Mini-Lightbar & Preventing scratching

mjMIff

Member
Jun 2, 2010
296
Mid-Michigan
Hello! Not sure if this is the right spot, but last time I used a mini-lightbar my roof was scratched up pretty bad along with the rust ring stains.


Has anyone found a way to prevent this? I was thinking with my next mini-bar I might have someone line-x any exposed metal on the bottom along with the idea that if the magnets themselves can be removed from the feet and if there is room inside the feet, line-x inside there too.


But that (if even a good idea) still leaves the magnets themselves which can also scratch and mark up a roof.


Someone has had to have solved this lol


Thanks!
 

Marvin

Member
Sep 8, 2012
234
California
Could you use the rubber boots that they use on tow truck lights? My friend has his lights that go on the car he has on the stinger and they have a rubber boot so they don't scratch the car.
 

mjMIff

Member
Jun 2, 2010
296
Mid-Michigan
Marvin said:
Could you use the rubber boots that they use on tow truck lights? My friend has his lights that go on the car he has on the stinger and they have a rubber boot so they don't scratch the car.

Good idea! I wonder if that would reduce the pull from the magnets though.. I am looking at this one right now: Strobes N' More
 

eng18ine

Member
Jul 27, 2012
427
stony point, new york
mjMIff said:
Hello! Not sure if this is the right spot, but last time I used a mini-lightbar my roof was scratched up pretty bad along with the rust ring stains.

Has anyone found a way to prevent this? I was thinking with my next mini-bar I might have someone line-x any exposed metal on the bottom along with the idea that if the magnets themselves can be removed from the feet and if there is room inside the feet, line-x inside there too.


But that (if even a good idea) still leaves the magnets themselves which can also scratch and mark up a roof.


Someone has had to have solved this lol


Thanks!
believe it or not, i know whelen does i dont know about any other company but whelens factory warrentee is voided once you drive the vehicle with a light bar on it that is magnet mounted.


i also dont really recommend magnet mounts. asside from destroying the paint, i had a whelen mini edge on my roof, i took a turn and my mini edge was laying in the middle of the road. but other than that. look around for different materials. on my magnet mount antennas, most of them have this plastic type of cover over the magnet so it doesnt destroy the paint too bad. just be carefull to not use any sort of slippery material and make sure the surface is dry. plastic loves to slide around on wet paint
 

Firefly Berlin

New Member
Apr 25, 2012
330
Germany / Berlin
To prevent scratches on my roof I have a clear vinyl foil for car wrapping on a portion of the roof.


And I use soft rubber coated magnets.


If anybody needs such magnets let me know.


BTW: I don't understand why Whelen and co don't recomend to use them while driving.


We have bars and beacons that are certified for speeds up to 200 miles per hour and more...
 

mjMIff

Member
Jun 2, 2010
296
Mid-Michigan
eng18ine said:
believe it or not, i know whelen does i dont know about any other company but whelens factory warrentee is voided once you drive the vehicle with a light bar on it that is magnet mounted.
i also dont really recommend magnet mounts. asside from destroying the paint, i had a whelen mini edge on my roof, i took a turn and my mini edge was laying in the middle of the road. but other than that. look around for different materials. on my magnet mount antennas, most of them have this plastic type of cover over the magnet so it doesnt destroy the paint too bad. just be carefull to not use any sort of slippery material and make sure the surface is dry. plastic loves to slide around on wet paint

Good point about the plastic, maybe with the following the rubber boots are out and vinyl and rubber coated magnets are in.

Firefly Berlin said:
To prevent scratches on my roof I have a clear vinyl foil for car wrapping on a portion of the roof.
And I use soft rubber coated magnets.


If anybody needs such magnets let me know.


BTW: I don't understand why Whelen and co don't recomend to use them while driving.


We have bars and beacons that are certified for speeds up to 200 miles per hour and more...

Waterborne said:
I have used lightweight vinyl contact paper in the past with good results.

I'll keep you in mind for the magnets, where are you guys getting the vinyl from?
 

MEVS06

New Member
May 23, 2010
3,485
San Antonio, TX
I bought 200lb magnets from mcgreen on ebay and also found some rubber magnet covers. I used four of said magnets to mount my 45" Legend and took it upto 95 mph on a test, I also used a dry erase marker to mark the location of the magnets before I started this test. They did not move at all. I would recomend these rubber covers Whelen Lightbar Magnet Rubber Boots for Mini Light Bar Set of 4 | eBay


And here is where I got the magnets I was talking about 200 4" Black Poly Coated Lightbar Magnet Code 3 Federal Whelen Free SHIP | eBay


he also has these available 4 2 3 4" Silicone Rubber Magnet Covers Boots Code 3 Whelen Federal Light Bar | eBay
 
Last edited by a moderator:

chief1562

Member
Mar 18, 2011
5,840
Slaterville/NY
I bought a 4" wide roll of 500 degree 3m tape of ebay and out it in all the lights that have magnets
 

eng18ine

Member
Jul 27, 2012
427
stony point, new york
Firefly Berlin said:
To prevent scratches on my roof I have a clear vinyl foil for car wrapping on a portion of the roof.
And I use soft rubber coated magnets.


If anybody needs such magnets let me know.


BTW: I don't understand why Whelen and co don't recomend to use them while driving.


We have bars and beacons that are certified for speeds up to 200 miles per hour and more...




why have a magnet mount if they dont recommend it for driving. it just doesnt make sense. i mean my mini edge i was going maybe 30 around a turn, wasnt too bad of a turn and off went the bar right into the roadway.


i guess its always a money game
 

shues

Lifetime VIP Donor
May 21, 2010
10,276
NW Indiana
I have used suction/magnet versions of both the Federal Signal Highlighter the Whelen Responder HD for several years combined. Neither one ever moved a fraction of an inch, even while keeping pace with speeding traffic on interstate highways.
 

AJ3814

Member
Mar 13, 2015
689
Central Louisiana
I was wondering if anyone here had any tips for avoiding paint scratches with mag mount mini bars.... I was thinking something along the lines of one piece of packing tape on the magnet and trimming around the side with a razor.

Thoughts?.... and Thanks.
 

AJ3814

Member
Mar 13, 2015
689
Central Louisiana
Thanks Jarred! By any chance do you know where I may can find a set of 4 of the suction magnets? I'm not seeing them on any of the manufacturer sites or ebay.
 
Jun 18, 2013
3,709
PA
lol we just like to be ghetto with the electrical tape..

I'd personally go with the solutions provided in the other posts though...
 
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AJ3814

Member
Mar 13, 2015
689
Central Louisiana
It is "going to be" a re-built Mini Jet.
 

AJ3814

Member
Mar 13, 2015
689
Central Louisiana
Here's a pic of the feet.frontbar.JPG
 

rwo978

Member
May 21, 2010
5,196
ND, USA
Has anyone tried Plast-i-dip?
 
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