xman98
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- July 8, 2005
- Messages
- 335
- Reaction score
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- City, State
- home-Norwalk, CT school-Springfield, MA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 98 XLT
Ok, I recently did the lights on my roof mod before I went off to school. Very cool and I love the look. I am going to take you through my step to step process about how/what and why I did what I did. I talked to one person online and 2 through private messages so I know there will be at least a couple people watching the thread and all other are welcome to question me. Also $ was a big question, is it expensive, can I do it without hitting my pockets hard?
I saw another thread of a guy ho posted a picture of lights on his roof and then I saw a picture of SkanlaxJMO’s X a while ago along with one other whom I can’t remember. Here is a more recent picture his (got it from recent thread talking about roof rack lights). Those two were the main reason I did it. I liked the tougher/different look and saw it as a project I could tackle by myself. (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165525)
He had the square Baja lights on his roof which I got but for my brush guard. So my figuring is that I can’t have a box like look so I went to Wal-Mart and bought a pair of circle ones for $20 bucks combined. I also bought a nicer switch to match the other one I had to go with my brush guard lights. That cost me $3. I also bought extra wire for around $5 because coming from the roof will take up some wire. Then I grabbed a fuse (came in a pack of like 8) for $3. I also bought wire loom to protect the wires from the rain and New England snow. It cost me $4. It was a good buy because I didn’t know any better with my brush guard lights, but I quickly learned when I had to do some rewiring because snow and rain got to them. Anyway the total cost of this project was $35 for me. Of course you can put a lot nicer lights and better wire for a cost of course. You are also going to want to have some wire tape for the loom and wire connections but that’s a supply you find in the garage usually.
So now I had all the supplies and it was time to start. I had 2 square lights that I always use before I put the real ones in just to make sure I do everything right and not by accident mess one of them up (did the same with my brush guard project).
In the red squares are the “practice lights” The two yellow boxes are the ends of the cross bar. Each has two screws (blue box) under it that you need take out. I then measured and marked the two spots where the holes would be on the rubber strip. Then you can take the rubber off the main cross bar section and get ready to cut.
I then cut two holes where I previously measured to make sure I centered the lights the way I wanted them. You can do this with a switch blade which I had in my little tool box on the table. The easiest way to do it was stick the blade in deep enough to get the bottom of the rubber strip and then twirl it around forming a circle. When the rubber is done being cut put it back into the main section of the cross bar. Once the rubber and crossbar are one piece again, stick a pencil through the holes you made with the switch blade and make markings on the inside of the cross bar. Now remove the rubber strip again and take out the drill!!!
Drill your holes where the markings are and you now have holes to mount your lights. When you mount your lights most likely the screw that came with the light (like mine) isn’t long enough to get through to the bottom. So replace that one with one that is long enough and your in business. Now tighten it up, reattach the ends of the cross bar and now your ready to put it on your roof.
One thing I did find is that at first I though the rubber strip might be strong enough to hold the lights which it turned out to be. But when you hit speeds over going down the driveway it starts to pull off the cross bar so it wasn’t a good idea in the end. Mounting them to the whole bar is definitely sturdy enough and is the way to go in my opinion.
Now I took it back down and mounted the real lights on it and now we are ready for some wiring. It’s the basic wiring job that I did. I grounded both lights and combined the power wires into one. Then I ran the wires down the side of the X and hid them behind the weather stripping so you can’t see them. Then I hooked the wires either in or taped them to the little O ring clamps that keep the crossbars in place and allow for a net or baggage on the roof-which I think is there real purpose, but I’m not sure.
Here is the weather stripping with the wires hidden behind them.
Another little thing- I went with the black wire so that you can’t see the wire unless you know its there. I would either buy the color wire of you X or spray paint it.
Then when you get to where that ends you can thread them through the fenders and it will come out under the hood and you can now make your power connection. Then for the switch wire you can drill in your firewall or you can do what I did which was explained in this thread http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...ad.php?t=158927.
I found the whole a while ago (the brush guard project) and it’s very useful in my opinion.
