Custom Aluminum Light Bar Housing Built for a Semi Truck

Steel rusts. That's just reality - especially on a truck that's out in the elements every single day. When a semi came in needing a new 34-inch light bar housing to replace the rusted-out steel original, we got to work sourcing the right material. We tracked down 3x6x1/8" rectangular aluminum tube and ordered it next day air to keep things moving.

Here's where it got frustrating. The supplier sent the wrong piece - badly scratched scrap that was completely unusable. Not what you want to see when a customer is waiting. We contacted them, they owned the mistake, and they shipped the correct piece out right away. It added more of a delay than we wanted, but we weren't about to rush the build just to make up time.

Once we had the right material in hand, we got to work. We welded end caps on both sides, then plasma cut four 4.5-inch diameter holes for the lights. After that came hand polishing to clean everything up and give it a finished look. The end caps are tight, the holes are clean and consistent, and the overall piece looks sharp.

Aluminum was the right call here. It won't rust, it's lighter than steel, and when it's fabricated and finished properly, it holds up for the long haul. That's what custom aluminum fabrication is about - building something that solves a real problem and doesn't create new ones down the road. This is the kind of work we do every day at Lakeside Hills Fabrication.