I got me a lights Idea

Since my Yakima roof rack is one for toys and not for wheelin equipment per se, I was thinking about other options for mounting side area lights. Then it popped into my head that I might could mount some on the inside near the upper front corner of the rear quarter glass. It seems they could be mounted out of the way there next to the rear seat belt hangers. The obvious downside is they might shine through my factory tinted glass with an eery glow. A bright idea or not so much?

IMHO I would try holding one up there first. I think you would get alot of glare off the glass. If you could mount the light and then seal around the light and glass you might reduce the glare. Anyway good luck


Phil

The only way I would do that is if I made a mount for the lamp that puts it close to the glass (1/2" or so), then fashioned a foam gasket around the lamp that goes to the glass, that way you're not "wasting light", and more importantly, that way you can look over your shoulder toward the area of the light and not be blinded. (I've considered this very idea for rear facers)

Sequoia

I like the placement idea...but the tint is gonna seriously kill the light. You'll need big watts to get any usable light outside. Would get very hot. Could work well thru clear glass, plus branch proof and aero.

-mike

What would this light up, your cargo area? You probably wouldnt be able to see anything out side. And heat would be a big big problem. probably going to melt something. (just touch a fog light after it been on for a few minutes) I think you'd be able to find a way to clamp a light onto your rack or even your roof rail.

Git yourself a Load Warrior or Mega Warrior basket for the rack. Yakima makes light brackets for these racks + you get to carry more sheet!!!

Forgot about the glare issue, but I was thinking about the heat problem. I like the foam gasket idea but it would have to be heat resistant. Would have to come up with a mounting bracket setup to act like a heat shield to protect trim or headliner etc, something with cooling fins? Wiring em up would be the only easy part. I'm not a fan of the load warrior.

(I've considered this very idea for rear facers)

Click to expand...

If I remember right you had some mounted pretty low. That would get them up out of harms way. I am considering some 55W I've seen in a Cabela's catalog with 3M sticky backing to mount on my swingout arm.

You remember right, I call them my lift indicators, when I start to destroy them it's time for more lift That's the beauty of twenty dollar lights, I can kill them and not feel too bad (plus, the bulb very rarly goes bad when that happens, so I've got a pile of spare bulbs!)

I saw something similar (but different) on a Toyota at the Rim of the World Rally. The guy bolted a rear facing driving light on the inside of the SUV, so it would shine out the rear. I think offroad/desert trucks mount a light like that behind the cab.

With the Cherokee you could mount the light in a few places, and if you really need to see out the back, then open the hatch. I'd mount lights to the sloped ledges for the rear side windows. I don't have a spare tire.

Heat might be useful. It might melt the snow off the glass in the winter.
Yellow bulbs would be pretty cool, too.

Your idea sounds more like alley lights, like on a cop car. That would be where you point them to the sides instead of to the back.

DriverX said:

.... branch proof and aero.

-mike

Click to expand...

and theft resistant