So here is the finished product
I am at college now and for the first couple months I will not have the X with me. YES they do work although I don’t have any pictures with them on and I unhooked the wire from the battery before I left because the X is sitting in my garage until I come home.
Enjoy!
I saw another thread of a guy ho posted a picture of lights on his roof and then I saw a picture of SkanlaxJMO’s X a while ago along with one other whom I can’t remember. Here is a more recent picture his (got it from recent thread talking about roof rack lights). Those two were the main reason I did it. I liked the tougher/different look and saw it as a project I could tackle by myself. (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165525)
He had the square Baja lights on his roof which I got but for my brush guard. So my figuring is that I can’t have a box like look so I went to Wal-Mart and bought a pair of circle ones for $20 bucks combined. I also bought a nicer switch to match the other one I had to go with my brush guard lights. That cost me $3. I also bought extra wire for around $5 because coming from the roof will take up some wire. Then I grabbed a fuse (came in a pack of like 8) for $3. I also bought wire loom to protect the wires from the rain and New England snow. It cost me $4. It was a good buy because I didn’t know any better with my brush guard lights, but I quickly learned when I had to do some rewiring because snow and rain got to them. Anyway the total cost of this project was $35 for me. Of course you can put a lot nicer lights and better wire for a cost of course. You are also going to want to have some wire tape for the loom and wire connections but that’s a supply you find in the garage usually.
So now I had all the supplies and it was time to start. I had 2 square lights that I always use before I put the real ones in just to make sure I do everything right and not by accident mess one of them up (did the same with my brush guard project).
In the red squares are the “practice lights” The two yellow boxes are the ends of the cross bar. Each has two screws (blue box) under it that you need take out. I then measured and marked the two spots where the holes would be on the rubber strip. Then you can take the rubber off the main cross bar section and get ready to cut.
I then cut two holes where I previously measured to make sure I centered the lights the way I wanted them. You can do this with a switch blade which I had in my little tool box on the table. The easiest way to do it was stick the blade in deep enough to get the bottom of the rubber strip and then twirl it around forming a circle. When the rubber is done being cut put it back into the main section of the cross bar. Once the rubber and crossbar are one piece again, stick a pencil through the holes you made with the switch blade and make markings on the inside of the cross bar. Now remove the rubber strip again and take out the drill!!!
Drill your holes where the markings are and you now have holes to mount your lights. When you mount your lights most likely the screw that came with the light (like mine) isn’t long enough to get through to the bottom. So replace that one with one that is long enough and your in business. Now tighten it up, reattach the ends of the cross bar and now your ready to put it on your roof.
One thing I did find is that at first I though the rubber strip might be strong enough to hold the lights which it turned out to be. But when you hit speeds over going down the driveway it starts to pull off the cross bar so it wasn’t a good idea in the end. Mounting them to the whole bar is definitely sturdy enough and is the way to go in my opinion.
Now I took it back down and mounted the real lights on it and now we are ready for some wiring. It’s the basic wiring job that I did. I grounded both lights and combined the power wires into one. Then I ran the wires down the side of the X and hid them behind the weather stripping so you can’t see them. Then I hooked the wires either in or taped them to the little O ring clamps that keep the crossbars in place and allow for a net or baggage on the roof-which I think is there real purpose, but I’m not sure.
Here is the weather stripping with the wires hidden behind them.
Another little thing- I went with the black wire so that you can’t see the wire unless you know its there. I would either buy the color wire of you X or spray paint it.
Then when you get to where that ends you can thread them through the fenders and it will come out under the hood and you can now make your power connection. Then for the switch wire you can drill in your firewall or you can do what I did which was explained in this thread http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...ad.php?t=158927.
I found the whole a while ago (the brush guard project) and it’s very useful in my opinion.
So here is the finished product
I am at college now and for the first couple months I will not have the X with me. YES they do work although I don’t have any pictures with them on and I unhooked the wire from the battery before I left because the X is sitting in my garage until I come home.
Enjoy!
J/K
