aldive
Elite In Memoriam
- Joined
- January 17, 2001
- Messages
- 24,569
- Reaction score
- 30
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1999 XLT
Nowadays I find myself driving more often at night on dark, lightly traveled roads to go kayaking. My tired old eyes were in need of more light. The HID conversion (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=210647 ) I did was great but not enough for my liking, for that reason supplementary driving lighting were deemed essential.
After considerable research into supplementary lighting, I choose KC SlimLite Series Driving Lights (http://www.kchilites.com/store/SlimLite-C17.aspx ). I decided on the 100 w black finish model.
Now on to a more daunting task … I needed to find a way to mount the lights. I looked at many different mounting systems of the Bull Bat ilk, but seeing as I have an EE X Spec air dam (http://www.explorerexpress.com/xspec-9901-p-47.html ) on my truck, these just wouldn’t cut the mustard for my application.
After posting a request for driving light mounting ideas (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1917332&posted=1#post1917332 post # 9 ), Colin ( FROADER ) came to my aid with the following suggestion: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1917332&posted=1#post1917332 post #10. He even went so far as to render a Photoshop image of how they would look on my actual truck (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1917332&posted=1#post1917332 post # 12 ). Thank you so much, Colin.
I ordered the light mount in a black powder coated finish from All For Trucks ( http://www.allfortrucks.com/ ) for $128.78 to my door via Fed Ex and ordered the lights from Performance Products (http://www.performanceproducts4trucks.com/productpage.aspx?cid=16&sid=164&pid=109515 ) for $186.07 via UPS.
With the component ordering out of the way, the next step in my planning was to determine a mounting location for the switch. After pondering the situation, I selected a spot on the front on the console within easy reach of the driver.
The KC light kit comes with the following:
o Two all steel 6" round slim housings w/ Axis Mount System
o Optical quality glass Lenses for maximum clarity and light projection
o 100 watt halogen bulbs
o Precision polished and focused reflectors
o Two matching KC Stone Guards for added protection
o Complete pre-terminated wiring harness with illuminated switch and fuse holders
o 40 amp relay
o Illustrated instructions
The mounting bar installation at first appeared to be uncomplicated. However, the holes in the front bumper cover are just that, holes. They do not lead to a threaded mounting location, nor do they align with the holes in the light bar. The bar was held in place and the three mounting holes were marked on the bumper cover. This was followed bu drilling a 9/32” hole through the cover and into the steel bumper. The enclosed self tapping bolts were not long enough so a trip to the hardware store was required. The design of this bar allows a license plat to be attached if required ( thankfully here in Florida one is not ).
Prior to attaching the bar to the bumper, the lights were attached to the bar with the enclosed nut and lock washer.
The bar has a span of 3 feet. Given that it is constructed of cast aluminum, I had preliminary concerns that it would indeed be a stable mounting location for the lights. Those concerns were unfounded.
The red and black wires from each light were attached to the plug connectors of the wiring harness which previously had been routed along the bar and through the bottom of the grill. They then were routed to the relay.
The relay was mounted near the battery and the yellow wire from the relay through a 25 amp fuse was attached to the positive battery terminal. The white wire was routed through a 3 amp fuse to a 12 v switched power supply.
The green and white wires from the relay were ( along with a ground wire from the battery ) were routed through the firewall, under the dashboard on to the switch. The switch has an LED that illuminates when the lights are on.
The straightforward installation took a little over an hour.
A road test out on SR 72 ( a dark 2 land road leading to the center of the state ) will be conducted later tonight.
A pending road trip to Atlanta should divulge any adverse affect on gas mileage the lights and bar might have.
Pictures later tonight.
After considerable research into supplementary lighting, I choose KC SlimLite Series Driving Lights (http://www.kchilites.com/store/SlimLite-C17.aspx ). I decided on the 100 w black finish model.
Now on to a more daunting task … I needed to find a way to mount the lights. I looked at many different mounting systems of the Bull Bat ilk, but seeing as I have an EE X Spec air dam (http://www.explorerexpress.com/xspec-9901-p-47.html ) on my truck, these just wouldn’t cut the mustard for my application.
After posting a request for driving light mounting ideas (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1917332&posted=1#post1917332 post # 9 ), Colin ( FROADER ) came to my aid with the following suggestion: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1917332&posted=1#post1917332 post #10. He even went so far as to render a Photoshop image of how they would look on my actual truck (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1917332&posted=1#post1917332 post # 12 ). Thank you so much, Colin.
I ordered the light mount in a black powder coated finish from All For Trucks ( http://www.allfortrucks.com/ ) for $128.78 to my door via Fed Ex and ordered the lights from Performance Products (http://www.performanceproducts4trucks.com/productpage.aspx?cid=16&sid=164&pid=109515 ) for $186.07 via UPS.
With the component ordering out of the way, the next step in my planning was to determine a mounting location for the switch. After pondering the situation, I selected a spot on the front on the console within easy reach of the driver.
The KC light kit comes with the following:
o Two all steel 6" round slim housings w/ Axis Mount System
o Optical quality glass Lenses for maximum clarity and light projection
o 100 watt halogen bulbs
o Precision polished and focused reflectors
o Two matching KC Stone Guards for added protection
o Complete pre-terminated wiring harness with illuminated switch and fuse holders
o 40 amp relay
o Illustrated instructions
The mounting bar installation at first appeared to be uncomplicated. However, the holes in the front bumper cover are just that, holes. They do not lead to a threaded mounting location, nor do they align with the holes in the light bar. The bar was held in place and the three mounting holes were marked on the bumper cover. This was followed bu drilling a 9/32” hole through the cover and into the steel bumper. The enclosed self tapping bolts were not long enough so a trip to the hardware store was required. The design of this bar allows a license plat to be attached if required ( thankfully here in Florida one is not ).
Prior to attaching the bar to the bumper, the lights were attached to the bar with the enclosed nut and lock washer.
The bar has a span of 3 feet. Given that it is constructed of cast aluminum, I had preliminary concerns that it would indeed be a stable mounting location for the lights. Those concerns were unfounded.
The red and black wires from each light were attached to the plug connectors of the wiring harness which previously had been routed along the bar and through the bottom of the grill. They then were routed to the relay.
The relay was mounted near the battery and the yellow wire from the relay through a 25 amp fuse was attached to the positive battery terminal. The white wire was routed through a 3 amp fuse to a 12 v switched power supply.
The green and white wires from the relay were ( along with a ground wire from the battery ) were routed through the firewall, under the dashboard on to the switch. The switch has an LED that illuminates when the lights are on.
The straightforward installation took a little over an hour.
A road test out on SR 72 ( a dark 2 land road leading to the center of the state ) will be conducted later tonight.
A pending road trip to Atlanta should divulge any adverse affect on gas mileage the lights and bar might have.
Pictures later tonight.
