How to wire light bar

[pdxrealtor]

I'm looking for suggestions on how to run the wires inside the light bar to an exit point for routing to the proper location.

If I remember correctly, you want to exit with all the wires on the driver side. Is this correct?

Where do you exit the actual light bar?? It would be much easier if it were hollow inside the cross bar, but it's not.

Here is a link to the bar..

http://www.elcovaforums.com/forums/s...2&postcount=12

[bochard]

Hi If u are using OEM roof bar it should be hollow
remove side cap (with key) should also have a black rubber strip that can be removed to expose hollow inside

Hope this helps
Butch

[pdxrealtor]

Thanks, but I have the bar stripped already. It's not 100% hollow in there.

After looking at it more I can either drill through the first outside layer and run the wire down the first hollow core, or I can drill through the first and second layer and run the wire down the center top core.

The second would give me better access for running the wire, but at the same time I can just use a wire puller to grab the wire if I use the first method.

Then there is the exit point.. not sure yet where the best exit point would be?

[timgco]

DAMN, you have a ton of work on your hands with all those lights! They will not all fit down one A pillar on the outside. You will have to split them!

or you may want to look into running them to a block that you can attach to the roof rail, than run two wires into your engine bay. Not sure how that would be done though.


When I wired the GOBI racks lighting in, I had 6 total lights/ 12 wires total. 6 wires down each a pillar. I used wire that was very flat and each postive/ negative wire were together. That helped and I did have to tape the wires under the pillar all the way down OR you get rattling at highway speeds from those wires. ALSO, make sure to leave slack so that when you have a windshield change, they can be moved to the side. I would do a quick disconnect and attach to that lightbar. This way if you ever have to get the bar off for some reason, you can remove the bar without cutting wires. Safest place for that would be just inside the engine bay on each side OR back up by the roof rail. Engine bay would have a cleaner look and you can disconnect that way for windshield changed also. I used heat shrink tape on all connections and loom over all wire in the engine bay. Switch wires were pulled through the firewall. I made my own hole and seales with JB weld on the inside and in engine bay. You can insulate teh hole with a rubber grommit. I did that hole for the switch wires and through the market light hole for teh CB cable. Much cleaner than RTV, but much more perminant as teh JB weld is like steel when it's completed.

[pdxrealtor]

Originally Posted by timgco

DAMN, you have a ton of work on your hands with all those lights! They will not all fit down one A pillar on the outside. You will have to split them!

or you may want to look into running them to a block that you can attach to the roof rail, than run two wires into your engine bay. Not sure how that would be done though.


When I wired the GOBI racks lighting in, I had 6 total lights/ 12 wires total. 6 wires down each a pillar. I used wire that was very flat and each postive/ negative wire were together. That helped and I did have to tape the wires under the pillar all the way down OR you get rattling at highway speeds from those wires. ALSO, make sure to leave slack so that when you have a windshield change, they can be moved to the side. I would do a quick disconnect and attach to that lightbar. This way if you ever have to get the bar off for some reason, you can remove the bar without cutting wires. Safest place for that would be just inside the engine bay on each side OR back up by the roof rail. Engine bay would have a cleaner look and you can disconnect that way for windshield changed also. I used heat shrink tape on all connections and loom over all wire in the engine bay. Switch wires were pulled through the firewall. I made my own hole and seales with JB weld on the inside and in engine bay. You can insulate teh hole with a rubber grommit. I did that hole for the switch wires and through the market light hole for teh CB cable. Much cleaner than RTV, but much more perminant as teh JB weld is like steel when it's completed.

What do you mean by the "outside" when referring to A pillar?

Is that where the hole under the driver side market light leads? I was thinking it led to inside the cabin, behind the plastic a pillar cover, but now you have me wondering with the talk of replacing the windshield... totally confused..

[porschett]

Think I would think about joining some wire together. You could join the grounds together to a #4 wire. Eight lights, join the outers together, then the next set, etc.. That would leave you with 5 wires to run from the rail. Just my thoughts, no expert.

[timgco]

Originally Posted by pdxrealtor

What do you mean by the "outside" when referring to A pillar?

Is that where the hole under the driver side market light leads? I was thinking it led to inside the cabin, behind the plastic a pillar cover, but now you have me wondering with the talk of replacing the windshield... totally confused..

You have to get your wires into the engine bay. shortest distance is run down the A Pillars. Those plastic covers come off and there is room to run wires straight into your engine bay (outside of the truck). Your switch wires can be run into the engine bay the same way (outside of the truck) and than through the firewall.

OR

you can run switch wires through the boot inside that marker lamp and down into the cab. You can use the rear defroster or rear wiper fuse for your switch power. Hope that helps.

You can always pm me your info. and we can go through the process over the phone too. ..might be easier.

[pdxrealtor]

Originally Posted by porschett

Think I would think about joining some wire together. You could join the grounds together to a #4 wire. Eight lights, join the outers together, then the next set, etc.. That would leave you with 5 wires to run from the rail. Just my thoughts, no expert.

I meant to call PIAA today to see if they had a heavier duty relay that would allow me to run 4 lights off of one, and the other 4 off a second.

I also have a set of the bigger 520's and they have a bigger relay. That's what gave me the above idea.

The point being combining the wires at the rail so that I would only have 4 wires going to the engine bay.

[pdxrealtor]

Originally Posted by timgco

You have to get your wires into the engine bay. shortest distance is run down the A Pillars. Those plastic covers come off and there is room to run wires straight into your engine bay (outside of the truck). Your switch wires can be run into the engine bay the same way (outside of the truck) and than through the firewall.

OR

you can run switch wires through the boot inside that marker lamp and down into the cab. You can use the rear defroster or rear wiper fuse for your switch power. Hope that helps.

You can always pm me your info. and we can go through the process over the phone too. ..might be easier.

I was posting when you were posting... thanks.. I'll PM you!

I'd like to run just the wires from the lights to the engine bay, and do everything else from there.

[twr]

Hi you can get small 12 volt relays up to 100 amps. The ones we use at work are about size of 2 standard relays and are 80 amps.

[SmokeyJoe]

Or you could use a starter selenoid.

[twr]

hi he was to use a big starter sol, it has to be a continuous duty one.

[pdxrealtor]

I talked with PIAA today and they suggested 2 30 amp relays each protected with a 25 amp fuse using 10 gauge wire on everything up to the lights.

One thing I don't understand is that the PIAA relays are 7-10 amps, but are protected by a 20 amp fuse. Do the PIAA relays have something extra going on??

Anyways... I think I got everything I needed today.

I'm going to run 4 lights x 4 lights. I'll route the 10 gauge, one + one - down each A-pillar then wire everything up from under the hood with direct connections to the battery.

Tim... you have PM.

[lasvegash2]

how is the project coming along?

[pdxrealtor]

Good!


Everything was put together and stripped.

Waiting for some nerfbar step inserts and then all will go to the powder coater on Friday.

Here's some pictures.