MOD: Front Lights installed and wired

[Philberto]

Here they are! A last-minute mod before the Borrego trip.



The lights are Daystar #KU80002 lights, 55-watt halogens, and are super-cheap, made even cheaper by the fact that I got them for $20 for 2 from Craigslist.




I mounted them into existing holes on the bumper support, and the simply had a threaded stud that mated with a nut and lock washer on the other side.

Because of the slope of the bumper support, I had to use washers to space the lights away enough to aim them sufficiently upward to provide the desired lighting angle.



They're currently wired through a relay to a toggle switch in a temporary location near the pedals.



All wiring on the lights is covered with heatshrink, and the wiring going into the engine compartment is covered in wiring loom as well.

[MrSmithsTB]

Very nice! They look identical to the lights I just installed. For cheapo lights, they still manage to add some decent coverage to my HIDs. Nice job, sir.

[irishboy02]

Ahh! So thats how you did it!

Me likey

[Trail X]

So they are grounded right there on the bumper support bar?

Those lights really don't look so bad... how's the beam pattern? Nice and wide and low? or a single hot spot way in the distance?

[bgwolfpack]

Philberto, why didn't you place the lights in the holes on top of the bumper support instead on the front? Your angle would not have been predetermined and you'd have a far less chance of breaking them if you're parked at a mall.

[Philberto]

The problem with the top of the bumper support is that it places the lights too far back, and they interfere with the grille. I never go to the mall, so I can't speak to how parking with them is, and the mount of the lights allows for vertical adjustment.

James, yes they're grounded directly to the bumper support. I was worried about resistance and inefficiency, but a quick check with an ohmmeter reveals that there is a good connection between the bumper support and the body ground. The lights produce (since they are facing slightly away from center) some decent hot spots right on the edge of the headlight coverage. I haven't had a chance to do a long-distance light check though, so I may have to tweak the mount a little bit.

[teebes]

Sweet... You'll just have to be careful on extreme inclines not to bust those up. Low hanging fruit for rocks.

We probably should start a last-minute mod thread, like our last trips. I was able to get some extra goodies in while others, unfortunately, will have to wait.

[foosh]

Very nice, I like the look but they'd be an issue in tight cornering areas. Overall it looks like a very nice cheap mod.

[bgwolfpack]

So where are the pics of the lighting on the trip to the moon you took?

[Philberto]

So where are the pics of the lighting on the trip to the moon you took?

To be honest, I only used the lighting when I was searching for the campsite when I first got out there. It was also 3 in the AM, so I didn't think to take pics of them in use. Otherwise, we were already back at camp when the sun went down. I do have some solo trips planned, however, so I may yet have an opportunity to show them off, and I'll take some night pics when I can. And I'll certainly bring a space suit next time I go to Borrego lol.