THE UPGRADE PLAN FOR CONCEALED LONG STRIP LIGHTS REQUIRES ATTENTION TO WHAT ASPECTS?
If you want to add some hidden led light bar to your off-road vehicle, first, an ultra-thin and sleek light body is essential. As you know, hidden spots are generally narrow and concealed, so excessively bulky light bar might damage your vehicle's structure. Secondly, durability and waterproofing are crucial for light bar to withstand off-road jolts, deep water, and harsh conditions. Otherwise, despite your hard work installing them in the morning, you might have to remove them at night due to water ingress.Of course, different models of off-road vehicles might require different shapes and sizes of long strip lights. When choosing, ensure that the selected lights match the dimensions of the vehicle's bumper or frame and are easy to install. Common hidden installation spots include the grille and the front bumper recess.
Today, we're going to showcase a real 1995 Ford F150 grille long strip light upgrade plan. We've intentionally invited a professional truck DIY modification blogger 'Minute Masters (Stephen)' ,to assist us in completing a series of specific installation and wiring processes. Hopefully, this article can bring you some inspiration.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF INSTALLING LED LIGHT BAR ON A VEHICLE'S GRILLE
- Concealed Position: Grille locations are typically relatively hidden. Mounting long strip lights here makes them less noticeable, creating a discreet, overall attractive effect.
- Frontal Protection: Grilles are usually situated at the vehicle's front. Placing long strip lights here can offer some protection, preventing direct collisions or damage, ultimately extending the lights' lifespan.
- Enhanced Illumination: Long strip lights installed on the grille provide excellent lighting, enhancing the vehicle's frontal visibility, especially during nighttime or adverse weather conditions, providing additional illumination.
- Ventilation Maintenance: Grilles are primarily designed for vehicle ventilation and cooling. Installing long strip lights here generally doesn't impede the vehicle's ventilation system.
- Customization Potential: Mounting long strip lights on the grille allows for customization based on personal preferences and the vehicle's appearance, adding personalized visual features to the vehicle's look.
G10 SERIES STRAIGHT SLIM LIGHT BAR FOR 1995 FORD F150
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G10 Light Bar (26''): Check Price
INSTALLATION
STEP 1. REMOVING ALL SCREWS OF THE GRILLE&TAKE OFF THE GRILLE
It's very easy and nessary to remove all of the screws of the grille:)You just need an electric screwdriver to easily complete it
STEP 2. FINDING A SUITABLE INSTALLATION SPOT FOR THE LIGHT BAR
When you remove the grille, the next question for you is where is the suitable spot to fix the installation of the long strip lights.Stephen suggested that you can fabricate steel brackets the hook onto the steel of your core support or mount it to the bumper plastic(The premise is that this plastic must be sturdy:)
Of course, you can choose Stephen's idea, he decided to fit the light bar on the grille and do some mods of the grille to put the light bar well.
STEP 3. NORCH OUT THE GRILLE
Here you can use the milwaukee multi-tool to do the cutting(If you have:)The entire cutting process is very relieving, and the work is done beautifully!
Since the light strip is installed beneath the grille, there's an obstruction in the middle that blocks the insertion of the long strip light. Therefore, partial cutting was done on this obstruction to allow the long strip light to pass through smoothly from the middle.Final showcase here:
STEP 4. INSTALL LIGHTBAR IN FINAL POSITION
Before confirming the final screw holes, try fitting the long strip light as much as possible in the middle of the grille. Then, use the screws on the long strip light as a size reference for adjustments. Finally, mark the drilling spots with a marker and drill upward to create the screw holes.
Another thing, if you encounter a situation like Stephen's where the grille is too narrow and the nuts of the light strip are too long, after confirming the installation length, remove a section from the nut to fit your grille appropriately.
STEP 5. WIRING & LIGHT BAR TEST
After installing the light strip, prepare for the wiring work. Like Stephen, he drilled a hole right to the firewall and added that gromment.You can start by installing the switch.Go to the cabin and install switch,then connect the connector to the switch, pass it through the firewall into the engine compartment, and connect the remaining wire set.
Then, route the wire set along the top of the firewall, securing wires and relays with zip ties for a neat and safe setup.
Next, connect the positive and negative terminals of the long strip lights to the car battery behind the terminal.
Pass the wire set through a small hole in the radiator support and connect the lights' positive and negative ends, completing the wiring.
Everything went smoothly, and now it's time for the final light test. Let's first take a look at how Stephen's headlights turned out.
This is original low beam, clear cut-off line of the headlight and wider light beam, but the light beam looks a little green, not sure if as for the car window color.
Headlight low beam and high beam on, the high beam light up front and get more views, it's good.
Headlight high& low beam & Colight G10 light bar on, Haha you can get a clear deep impression, it certainly provides a positive auxiliary effect on the headlights, making the light beam more brighter and whiter.You can still see the cut-off line in the ground.
And G10 light bar on only, absolutely it's also bright and impressive.You can see the front house clearly,it also provides a good visibility on both sides. there's no issue using it alone during night driving.
If you are interested to see the full review video, please check here
Also, if you finish reading this blog and have a strong interest in the G10,welcome to use the 15% exclusive discount in the video freely, Stephen will be happy!
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