnet of your DS about fitting bull bars and winches!

However, I really like the way they did the lights on that Disco 5...

143449

But when you look at it in close-up you see they had to cut away large parts of the plastic grille...

143442

But if someone was to do similar for the DS, and offer it as a kit with the lights, mounting brackets, and cut-away grille, I'd snap one up in an instant.

[Mamil]

And on the topic of winches and bull bars, I saw this over on the D5 forum...

143851

Considering the similarities with the front end of the DS, I'd say this is a pretty good reason not to put a bull bar on a DS [bigsad]

[guthrie]

Considering the similarities with the front end of the DS, I'd say this is a pretty good reason not to put a bull bar on a DS [bigsad]

Agree.. its a pretty ugly bull bar.

[Scott_Parkes]

Hello All;
I have ben able to crack this (I think). You do need to drill into the front structural RHS section behind the plastic bumper.

If you remove the front grille (4 sacrificial clips, then pull the lower attachments forward, you will see a structural horizontal RHS section, approx 50 mm x 50 mm. I made some patterns for brackets to fit, which were then made by a local alloy fabrication business, shown in the attached photos. The bracket is an aluminium bar, 25 x 10 mm and 205 mm long. A 40 mm tube is welded to the end of the bracket that attaches to RHS section of the car. This tube acts as the standoff and needs to be exactly 90 mm from the base of the tube to the top of the 25 mm bar. To attach this to the car, drill an 8.5 mm hole in the bracket through the centre of the standoff, place the bracket so the end to which the lights attach protrudes through the lower vent below the grille, and drill a pilot hole through the RHS section, located where the bracket will mount. Enlarge to 7 mm (be patient, use lots of cutting oil!) and tap the hole to a M8 thread. The tap will need a long extension. The brackets are then mounted with a single 100 mm M8 high tensile bolt, and high strength thread lock. Use some anti-rust into the freshly cut threads before attaching the bracket. The RHS section is about 3.5 mm thick, so there is enough metal to cut a sufficient thread. The brackets protrude through the lower vent in the front by about 30 mm which is sufficient to mount the lights. They are quite sturdy with 10 x 25 mm aluminium and the lights mount securely with no wobble.


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The electrics require finding the high high beam signal which is difficult. Instead, I used a Canbus interface (available from Soundlabs Group, Code: Beijer-CANBUS-Interface-Highbeam; no affiliation), which wires into the OBD interface. It gives a reliable 10-12 volt signal from the high beams which is sufficient to trigger a solid state relay (Jaycar SY-4086). I placed the switch on a carbon panel that replaces one of the central cupholders, along with some high output USB chargers and Merit sockets wired from my second battery. Running a wire from the cabin into the engine bay is a pain, in the end I routed the wire across the driver's door panel rather than risk poking through grommets. There is at least one disaster story on the web!!

The lights are rock steady with these mounts, and are a big improvement on standard high beams. It is not too difficult, but it is time consuming.

Hope this helps and good luck if you give it a try. Happy to answer any questions

[badbaddog]

Hello All;
I used a Canbus interface (available from Soundlabs Group, Code: Beijer-CANBUS-Interface-Highbeam;

That is really neat way of mounting the lights. I am going to attempt to remove the section of grill to look at the mounting points. The Canbus Interface is scarcely expensive, is it that risky taping into the high-beam feed that a $245 interface is required?

[Scott_Parkes]

Yes, it's not cheap. But I probed around for a long time with a multimeter, and wasn't able to find the high beam signal at the lights, so I caved in!
S

[BradDS10]

Hi Scott,

Good wok, looks great.

Slightly off topic, what make is the Nudge bar and are you able to tell us where you got it from? Does it affect the approach angle?

Cheers,

Brad.

[Scott_Parkes]

Hi Brad,
Thanks. The nudge bar was made in Launceston, by a local business called United Welding. They fabricated and installed the bar (they welded two brackets on the frame to mount it). There are probably similar businesses in most large towns. Approach angle not changed much at all.
Best
S

[badbaddog]

Slightly off topic, what make is the Nudge bar and are you able to tell us where you got it from? Brad.

You know, I had not even noticed the nudge bar until you mentioned it, I had look back at Scott_Parkes post to see what you were talking about. That is a nice, discreet bar, probably just right for shopping trolleys.

I might give United Welding a call and see if they kept the design or it was a once off.

[Josie]

Has anyone managed to add extra lighting to the front of their Discovery Sport?

As there does not appear to be any nudge bars, roo bars or even bull bars for the 2017 Sport I am struggling to find a neat, safe way to add some driving lights. The default lighting on the Sport is good but it is still a scary experience driving the unfenced roads in the Northern Territory at night.

People have suggested using a number plate mount but considering the number plate is held on using self-tapping screws into the plastic front panel , I do not consider this is a good idea.

I am not interested in a LED bar, I am trying to fit something like the Lightforce Striker 170, light weight and long range.

Any suggestions?

Hi,

I got a nudge bar from J and J in Brisbane (Thorneside) it is ADR compliant. the issue I am having now is getting the light bar wired in as my local LR dealer reckons it can’t be done. Im calling BS on that. I cant be the only person in Australia with a 2017 disco sport who wants better lighting and a UHF fitted..

[BradDS10]

Hi,

I got a nudge bar from J and J in Brisbane (Thorneside) it is ADR compliant. the issue I am having now is getting the light bar wired in as my local LR dealer reckons it can’t be done. Im calling BS on that. I cant be the only person in Australia with a 2017 disco sport who wants better lighting and a UHF fitted..

Hi Josie,

Following from your post I have enquired with J and J who confirmed they can supply and fit a 3inch polished nudge bar for the Discovery Sport. Was hoping you might confirm they provided a ADR certificate and also do you have any photos?

Regarding the wiring in of the light bar, I don't have one fitted however as the Discovery Sport has a CANBus electrical system you will need a CANBus High Beam interface to provide the high beam trigger. There is a mob called CANM8 that manufactures these if you google it.

Brad.