wiring for lights on safari rack

I got my safari rack for the group buy and I just ordered 2 pair of lights for it. My question is where did you guys bring your wires in??? I have a sunroof but I think the wires will probably get jacked up if they run through there. The only thing I've been able to think of is to drill into the rack and run them through the tubes to the back and then down the leg into the roof tracks. Form there through the lift gate. I just seems like it will look kinda rigged up to me. Anyone have a better solution??

 

[Texplorer]

Through the back hatch seems to be the most popular place people run them though.

 

[00sport]

yeah that's pretty much what I thought but I wanted to make sure there wasn't a better way. Something that brought them in closer to the front would be nice so I don't have to pull interior panels and carpet to get them run to the front. Anyone do it any other way?

 

[mattadams]

I drilled holes in the roof and brought htem down through there. Gotta remember the longer wire, the more power you lose, so if you want your lights as bright as possible, gotta use the shortest amount of wire possible. If there gonna be up there permanently, just drill a hole or two, run the wires through, then use some silicone (black silicone can be found at home depot, I used it on my explorer so it would blend with the paint) and I never once had a leak.

 

[Lifted95X]

I will be doing this in the coming weeks as well. I want to make sure I am understanding this correctly though. You can run 4 lights off 1 switch, but should run a seprate relay, for each set?! Correct?? I will probably run them off a fuse block. What gauge wire should I hook that up with?

THanks
Shaun

 

[mattadams]

Yes, two relays, then splice teh wires together that go to the switch so its controlled with one switch. For going ot the roof I'd try to use at least 14 guage, if not 12. Depends how many wires you gotta pull through as small a hole as you can make, I always over power things

 

[00sport]

Originally posted by mattadams
I drilled holes in the roof and brought htem down through there. Gotta remember the longer wire, the more power you lose, so if you want your lights as bright as possible, gotta use the shortest amount of wire possible. If there gonna be up there permanently, just drill a hole or two, run the wires through, then use some silicone (black silicone can be found at home depot, I used it on my explorer so it would blend with the paint) and I never once had a leak.

Yeah that was my first idea but I don't want to drill holes though becasue in the winter the safari rack will come back down and the ski rack will go back up.

 

[00sport]

finally got around to wiring them up today, we ran them thorugh the top of the door instead of through the lift gate. They are electrical taped together real tight and then ran behing the weatherstripping in the door jab. Really doesn't look too bad. Spliced all four light together into some 12 gauge wire and replaced the switch that the kit came with with a heavier duty one. works great.