FL Handle Guy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2019
- Threads
- 22
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- Location
- Northwest Florida
- Vehicle(s)
- 2020 Gladiator Rubi
- Thread starter
- #1
The simple project of wiring a set of rock lights to an aux switch turned into a project that was far more involved, but doesn't every jeep project? The project took me about 7 hours, that includes watching letter kenny while making the led harnesses.
I wanted to install a set of rock lights but decided I wanted them tucked up out of the way and mounted to the body but didn't want to drill holes. So I decided to mount my rock lights to magnets and then I could figure out where I wanted to mount them without turning the body of the jeep into swiss cheese (rust). So the first thing I did was come up with a set of goals and did some research to see what I need and how I would wire them up.
I have never been a fan of the angry eye lights, frowny face grill, crazy colored neon looking under car lights. I just like simple, clean and for it to look like it came that way from factory.
Goals
-Rock lights so I could see beside the jeep at night without having to roll down the windows (tinted windows prevented me from seeing the white lines while backing up)
-Turn on when unlocking the jeep
-No holes (magnets?)
-Automatically turns on with bed lights (I can hit the bed light switch to turn them on)
-Automatically turns on when put in reverse
-Could be wired to aux switch later if desired
-Not interfere with can-bus or back feed through system
Purchase list (some things I already had, but I'm putting them here anyway)
- 12 @ 3/4" threaded magnets (2 per light) and stainless screws that matched the thread
https://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MMS-D-C
- 6 @ 1,200 Lumen Rock lights (these were potted with epoxy so they shouldn't leak...)
https://www.etrailer.com/Lights/Buyers_Products/3371492139.html
- 6 @ threaded waterproof 2 wire connectors
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LCV97AY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- roll of duplex jacketed wire
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MDEV9C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- waterproof solder butt connectors
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KBXL17K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- 2 @ 15 amp diodes
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079KK5KXN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- roll of cable sleeve (I bought 1/4", if I had to do it again I would have bought 3/8" or 1/2")
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074GM1PK1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- fabric wiring harness tape
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I2MLN2Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Misc connectors, zip ties, liquid electrical tape, heat gun, crimpers, wire cutters, wire strippers, socket set for ground bolt, beer
First thing I did was make a wiring harness for each led light and wired them to one of the 2-wire threaded connectors. I chose this incase I damaged a light or it burnt out I could replace it without cutting into the main harness again. I connected the side with the nut to the light and the threaded portion to the harness I ran through the frame. I covered all wires where they went through the frame with the cable sleeve and taped or heat shrunk the ends. The cable sleeve is surprisingly tough, It's kind of like a Chinese finger trap. I figured I could wrap them again with fabric tape if it becomes necessary.
I ran the duplex wire through the frame in short sections to where I wanted to mount each light. That saved me a lot of headache with trying to run the wires all the way through. I mounted a light under each door and had the rear one mount to the outside of the frame where bumper attaches. I could have gotten away with one light at the B-post and one in the rear but more is better... Right? For the rear I wanted them to mount in the same place on each side and the muffler blocked all the good options on the driver side so I had to compromise.
After wiring all the lights inline towards the rear of the truck I left about 4 feet of wire hanging out for my final connections.
There is a harness that goes from above the rear wheel well on the passenger side to the bed light harness. I removed the harness by sliding the grey tabs back and removing the connectors and used a door panel removal tool to pop the plastic frame connectors out. This allowed me to splice into the harness on a workbench instead of on the jeep. There are three connectors you will have to disconnect to remove the harness.
There is a white and tan (beige) wire that goes to the connector closest to the bed light (the smaller 2 wire connector in the photo above). I tested every splice with a positap before making any cuts. I spliced a single 14gauge wire into the harness to power the lights when the bed lights turn on and soldered in a diode to prevent the power from the backup lights back-feeding into the bed lights or the other way around. I double waterproofed every connection with heat shrink, covered the wires with cable sleeve or fabric tape and secured to existing wires under the bed running along the rear bumper. I did not want any of the wires to get damaged by rubbing, hanging low or uv.
For the reverse light power I tied into the reverse wire for the trailer hitch plug. I disconnected the 7 pin from under the truck and splice a wire into the middle wire of the 7 pin plug. That is the reverse wire. Once again, I wired in a diode to prevent any back-feeding and sleeved the wire.
For all the positive (hot) wires I used a single red wire since I would be grounding to the frame.
If you wish to wire this into one of the aux wires you could run a single hot wire from the engine bay to the first led on the passenger side with minimal effort.
You will need to find a suitable grounding location, I used one of the bolts used for the heat shield that goes around the spare tire on the driver side. It was meant to be temporary but will most likely be a permanently temporary solution. If I have any issues with it I will redo it at a later time.
Now you will have 2 power (hot) wires (one from the bed lights, one from the reverse trailer lights), 1 ground wire and 2 duplex wires running to the leds (1 positive/1 negative each). I soldered all the positive wires together and all the negative wires together at the back of the jeep next to the 7pin harness (under the bed). I made sure that any heat shrink or cable sleeve I was going to need was already on the wires before I connected them.
After connecting everything, and making sure it works dress the wires and use zip ties to connect them to the license plate light wiring harness to clean everything up and keep them out of the way.
NOTE: When exposing the wires in the factory harness you must cut away the fabric tape from the factory. I took my time with a fresh razor blade in an easy to handle razor knife and made sure not to damage the insulation of any other wires.
I will post more pictures this weekend, I did not do a great job of documenting the process.
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