Magnetic vs Bolt-On: Mounting Rock Lights Without Drilling
Every rock light we sell arrives ready to bolt on — the holes are in the housing and the nuts and bolts are in the box. But drilling a frame is permanent, and not every build wants that. Here is how the two mounting routes compare.
Bolt-on: permanent and proven
Bolting is the traditional route: pick the spot, drill, torque it down. Once it is on, it does not move — which is exactly what you want on a truck that sees trails, vibration and pressure washing. If the truck is a keeper and you know where you want light, bolt it.
Magnetic: no holes, fully adjustable
Our magnetic mounts hold a pod to any steel surface with no drilling, and let you reposition until the spread is exactly right. That matters more than people expect: the difference between a good underglow and a great one is usually placement, not hardware, and magnets let you experiment before you commit.
The 90, 128 and 160 LED flush mounts go a step further — each has five magnets built into the housing, so they hold to a frame rail straight out of the box, and the bolt hardware is still included if you later want them permanent.
Which one for your build?
- Leased or short-term truck: magnetic. No holes to explain later.
- Still deciding on placement: magnetic first, bolt once you love the spread.
- Hard off-road use: bolt-on. A magnet holds well, but a bolt does not care about mud, impacts or a pressure washer at close range.
- Flush-mount pods (90/128/160): either, out of the box.
One thing that does not change
Mounting method has no effect on the pod itself: every rock light pod is rated IP68 — fully submersible, not just splash resistant — and covered by our limited lifetime warranty when the installation instructions are followed and the warranty is registered.
Ready to lay out your underglow? Start with the rock light range — free US shipping, and orders ship in 1–3 business days.