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Liscense Plate Relocation

W

webbjeep

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Bel Air, MD
I made this write up a while ago on Comanche Club, Im new to the NAXJA forums .... lets see how it goes

http://www.comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21476&start=0&hilit=plate+relocation

webbjeepxj said:
Since many of you guys have XJ's here's a little mod I finished up this morning .......
Materials:
Pilot Automotive Stealth light LED wht/red License Plate Surround $20
Peice of Galvenized flat steel $4
First thing, mark holes for the end of the bracket that will mount to your existing plate holes. Then I measured where I needed bends in the steel, then used a hacksaw to cut just a little into the steel (1/4 through), just to allow it to bend easier.
IMG_6383.jpg

Second, Drill your holes for where you want the plate. Also remove your exisiting License Plate lamp, drill a small hole to allow the wires to go through. Then splice'm up.
IMG_6386.jpg

Lastly, mount it up, double check your connections
IMG_6391.jpg

I thought this was a cool idea for anyone who does not want to drill massive holes into their rear hatch. Many people run bumpers with spare tire mounts and sometimes its a pain to rewire the plate, this seems like a pretty simple solution.
Click to expand...

At night .....
Here's a pic that I took in blizzard
Enjoy!!!
IMG_6395.jpg
 
Much easier to drill 2 holes, push in 2 license plate holding nuts and screw on the plate. You can get a license plate light for fairly cheap, and that is just a couple more small holes. When you are done, you may have $10 in parts in it.

Sometimes, you just can't over think it.
 
Nice and simple. I like it.

I would though, stay away from lighting it that way.... I try not to attract too much attention.
 
I like it because it looks clean and there is no need to drill any holes. If it rattles, put some double sided tape or velcro behind it. I agree with bmpweXJ on the lighting, save that for the ricers. Good job utilizing the factory holes.
 
welcome to the site. dont mind the naysayers, thats clean execution. and with all the snow, that plate light looks appropriate
 
Definitely food for thought for my XJ... Right now it's just hanging on by the right 2 screws.

I'd really like to relocate it to my tire carrier, but I haven't figured out the best method for wiring up the plate lights... Once I figure something out I'll definitely share my $0.02.

At this point, I'm thinking about rigging up electrical contacts on both the bumper and the tire carrier so that contact is made when it is closed (probably the spring-loaded copper-tipped contacts you see on some vehicles), but I'm not quite sure where to start the search for those parts.

*EDIT* Something like this:

http://www.automotivepartsandaccessories.com/poweraccessory/80140big.jpg
 
Here's an idea for wiring in a plate holder on the tire carrier: wire it into a trailer connector. A flat 4-wire trailer connector has ground, tail lights, left turn signal and right turn signal. You just need the first 2. And, you've also got a good connector in place, if you need to take the tire carrier off for any reason.
 
Wait... one other thing..... should be a brake connection in there some place (yeah, I know. I can't count.) I've got a simple 2" red round light mounted in the center of my spare tire carrier for a center high mount stop lamp.
 
I love the look actually!

Only a few things - I would put self adhesive foam house weatherstripping on the back of the plate and the metal strip to keep it from scratching the paint (also will reduce rattling.) Not that I really care how my paint looks on the XJ, but to keep the rust from getting a start...

Oh - and I'd use a few sets of heavy pliers or a vise and a hammer to bend the metal instead of cutting slits. Cutting slits weakens it. I love the light surround too, a bit bright but lights the plate up pretty evenly.
 
Begster said:
Ya, because we wouldn't want the fiberglass hatch to start rusting, would we Ken?
:D
Click to expand...
you've seen my jeep, it doesn't matter what the part is made of, it will find a way to rust :spin1:

I was actually talking about the 98... which is the core of my next build.
 
XCM- Naysayers? In another time, you would have ripped him a new one for supporting a plate by a thin piece of metal with was bent at sharp angles ~ 7" from it's original location :D Hypocrite ;) LOL!

Webbjeep: Nothing personal. Good try and all, but it is a bit over-engineered and a bit under-thought for a long term installation. I do like the idea of using as many factory holes as one can, but sometimes, you just gotta suck it up and drill holes. KISS goes a long way!

If you plan a relocate to the tire carrier, skip the contacts. Just a problem waiting for a solution. When I did something like that, I drilled a hole in the back of the swing arm near the hinge and fished the wire up the carrier to where I mounted the plate. I then bonded the carrier to the bumper using a pc of multi-strand to provide a positive ground return. Do it right, and use dark covered wire, and no-one will be the wiser.

Good Luck and Merry Xmas!
 
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