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Light Bar Wiring

dktool

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Covina
I am getting ready to mount a light bar to my Surco roof rack, what is the best / easiest way to get the supply wires up above the roof line ?

The harness on the bar comes out on the passenger side.
My mind is running multiple scenarios of how to do this but I would like to hear / see how others have done it.

Thanks !
 
Ran mine up the b pillar and out through the roof.
 
I didn't do any drilling for mine.

Instead, I tucked the harness in between the rubber and the windshield, and then un-bolted the fender, tucked the wires, and re-bolted the fender:

2zyhfmc.jpg

2ex0up1.jpg
 
I didn't do any drilling for mine.

Instead, I tucked the harness in between the rubber and the windshield, and then un-bolted the fender, tucked the wires, and re-bolted the fender:

Same. There's enough room to fish the wires up the windshield seal through the top of the fender without taking the fender off. Mine takes a left turn after it gets into the engine compartment and goes across the cowl to the relay.
 
I used a trailer connector, so I can take mine off. It has also worked out well after having swapped out lights a couple of times.



 
I used a trailer connector, so I can take mine off. It has also worked out well after having swapped out lights a couple of times.

Works for quick replacements, I guess.

I just didn't want a hole in my roof if I wanted to get rid of the light bar completely. That leaves a permanent mark. I've always been a sucker for bolt-on.
 
I did 10ga on the first one I did.. so overkill. Leds draw very very low amperage. 14ga will do just fine on a 50" bar. Use a relay for safety reasons. I even run inline fuses
 
I did 10ga on the first one I did.. so overkill. Leds draw very very low amperage.

This is true to a point until a bunch on them are ganged together, I checked the amp draw on the one I purchased which is a 30" bar, it pulls 14 amps (much higher than I was expecting) with just the 12" leads coming out of it, not counting for the slight extra amp draw which will be caused by longer leads.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LNJI1KI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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Here's how I did the ones on my old Jeep. Drilled through the roof under the rack tracks at the C piller location. I had a 2AWG wire run to the back, and there was a fuse/relay center behind one of my trim panels I used for all my rear and roof lighting.

DSCF0928.jpg


How they ended up coming out. It was all much cleaner back when I did it. This one is after it became a parts jeep...

IMG_20130227_164821_683_zpscf9b704e.jpg
 
Ran mine up the b pillar and out through the roof.

This is what I have decided to do as I already have a main feed running to the rear at floor level to power my compressors, I will tap into that for a power source.
It is on the driver side.

So far I have a pull string fished up the B-pillar out the hole where the rubber plug is about 4" below roof line.

Question, is it an easy continuation from that point up and out the roof ?
I think I will bring it out outboard of the oem rack runners, from there I can hide the leads inside the cross members of the Sudco rack so the only thing visible will be a couple inches of lead from the roof line to the rack channels.
Is it just a drill from the top through the roof panel then continue the fish from there to the rubber plug hole or is there multi layers of sheet in there to contend with ?
 
If I remember correctly, I just ran mine up behind the plastic trim piece and then out through the roof. I'm not sure what it's like outboard of the rails, inboard it's just a hole through the sheet metal. Pretty easy and straightforward. I like being inboard of the rails, because I can take the light bar off and the connector isn't even visible without climbing up to look at the roof.

P3040020_zps32155a9d.jpg
 
I am considering running my cb antenna cable down the windshield frame, just like the power cables shown. Has anyone run into water intrusion issues? I'm assuming that out lip doesn't actually provide a water seal.
 
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