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Wiring/Firewall

97XJ Jeeper

97XJ Jeeper

Semper Fi
Location
Southeast Iowa
I have searched but found nothing really on this topic. Where is the best place to run wires thru the firewall. Been to cold to go out and look. I am going to add some roof lights and lights on the grill guard I am getting. I would liek to run them on the passenger side. Just wondering where everyone else ran wires to save me some time in the cold.
 
97XJ Jeeper said:
I have searched but found nothing really on this topic. Where is the best place to run wires thru the firewall. Been to cold to go out and look. I am going to add some roof lights and lights on the grill guard I am getting. I would liek to run them on the passenger side. Just wondering where everyone else ran wires to save me some time in the cold.
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On the older XJs, there was never a very good place on the passenger side. However on 97+ ones there is a wiring harness protruding to the upper right of the blower motor over almost by the pass side fender; you could probably sneak one out there. I think you'd have to take off the pass side kick panel to get to it, but that might be the easiest route to go. Otherwise, you can always take them over to the hood release.
 
Two options, both on the drivers side, first is where the big harness goes in under the master cylinder, if you are just running wires for switches to operate relays run them thru there. I used an ice pick to poke a hole then pulled the wirre thru. care should be exercised to not punch any holes in existing wires that run thru there. Second is up on the firewall kind of behind the engine towards the drivers side, 1 inch rubber plug, again with the ice pick, make the hole smaller than the wire so it self seals.
 
I am going to use a switch box like this. So the power wire will be bigger gauge, so I only have to run one power wire. The roof lights wires I already know how I am running them, thru the plug between the front and rear doors. My light setup will be 4 roof lights like here, but different style. Then 2 fogs and 2 Hella 500 on the grill guard. I'll add rear work lights later. So do you think there will be enough room for the power wire and 4 wire going from the switch box to the lights to fit thru.
 
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I'd run the switch lights thru the main connector under the big bulkhead connector and the main power wire thru the one behind the engine, make sure to use some kind of loom to protect it and fuse it at the battery.
 
I am going to loom all the wires together. What kind of fuse should I use at the battery? Like the ones used for sound system amps?
 
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97XJ Jeeper said:
I am going to loom all the wires together. What kind of fuse should I use at the battery? Like the ones used for sound system amps?
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Depends on how many lights it's going to power, have to add the amps up then pick the fuse, the fancy stereo ones that are enclosed in a box are kind of nice looking.
 
I was also wondering about the Hella 500, I see alot of guys have them, what kind of beam pattern do they have. I don't want a pencil beam or a fog beam.
 
IMG_4214.jpg


Well got my lights mounted. Now wiring. I was planing on running the wires through a rubber plug between the front and rear doors, but I used a long zip tie to poke around to see where it went and it would only go 3" in each direction. I got the idea on here but can't find it now. Has anyone else ran wires thought there. I have seen it done but can't find the thread now. Really don't want to drill a hole in the roof.

IMG_42231.jpg
 
If you want to run it thru the B pillar you will need to pull the interior trim piece off, run it down to the floor and go from there.
 
RichP said:
If you want to run it thru the B pillar you will need to pull the interior trim piece off, run it down to the floor and go from there.
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Tried that, won't go down, pulled the trim off, its boxed in. What was the purpose of the hole if it doesn't go any where. :dunno::wierd:
 
97XJ Jeeper said:
Tried that, won't go down, pulled the trim off, its boxed in. What was the purpose of the hole if it doesn't go any where. :dunno::wierd:
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I ran my cell phone antenna that way for the in car kit I had, down the drivers rocker cover, up the b pillar along the rear passenger top and out to the rear window. I did not go thru the hole though, I ran straight up from floor to ceiling.
 
Well maybe it was catching on something. It was starting to get cold and my hand were freezing, they get cold easy (been crushed to many times) plus its vday and the women was starting to get mad because I was working on the Heep when we are kid free (at grandpas). I'll try again tomorrow if it warms up like it did today.
 
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Below the master cylinder, above the big plugs on hte driver's side firewall. Drill there....the wires will come out above the fusebox. Deburr the sharp edges of the holes though, as to protect the wires. If you can find a grommet to fit, go for it. Otherwise seal it up with some silicon or RTV.
 
Blaine B. said:
Below the master cylinder, above the big plugs on the driver's side firewall. Drill there....the wires will come out above the fuse box. Deburr the sharp edges of the holes though, as to protect the wires. If you can find a grommet to fit, go for it. Otherwise seal it up with some silicon or RTV.
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I have all the wire that go through the firewall, ran them on the drivers side with the factory wiring. Just need to get the wires from the roof inside the cab and make it look as clean as possible, I am picky when it come to things like this. No ghetto look for me. Also you don't want to use silicon on bare metal, the acids in it will eat away at the metal.
 
Another option is to use a bulkhead mount, it's basically a round plug with several pins in it and a square flange, drill a hole, mount the plug and secure it to the roof, stucks up about 1/2 inch. Amphenol and a few other companies make them. I would for sure use some kind of plug in there though, makes it handy if you want to remove the rack and not leave 3 feet of wiring hanging around. The other side of the connector is a twist lock, for an example go look at almost any military vehicle that has a radio, they use them on the microphones, antenna controllers and other stuff. The bulkhead connectors usually come iwth a cap and it's all watertight O ring type connectors.
 
I dont know if I am speaking the obvious.... but I never how you were planning on wiring the lights. Do you want them to all come on at the same time, or are you going to switch them individually? That makes a big difference in how many wires you have to run to the top. If they are going to all be on at the same time, then you can just run one wire up there at a good gauge, like 12 or 10, and just parallel them at the lights. That would save you a lot of time and effort in wiring, plus you would only have to make a hole for one wire. Just trying to help.... I used to do a lot of wiring working at a stereo shop. I had a lot of guys coming up to the shop with wiring problems in cars, trucks, and jeeps, so I got a lot of experience. There are many different ways you can wire up that bar... Lemme know if I can help.
 
I am wiring them do the 2 inside (takedown) and 2 outside (ditch/intersection) come on separately. So only two wires, I will ground the lights at the roof. Just want to make it look as clean as possible without drilling the roof. The reason I don't want to drill the roof is that as much flexing we do off-road I don't want to run the chance of getting a leak.
 
97XJ Jeeper said:
I am wiring them do the 2 inside (takedown) and 2 outside (ditch/intersection) come on separately. So only two wires, I will ground the lights at the roof. Just want to make it look as clean as possible without drilling the roof. The reason I don't want to drill the roof is that as much flexing we do off-road I don't want to run the chance of getting a leak.
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Don't count on grounding to the roof, just run a 10ga ground wire along with the power wire or wires. That way you know you have a good ground.
 
I used to put together police cars by trade and i always drilled a 3/4" hole in the roof and used a grommet with little fingers in it and have NEVER had one leak, and put a good silicone to seal it all up. Run the wires in loom through the hole (put some silicone in loom at hole to) and it wont look bad. BTW silicone does not eat up sheet metal i have used it for years with no problems
 
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