Rock Light Magnetic Mounts: What You Get and How to Fit Them
Every rock light we sell arrives ready to bolt on, with the holes in the housing and the hardware in the box. Magnetic mounts are the alternative for people who do not want to drill a frame, or who are not ready to commit to a placement yet.
The choice between the two routes is covered in magnetic versus bolt-on mounting. This guide assumes you have already decided on magnets and answers the next questions: what actually comes in a set, which set to order, and how to fit them so they are still there in a year.
What is in a set
A magnetic mount set is not just magnets. Each set includes the magnets themselves plus the fixings that attach them to the rock light: countersunk screws, lock nuts and washers.
The countersunk screws matter more than they sound. They sit flush into the magnet face, which means the magnet contacts the frame across its whole surface instead of rocking on a screw head. The lock nuts are there because a magnet on a truck lives in a constant low-level vibration, and a plain nut in that environment is a nut that eventually backs off.
Each rock light takes two magnets, so a set of four is eight magnets in total and covers four rock lights. Pricing starts at $19.99 for that set of four.
Sets are matched to your rock light size
Magnetic mounts are not one universal part. The product is sold matched to the rock light it is mounting, so when you order you pick both the set size and the rock light it is going on.
For the current pure white range that means a set matched to the 9 LED rock light, the 24 LED rock light or the 36 LED rock light. The hole pattern and the housing differ between them, so ordering the set for the rock light you actually bought is the whole trick. If you have not settled on a rock light yet, the rock light size guide covers that decision first, because the mount follows the rock light rather than the other way around.
How many sets you need
The arithmetic is one mount per light, two magnets each. Rock lights sell in sets of 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20, and the magnetic mounts are offered in the same set sizes, so the answer is usually to match the number on your light order.
Two situations break that rule. If you are running a mixed build, with some rock lights bolted into permanent positions and some on magnets, count only the magnetic ones. And if you are still experimenting with placement, ordering magnets for the full count gives you the freedom to move everything, which is the entire reason to go magnetic in the first place.
What a magnet needs to hold on
A magnet holds on bare ferrous steel and nothing else. That is the constraint you plan around, and it is worth checking your specific truck before you order rather than after.
Frame rails are usually steel and are the classic mounting surface. Aluminium body panels, plastic wheel well liners, composite bumpers and painted trim are not going to hold a rock light, no matter how strong the magnet is. Heavy undercoating, thick paint build-up and surface rust all sit between the magnet and the steel and reduce the hold, so clean the contact patch down to a solid surface before you set a rock light on it.
Test the spot with the magnet before you finalise the layout. Set the rock light where you want it, and try to pull it off sideways rather than straight out. Sideways is how road forces actually load it.
Fitting them so they stay put
Two things make the difference between a magnetic install that lasts and one that does not.
Use Loctite on the screws. We recommend it on every magnetic install for a firm, long-lasting hold, and it is the cheapest insurance on the whole job.
Do not over-tighten. This is the mistake we see most. The lock nuts are already doing the job of holding the assembly together, so cranking on the fastener does not add security. Snug plus Loctite is the target.
After that, treat the wire the same way you would on any other mount. Leave slack where the frame and body move relative to each other, keep the run away from exhaust heat and suspension pinch points, and secure it on both sides of any loop.
When to bolt instead
Magnets are the right answer for a truck you are still figuring out, a leased vehicle you do not want to drill, or a build where you expect to move things around. They are not the right answer for hard off-road use, where a bolt is indifferent to mud, impacts and a pressure washer held close.
The good news is that the decision is not permanent in one direction. The bolt hardware ships in the box with your rock lights regardless, so running magnets first and bolting later once you know exactly where the light should sit is a legitimate plan rather than a compromise.
Ordering
Order the magnetic mounts at the same time as the lights. Match the set size to your rock light count, match the rock light selection to the rock light you are buying, and check current lead times before you plan the install weekend. Questions about a specific frame or a mixed build go to sales@southernlumen.com.