DIY - Rear License Plate Cross Member Relocation Mount Write-Up

[wayoflife]

For those of you who own an EVO Tire Carrier, something like it or are just wanting to relocate your license plate down low and onto your rear cross member like we have, this write-up will show how you can make your own mount and in minutes. This DIY mod uses simple hardware that you can find at any Home Depot and the best part is, it's dirt cheap.

What you will need

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• (1) 20-Gauge 1-1/4" x 9" Simpson Strong-Tie
• (2) 1/2" - 1/4" x 20 Bolts
• (2) 1/4" x 20 Nuts
• (2) 1/4" Washers
• (2) 12 x 1.5mm Nuts
• 18mm Wrench
• 7/16" Socket & Wrench
• Ratchet
• Center Punch
• Drill
• Unibit
• Bench Vice
• Ruler or Tape Measure
• Sharpe Marker

This is a shot of most everything you'll need to make your own rear cross member license plate mount.


Instructions

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1. Take a 20-Gauge 1-1/4" x 9" Simpson Strong-Tie, locate the center of it and then make 2 marks 2-1/2" on either side of it using a Sharpe marker as shown in this pic.


2. Using a Sharpe marker, draw a line from the mark you made and then draw a parallel line 3/4" from it as shown here.


This is what your Simpson Strong-Tie should look like all drawn up.


3. Place your Simpson Strong-Tie into a bench vice with one of the inner lines positioned at the top edge of the vice jaws.


4. Bend the Simpson Strong-Tie in your bench vice as shown and then repeat on the other side.


5. Remove your Simpson Strong-Tie from your bench vice and then clamp it back in place, right up to one of the outer lines you drew eariler. Again, use your vice to bend the Strong tie so that it's parallel with the center portion of it.


6. Locate the small existing hole closest to the outer bend and then measure 7" out from the center of it as shown in the pic below.


7. Use a Sharpe marker to locate the center point, 7" across from the other existing hole.


8. Use a center punch to mark the point you made in step #7.


9. Use a unibit to drill a 1/4" hole through the point you just center punched as well as the small existing hole on the opposite side.


This is a shot of what your new rear cross member license place relocation mount should look like when done.


10. Place your new rear cross member license place relocation mount onto the 2 center hitch receiver bolts protruding through the nuts.


11. Secure your new rear cross member license place relocation mount in place using (2) 12 x 1.5mm nuts. I reused a pair of factory nuts that I had left over from a previous mod.


12. Secure your license plate to your new rear cross member relocation mount using (2) 1/2" - 1/4" x 20 Bolts, (2) 1/4" Washers and (2) 1/4" x 20 nuts. You will need a 7/16" socket and wrench for this job.




Here are a couple of shots that show what everything looks like once installed. First, from behind.


And from the front.




For those of you who'd want to run license plate lights, this is what my friend Tony has been running for years and they've been working out well for him.

Custom Dynamics LED License Plate Tag Bolts with White LEDs


I hope you found this write-up helpful to you in relocating your rear license plate onto your rear cross member. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[WJCO]

Simple but effective. Nice write-up.

[wayoflife]

Simple but effective. Nice write-up.

Thanks! I like to call it cheap and using what I had laying around

[bigcale]

Thanks Eddie, looks great. Only question I have is about lighting it, or is that not a thing in Nevada?

I was thinking about grabbing a set of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Rupse-White-M...se+plate+light

[wayoflife]

Thanks Eddie, looks great. Only question I have is about lighting it, or is that not a thing in Nevada?

I was thinking about grabbing a set of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Rupse-White-M...se+plate+light

I've never had lighting be an issue even back when we were still living in California. Got pulled over all the time for not having mud flaps, even at night but never for having our license plate not illuminated. That being said, what you show in the link would do the trick and they'd be just as easy to wire up as the Ridged Lights that I have mounted on the cross member.

[WJCO]

Thanks Eddie, looks great. Only question I have is about lighting it, or is that not a thing in Nevada?

I was thinking about grabbing a set of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Rupse-White-M...se+plate+light

Don't get those ones! They suck. Been there. I'll post a link of some other ones that function the same but actually work.

[wayoflife]

Don't get those ones! They suck. Been there. I'll post a link of some other ones that function the same but actually work.

Could you please! I wanted to add some to the write-up but didn't know what people were running and with good success.

[WJCO]

Ben, I had those little black ones. They started flickering about a week after install and then completely went out in about a month or two:

37.jpg



So then I switched to some other cheap ones. They were a different looking design, so I tried them. They've been on probably close to 3 years now. I couldn't find them on Amazon but they are on eBay. The're chrome and are quite different looking up close than those black ones.

s-l225.jpg

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-LICENSE...a8PR8g&vxp=mtr

IMG_20171020_194540_797.jpg

[Ddays]

Thanks Eddie, looks great. Only question I have is about lighting it, or is that not a thing in Nevada?

I was thinking about grabbing a set of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Rupse-White-M...se+plate+light

I've never had lighting be an issue even back when we were still living in California. Got pulled over all the time for not having mud flaps, even at night but never for having our license plate not illuminated. That being said, what you show in the link would do the trick and they'd be just as easy to wire up as the Ridged Lights that I have mounted on the cross member.

I was wondering the same thing. I have my plate on the carrier but never hooked up any lights. I never wanted to run wires along the carrier tubes so I left the wires kinda dangling a little bit in case I ever got pulled over. Figured I'd try to plead ignorance or say "Dammit, did those wires get stripped off again?"

graff.jpg

I like the lower mount much better. I can run legit lights a whole lot easier there. One less reason to get pulled over for!

PS: Eddie - what are your thoughts on running a trailer hitch? Better to leave one on for additional crossmember protection or take off for slightly better clearance? Specifically for wheeling in Moab. I'm leaning towards leaving it on as a skid.

[wayoflife]

Thanks Eddie, looks great. Only question I have is about lighting it, or is that not a thing in Nevada?

Okay, talked to my friend Tony and this is what he's been running for years and they work great.

Custom Dynamics LED License Plate Tag Bolts with White LEDs