Custom Phone Holder Build

NavOhio

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Nov 9, 2024
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Beavercreek, Ohio
I installed a cobbled together phone holder. I could not find one I liked searching around to include on this forum. They either held the phone too high or too low for me or lacked adjustability. Also limited places to mount a phone in a TJ I have found. I did not like the ones that required removing the dash storage tray. I also have a fairly original TJ, and I did not want to be drilling visible holes all over the place. So, I came up with a new design using different manufacturers parts. The metal mount is from a Sanvadicar drink cup/phone holder on Amazon (see picture). I only used the metal part that mounts to the bolt that holds on the hand hold. I drilled and added another bolt for additional stability. It is also hidden behind the hand hold. I then attached a Bulletpoint ball mount. Turned out it is the perfect size to fit on and bolt to the Sanvadicar metal mounting plate. You need to drill the mounting holes for the included small nuts and bolts. I then added a Bulletpoint 7 cm mounting arm (you can use different lengths based on preference). I attached another Bulletpoint ball mount to the phone end of the arm and attached the arm to a ProClip iPhone mount. I have a ProClip phone mount in my F-150 and it I the most secure phone holder I have used, infinitely adjustable to whatever phone and case you have. The phone has never fallen out of the holder. ProClip makes holders for all phones. The ball mount fits the ProClip mount perfectly, all four mounting holes line up, they just needed to be expanded a bit. The phone is now in a great location for me, line of sight and height. See pictures. The phone moves a bit with bumps, like I image all Bulletpoint arm mounts must do, but it is low frequency movement, not a rapid vibration, that does not impact the ability to see the phone image.

Bulletpoint 7 CM Rail.jpg


Bulletpoint Ball Mount.jpg


Hand Hold Mount.jpg


Phone Mount on without Hand Hold On.jpg


Hand Hold Mount without Ball Mount.jpg


Complete Phone Holder.jpg


Proclip Phone Holder.jpg


Final Phone Holder Picture.jpg
 
Problem with pass air bag ?? Looks a little like a danger. I could be wrong. D

Boog, how did you get the wife to wear a hat ??

Wow! Great point! That is one reason why we post things. Other points of view. I will see if the airbag cover will clear the mount. I know the airbag cover would pivot upwards if it went off. If in the way I may be able to bend the part of the mount with the ball mounting plate toward the drivers side to have it clear. Or maybe back to the drawing board. I will post an update.
 
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I installed a cobbled together phone holder. I could not find one I liked searching around to include on this forum. They either held the phone too high or too low for me or lacked adjustability. Also limited places to mount a phone in a TJ I have found. I did not like the ones that required removing the dash storage tray. I also have a fairly original TJ, and I did not want to be drilling visible holes all over the place. So, I came up with a new design using different manufacturers parts. The metal mount is from a Sanvadicar drink cup/phone holder on Amazon (see picture). I only used the metal part that mounts to the bolt that holds on the hand hold. I drilled and added another bolt for additional stability. It is also hidden behind the hand hold. I then attached a Bulletpoint ball mount. Turned out it is the perfect size to fit on and bolt to the Sanvadicar metal mounting plate. You need to drill the mounting holes for the included small nuts and bolts. I then added a Bulletpoint 7 cm mounting arm (you can use different lengths based on preference). I attached another Bulletpoint ball mount to the phone end of the arm and attached the arm to a ProClip iPhone mount. I have a ProClip phone mount in my F-150 and it I the most secure phone holder I have used, infinitely adjustable to whatever phone and case you have. The phone has never fallen out of the holder. ProClip makes holders for all phones. The ball mount fits the ProClip mount perfectly, all four mounting holes line up, they just needed to be expanded a bit. The phone is now in a great location for me, line of sight and height. See pictures. The phone moves a bit with bumps, like I image all Bulletpoint arm mounts must do, but it is low frequency movement, not a rapid vibration, that does not impact the ability to see the phone image.

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Off road thats gonna bounce a lot. Like a lot a lot.

You can design a ridged bracket, but in the end its still attached to a flimsy dash.

Mine bounces a little off road because the dash flexes.

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Off road thats gonna bounce a lot. Like a lot a lot.

You can design a ridged bracket, but in the end its still attached to a flimsy dash.

Mine bounces a little off road because the dash flexes.

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I haven't noticed any dash flex issues with the cheap eBay mount in that area. But, you have a much bigger lever that might also be causing the 90* bend of your mount to flex.
 
I picked these up from Etsy back in the spring (seller doesn't have them listed now). They are very tight and do not move at all with my S24 Ultra mounted, even off-road in a rock garden. This puts the phone in the same general area you did, but without the airbag issue.

20241225_201744.jpg
 
I haven't noticed any dash flex issues with the cheap eBay mount in that area. But, you have a much bigger lever that might also be causing the 90* bend of your mount to flex.

That thing is 10ga. It doesn't flex.

Making it catch that bottom screw helped a little. But its as good as its gonna get with what it is attached to.
 
That thing is 10ga. It doesn't flex.

Making it catch that bottom screw helped a little. But its as good as its gonna get with what it is attached to.

I was hoping the 90* bend might also be part of the issue (beyond the location), but I'm not surprised it's not. After double checking, my setup also hinges at the dash...just not as much since there is less weight on the end of a shorter lever.

Your bracket looks nice and helps me realize that could upgrade from what I have.
 
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Wow! Great point! That is one reason why we post things. Other points of view. I will see if the airbag cover will clear the mount. I know the airbag cover would pivot upwards if it went off. If in the way I may be able to bend the part of the mount with the ball mounting plate toward the drivers side to have it clear. Or maybe back to the drawing board. I will post an update.
So, the mount was in the way of the airbag cover. I bent the mount 90 degrees so it is now out of the way of the airbag cover. Still looks and works fine. In fact it moved the phone about an inch closer to line of sight. Even is a bit more stable, however the physics work out on that aspect. See new pictures. Thanks for the input!

New Location Mount #1.jpg


New Location Mount #2.jpg