Roof rack lights and wiring suggestions please

[john_yarbrough]

I just mounted up my new defender rack to my XJ and am now looking for lights. I have three questions.

1. What lights do you suggest/prefer for both front and rear?
2. How do you run wiring froom roof into switch and to battery?
(Spefically, where did you run wires from outside of roof to inside of Jeep and where did you locate the switches in the cab)
3. Will I have any power/battery issues once 6 lights are installed and running?

Just want to get some tips from guys who have already done it before I start buying and installing. I have 4 light tabs on the front and 2 on the back. I have seen large round light and small small rectangle low profile lights as well. Not sure what I like more at this point.

Here are a few pics of my rack mounted if this helps

 

[bhicks]

My rectangular flood lights I run out back and on the sides are from Harborfreight and cost $10 for the pair. They would suck for driving lights but are awesome for lighting up the area around you, backing up in pitch black, night time trail repairs, and camping. They are cheap but they came with all the wires, switches, and fuses. Buying that stuff seperately at radioshack was going to cost me almost $20 and the Kit included the lights. You can't beat that. I am currently running 8 different lights of two styles that are controlled by 3 different switches. All of it is running of my cheapie Pep Boys battery. I was told I HAD to upgrade to dual batteries or at least a single deap cycle Optima. I never did that. I have ran it that way for a while and never had an issue. I even have run all 8 for multiple hours during a nightime Big Bear run last summer. The lights have been on my TJ and now on my XJ so they have lasted almost 3 years with no issues. Even if they crap out after 3 years, then I will just go grab another $10 pair. For the front lights I would NOT cheap out. I did and I regret it. You should check out Vinces HD's. I think he got them for like $150 from Kragen or something and they are WAY better them my cheap Harborfreight "Offroad Driving Lights". Here's a link to the lights I bought. Both are labeled at full price right now but they often go on sale which is when I bought mine. The first link is my flood lights and the 2nd is my crappy front driving lights.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37349

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=3029

 

[bhicks]

Here's some pics of my set up. I also took some pics of how I ran the lights from the rack into the vehicle. I ran the wires down the inside of the rain gutter mount, drilled a small hole in the rain gutter just above the weather stripping and then ran the wires down the inside of the weather stripping and into the vehicle down by the passenger side feet area. Hopefully the pics make sense.

 

[WebDog]

I ran a 3 wire extension cord though a small hole near the back of my roof and then ran the wire under the headliner.

I put a connector for if i want to take the rack off i can do it quickly.

I also fished the wire though the rack so there is no visible wires or cable ties between the lamps.

 

[bhicks]

Damn Wed Dog, that's clean! I wanted to do my wiring that clean but I am just too lazy. You alwasy seem to do everything top notch. I always plan to and then end up just half ass'n it.

 

[Original_MudButt]

Where does the other end of the ground (blue)wire go to? I assume somewhere under the roof rack mounting bolts? Clean setup.... I like.

 

[WebDog]

Where does the other end of the ground (blue)wire go to? I assume somewhere under the roof rack mounting bolts? Clean setup.... I like.

yea it goes to a bolt in the rail. I plan to ditch the factory bars and make my own brackets at which time the rack will be grounded by that so the blue is a temp ground.

 

[Skwerly]

I'm digging your ladder! Did you make that yourself?

 

[WebDog]

Yea, it acted as rear quarter armor going though the notches also...

 

[NickDanger_XJ]

Love the ladder, I was just thinking about trying to do a Land Rover type deal like that.

 

[whitexj98]

What ever lights you run do it right and use a relay.

 

[94HOCHEROKEE]

Did you hook up your rear light to your reverse lights? I am thinking of doing this and was wondering how it worked out....