N-FAB LBM Behind the Bumper Light Bar Mount – Review & Install

N-Fab Lower Grill Hidden Light Mount (2014+ 4Runner) – 7 Month Trail-Tested Review and Full Installation Overview for the 5th Gen 4Runner

After installing some ditch lights on the 4Runner, I was looking for more places where I could add some off-road lights to. When searching for all of the options, I came upon a lesser-known mount that would fit my needs perfectly, the N-Fab LBM Bumper Mount. This mounts across the inside lower portion of the grill and gives you many options for different lighting setups. There is also no cutting or drilling required as it uses pre-existing factory hole locations. You could use it to mount a light bar or anywhere from two to six light pods to.

Since I have a 2021 which has the TSS (Toyota Safety Sense) sensor in the middle of the grill, I decided to go with light pods instead of a light bar. Having seen similar types of mounts available from other brands, I went with the N-Fab because it’s one of the cheaper options at around $160. Knowing that I will be upgrading to a steel bumper in the future, this light setup is just going to be temporary until I move on (hence wanting to not spend too much).

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• N-FAB LBM Bumper Light Mount:  Check Price

Overview

Upon opening the package, I was impressed with how thick and heavy all of the parts felt. It was also nice to see no blemishes on the powder coating.

Once installed, I was pleased with how sturdy the mount felt. I was confident that the lights secured to the mount will not vibrate much. To test this, I hit the dirt (and pavement) for seven months before writing this review. I think that’s a fair amount of time to give honest feedback on a product!

I have noticed when up close to a wall that the light output is blocked a little bit by the grill, but there is still plenty of useful light that does get through. Overall, this is a quality part that I would definitely recommend if you are looking to mount some off-road lights to your 2014+ 4Runner.

Installing the N-Fab LBM

I initially had a pair of KC HiLite C3’s secured to the mount for about five months. After about 10,000 miles, I took off the front bumper to change my lighting setup. After close inspection, I found that the lights never moved from where I initially mounted them. I also took everything apart again in order to write the install steps for this article and found that there were no signs of rust or powder coat wear.

Tools Needed:

• Ratchet
• 10mm socket
• 12mm socket
• 14mm socket

LBM Hardware:

• 10 mm bolt (2)
• Spacer for the 10 mm (2)
• 12 mm bolt with nut (2)
• Reuse factory 14mm bolts (2)

Step 1: Remove Top Cover

There are thirteen (13) retention clips that you just push in to loosen in order to remove them. Once all of the retention clips are taken out, the whole panel is free and able to be lifted up and removed.

Tip: After you loosen a retention clip, take it out it immediately. If you loosen all of them and wait until the very end to remove them all at once, there’s a chance that some can shoot out and go flying. If you look closely at the picture above, there is a retention clip missing because this happened to me before.  It’s always good to have a few extra handy as these tend to break if you remove them multiple times.

Step 2: Disconnect TSS (Toyota Safety Sense) Sensor (2020+ Only)

Once the top cover is removed, look down and find the wire for the TSS. Just push down on the clip here and slide the two connectors apart. If it is your first time disconnecting the TSS, it might be a bit stiff.

Step 3: Remove the Front Bumper

Now it’s time to remove the front bumper. Rather than go into painstaking detail, TRD Jon has a great video detailing the front bumper removal.

Step 4: Remove Factory 10mm Bolts and Discard

Now that the front bumper is removed, locate these two (2) 10mm bolts and remove them. You can discard these since N-Fab provides a new pair of bolts.

Step 5: Remove Factory 14mm Bolts

Locate the two (2) factory 14mm bolts and remove them. Keep these though as you will reuse them later on in the process.

Step 6: Position The Side Brackets

There are two (2) of side brackets; one will be for the left side and the other will be for the right. This is how they will be oriented.

Step 7: Reinsert Factory 14mm Bolt

The factory 14mm bolts go exactly where it came out from, but this time, they’re used to secure the lower portion of the bracket. Once one side is complete, repeat the process on the other side.

Step 8: Insert Top 10mm Bolt with Spacer

Place the spacer for the 10mm bolt behind the bracket. Using the provided LBM extended 10mm bolt, insert the bolt through the bracket and spacer back into the original 10mm bolt location.

Once complete, repeat the process on the opposite side.

Step 9: Place Light Bracket on Top of Side Brackets

Now for the final piece of the puzzle. On each end of this light bracket, there is a bolt hole that eventually locks into the side brackets that you installed earlier. Insert the provided 12mm bolt to each of the holes and tighten the nut from behind.

Step 9a. (Optional Step)

I decided to move the provided 14mm bolt to the top instead of having it in the front like N-Fab instructs you to do. I found this to make everything more rigid overall. I also had some extra nuts and bolts sitting in the garage and decided to put those in the front for even more rigidity. This step is not necessary, but I found that the bracket felt more solid doing it this way.

Step 10: Mount Your Lights

Now that the brackets are all in place, you can mount your lights and wire them up. In my case, I decided to go with some Diode Dynamics SS3’s. If you need help on how to wire your lights, check out steps 10-13 in Heath’s Diode Dynamics SS3 install and review post.

Place Bumper Back On

Make sure to test that your lights work and everything is wired correctly. After, reinstall your front by reversing the steps from the video. If you have TSS, remember to plug the sensor back in!

Final Thoughts

The N-Fab LBM Bumper Mount is a great option for adding lights to the front of your 2014+ 4Runner. It can hold multiple light pods or a light bar, giving you options if your lighting needs or wants ever change. In my seven months of use, it has held up great with no issues.