Front side indicator lights

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30 Oct 2012 12:57 - 14 Aug 2013 20:50 #1 by dandjcr
dandjcr created the topic: Front side indicator lights
from Hal Harvey:
Early on in our OKA ownership, I drove down a narrow bush track and smashed a side indicator light off. They're small on LTs and XTs, and stick out a bit. I duly replaced it, and soon smashed another one off. Evidently they're alright on minesites and gravel roads. Not so good on narrow overgrown tracks.
Repeating this exercise would have annoyed me, so I removed the sticky-out indicators and covered the holes with reflective patches that look like they were meant to be there. That has sufficed for 14 years, but they're probably not satisfying some ADR requirement, and for good reason; if I change lanes in on to somebody already alongside me, they don't have an indicator flashing at them to warn them. This actually happened a few months back, and is the first time I've seen the lack of an indicator there cause a problem; merging two lanes into one coming to a booze bus, and the guy a bit back and to my left - but not far enough back to see the rear light - got very narky, even though we were going walking pace and he had an emergency lane to his left; which he used to screech around me before having to slam on the brakes for the cops. All a bit messy.
So I'd like to replace the front side indicator lights with ones that work, and don't get smashed off on the first branch or any subsequent ones. NTs have a big and robust-looking unit plonked on the door panel, but I don't know if they're any better in the bush, and I think I'd rather have something less protruding.
My question is: does anybody have a better way to do this? Something that's hard to smash - meets ADRs - that's about it, really.
Early models had the indicator horizontal, up to about #200:



Then for the rest of the XTs and all of the LTs, it was a vertical indicator that often ended up looking like this:



... which I sort of overcame by doing this:



NTs have this:



September 27, 2012

from Pete Fox:
Hal
On 266 the previous owner must have had the same problem as 266 spent its life on narrow bush tracks.
He moved the indicator lights just forward onto the angled panel that the radio aerial is mounted on - here they are protected by the bullbar and are still vivible from the rear. They have been mounted horizontally.



The lights look like they have been there a while so I guess it works.
September 28, 2012

from outyonda.com:
Hal, I make a little panel out of alloy checker plate to cover the rust & indent the flicker into the RHS. cheers Brett
September 28, 2012

from Tony Lee:
123 has the horizontal indicator light and if it didn't get knocked off coming up the Canning stock route, I don't see how it could ever get hit - but of course it only needs one stick poking out at the right angle.
Could fit a bit of contoured channel on the body and then mount the light within the sides of the channel so that anything other than a horizontal stick just slides out and over it.
Need to check the ADRs for compliance with visibility angles.
September 28, 2012

from Outback Jack:
Some options here,
rvadenver.com/lights_&_lenses.htm
Bargman #68 doesnt look much bigger than what you have.
However I think you need to have one that can be seen from the rear.
I think early NTs had the lights on the coffin panels? Below is a NT coffin panel.



Also Hella make a clearance light with a metal shroud on the top and bottom.
September 28, 2012

from Hal Harvey:
That last one doesn't look like a bad idea. I think I'll end up with air intakes both sides so maybe I could have them up under the intakes, where they would cop less... but I'll see if I can find the relevant ADR first. Would take a bit more re-wiring than having them on the front panel, but might be worth it.
September 28, 2012

from Outback Jack:
The wiring would be easy enough, just run the wire back from where the fronts go, along the chassis.
I think with the NT, the ADRs may have changed a few times.
Those panels were supplied direct from OKA.
September 28, 2012

from Tony Lee:
www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/download...ehicles_nov_2007.pdf
Side repeater lights have to be visible from 5 degrees out from straight behind to 60 degrees so that would preclude any lamp that was on that sloped panels at the front and didn't have part of the lens poking out sideways beyond the line of the body.
September 28, 2012

from Pete Fox:
I checked the setup on 266 against the RTA specs and it is legal.
The lights can be seen from about 400mm outside the back of the body which equates to 5 deg and right out past 90 deg.
September 30, 2012 at 2:34 PM

David and Janet Ribbans - Oka 148
Oka148 profile here.
Visit our technical and travel blogs: here.
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Last Edit: 14 Aug 2013 20:50 by Hal Harvey.

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16 Jan 2013 22:48 #2 by Hal Harvey
Hal Harvey replied the topic: Front side indicator lights
We have new side indicator lights... in my travels I just kept an eye out for a style that appealed and would (hopefully) stay intact... settled on the current model Volkswagen Transporter:



The panelbeaters say they hate the OKA - can't imagine why.



Outback Jack's sweet-looking LED taillights on #169 appealed to me, so they're going in too - except we used a fuller panel rather than tabs to mount them - they probably thought a bit of extra weight wouldn't hurt.



Frame on and inserts about to go in. The height is the same as original, and they're a touch wider. The inserts are of course fully sealed, so no more dust-filled lenses and translucent globes.


Principal advisor to the Minister for Tourism, Liza Harvey MLA
... OKA 260 ... "I'm not leaving any sooner than I have to!"
www.byles.net/OLDportal/members-vehicles-public/5-oka-260
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17 Jan 2013 04:36 #3 by Outback Jack
Outback Jack replied the topic: Front side indicator lights
I used tabs because thats the best we could do in the bush, plus I didnt think of it at the time.

I like yours better and maybe do it one day.

You will need to add a few extra earths, there is a hole in the panel behind. I put a bolt in it and then put the earths on that. I also used Deutsch DT Series 2 Pin and 3 pin connectors to make it easier to replace lights later if required

See below



I used same connectors for A/C etc. Any time I replaced connectors etc, I used these.

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17 Jan 2013 04:38 #4 by Peter and Sandra OKA 374
Peter and Sandra OKA 374 replied the topic: Front side indicator lights
I fitted a more flush fitting LED orange light in place of the original, I think it is a Narva, just connected up to the same wiring and so far it has worked prefectly, haven't got a pic here unfortunately.

OKA 374 LT Van, converted to camper/motorhome,
400ah Lithiums, 1100w solar, diesel cooking heating and HWS,
Cummins 6BT, Allison 6 speed auto, Nissan transfer.

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17 Jan 2013 04:42 #5 by Peter and Sandra OKA 374
Peter and Sandra OKA 374 replied the topic: Front side indicator lights
found a pic

OKA 374 LT Van, converted to camper/motorhome,
400ah Lithiums, 1100w solar, diesel cooking heating and HWS,
Cummins 6BT, Allison 6 speed auto, Nissan transfer.
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18 Jan 2013 14:41 - 18 Jan 2013 16:08 #6 by Oka Parts
Oka Parts replied the topic: Front side indicator lights
OKA NT front indicators were door mounted to comply with the CURRENT ME VEHICLE CLASSIFICATION. The NT with the indicator mounted above the air cleaner was pre ME , only three were made like this, the indicator was rubber mounted so that the theory was to make move in tight tracks and not break

OKA Parts Australia, 24 Murphy Street, O'Connor WA +61 892236195
Last Edit: 18 Jan 2013 16:08 by Hal Harvey.

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