Dome light install in a hardtop

[number9]

I have searched many times but never found an easy clean install of the armor dome light in a hardtop truck. Thought I'd post up the route I went in case others wanted to get some ideas.

I picked up a joint of flat stock steel at Lowes to make brackets out of. Cut them to length and drilled mounting holes, then shot them with some walmart camo flat black.

I drilled holes in the headliner support strip to bolt the brackets to. Used 1" long nylon spacers from the parts drawers at Lowes to space the light down to clear the headliner support. I ran power along the channel where the hardtop meets the cab above the windows, around behind the passenger door and down the back of the cab, through the hole in the floor for the slave cable and down to the battery + terminal. I couldn't seem to find any other easy tap for power. I ran ground also along the hardtop channel to the 1/2" bolt that secures the hardtop to the windshield frame above the steering wheel.

I decided that the light would work out better turned sideways - this would allow the light to evenly and directly light the floorboard at night without my body casting any shadows and also located the light switch in a position that turned out to be very ergonomically friendly as when I reach up for the light my thumb falls right on the push button to flip the light on.

The light is MUCH brighter than it looks in the pic.

***ETA*** - I just realized I forgot to install an inline fuse. Guess I'll have to go back and do that.

......

 

[digitaldust]

I JUST got this same light Sunday!
thanks for the mounting idea.

 

[CARNAC]

Very Nice. Very Professional looking.

 

[Bill W]

I welded my dome light brackets to the hardtop using some angle and 4 coupling nuts, I mounted mine in the rear of the cab., excuse the ugliness as was in the middle of sanding/painting

 

[Recovry4x4]

You will wonder how you ever got by without the light. I put them in all my trucks. The front location does have many advantages.

 

[cranetruck]

I put mine on an aluminum plate....

 

[Bill W]

You will wonder how you ever got by without the light. I put them in all my trucks. The front location does have many advantages.

I would have mounted mine up front but I installed a spotlight there instead

Bjorn
Thats one nice setup you have there.

 

[broman78]

how did I know the 7th picture was cranetruck's? What are the extra controls above the front windshield for?

 

[cranetruck]

how did I know the 7th picture was cranetruck's? What are the extra controls above the front windshield for?

Heater controls.

 

[JCKnife]

That's a nice-looking install. Can you tell me where you got the wiring connector? I'm about to do the same thing.

 

[number9]

I ordered the connectors from Eriks Surplus. He sells them in a set of both male & female type.

 

[JCKnife]

I ordered the connectors from Eriks Surplus. He sells them in a set of both male & female type.

You don't have a part#, do you?

I found their "rubber shell connectors" but there are five different varieties...

 

[number9]

This is the kit I got. Just crimped them on the wire. I had picked up some of the wire from tbanks and popacom a while back when I got my lights off them. You can use any 14ga wire from the parts store though.

Rubber Shell Connectors, (qty 20) MS27144-1 and MS27142-2

Prestolite Wire For Military Vehicles, 14 AWG, M13486/1-5


.......

 

[Ord22]

a really nice setup!!!

 

[JCKnife]

This is the kit I got. Just crimped them on the wire. I had picked up some of the wire from tbanks and popacom a while back when I got my lights off them. You can use any 14ga wire from the parts store though.

Rubber Shell Connectors, (qty 20) MS27144-1 and MS27142-2

Prestolite Wire For Military Vehicles, 14 AWG, M13486/1-5


.......

Wow, I was grudgingly in for the $17 kit until I saw the $9 shipping! I'll try Napa or Radio Shack first!

 

[Jimma]

That looks great.

 

[Jimma]

Call Erick's and see what he can do on the shipping?. I ordered my wire conectors and a few things including a 24v tag light and he put them in a $5 priority mail package and got it from the west coast to Georgia in two days. I was happy with the product, shiping and price.

 

[JCKnife]

OK, Napa part # 784353 Female Snap Terminal-Nylon. Plugs right into the light--snaps in quite firmly in fact. A box of 10 pcs cost me $3 and change.

I also bought plenty of 14 ga wire so I'm all set.

 

[JCKnife]

Got the first light in the cab. Tried drilling a hole in the soft top support bar to snake the wires through that but couldn't stuff them through. Oh well.

Hey, here's a tip I haven't seen posted before: I wanted to remove the stop-post that prevented easy turn-on of the unfiltered light (I'm not exactly worried about light security just now). I found that if you remove the switch (1 screw) and flip it over, the stop post is actually threaded. When you unscrew it, the pushbutton and spring come out as well. So I could put them back in if I want to. Neat trick.

Anyways, thanks as always.
Joe

 

[Billy Bobbed]

Hey, here's a tip I haven't seen posted before: I wanted to remove the stop-post that prevented easy turn-on of the unfiltered light (I'm not exactly worried about light security just now). I found that if you remove the switch (1 screw) and flip it over, the stop post is actually threaded. When you unscrew it, the pushbutton and spring come out as well. So I could put them back in if I want to. Neat trick.

Anyways, thanks as always.
Joe[/QUOTE]






Im going to get one,thanks for the tip.Just havent decided were to put it yet.Theirs been alot of times I needed a dome light.