balloo93
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Austin, Tx
Someone on here awhile back was asking how to mount lights to the sides of the cowl. Here is what I did:
Okay, so I had time to kill and had been meaning to do this for awhile. My brother gave me some TJ lights with mounts.
I had been wanting to get some lights to put up high, but didn't want to mess with drilling into the A pillar and/or buying the brackets to mount them. Hind sight, it would have worked out better to mount them higher, but hey....it was a cheap install.
Start by removing the wiper arms. There is a small clip that folds ovet the arm near where the arm mounts to the motor. Use a screw driver and pop that clip up. Then grab the base of the wiper arm and work it back and forth till it pops off.
Once they are both off, there are about 8 philips head screws holding the cowl down. Take those off and remove the cowl.
The stock TJ brackets had a bracket with a stud on them. I tried using a hammer to bus them loose, but they didn't budge. Busted out the grinder and cut the stud off and grinded it smooth. The grinder has become my favorite tool to use.
I could squeeze my arm into the cowl enough to get an idea on where to drill the holes. I drilled one hole for the light bracket and one for the wires and grommet. I drilled the holes on each side and then taped them off and hit them with rustoleum.
Once mouned I realized the antennea would need to be bent back. I rarely listen to the radio, I have enough MP3s to last me days on end.
Problem arouse with the pass side. Under the cowl, the pass side cowl is solid. I had to cut and access hole in the cowl. It's just big enough to get my arm in with some squeezing. This lead to some small cuts in my arm, but I wanted a small hole. Have a shop vac on hand, sinse the metal shavings will fall into the cowl and get in or on the HVAC intake. I vacuumed it clean afterwards, but I will blow out the system before using again.
I mounted the brackets by putting a few washer in a bolt and a locking washer. Then fed them into the cowl by hand and pushed it through. I then put the bracket on and a locking washer and nut on top. Hand tightened it an dthen fed a open end wrench in to hold the bolt as I tightened it down. The driver side snugged right up without needing the wrench inside. I was hoping the lock washers would work on both, but only the Drivers side did.
Okay, now the bad. I wanted the ligts as far up as possible. I mocked it up with the hood open, but didn't MARK the bracket postion. I was off by under 1" on both sides, and due to this the hood won't open all the way with the lights installed. :laugh:
With the lights on, there is a bit of glare on the hood on top to the sides.
So I am planning on looking for some other brackets to attach to the current ones to give me more adjustability and a higher up mount location to allow for the hood to open and there to be less glare on the hood. I want the abilty to turn the lamps sideways for night wheeling as well.
Okay, so I had time to kill and had been meaning to do this for awhile. My brother gave me some TJ lights with mounts.
I had been wanting to get some lights to put up high, but didn't want to mess with drilling into the A pillar and/or buying the brackets to mount them. Hind sight, it would have worked out better to mount them higher, but hey....it was a cheap install.
Start by removing the wiper arms. There is a small clip that folds ovet the arm near where the arm mounts to the motor. Use a screw driver and pop that clip up. Then grab the base of the wiper arm and work it back and forth till it pops off.
Once they are both off, there are about 8 philips head screws holding the cowl down. Take those off and remove the cowl.
The stock TJ brackets had a bracket with a stud on them. I tried using a hammer to bus them loose, but they didn't budge. Busted out the grinder and cut the stud off and grinded it smooth. The grinder has become my favorite tool to use.
I could squeeze my arm into the cowl enough to get an idea on where to drill the holes. I drilled one hole for the light bracket and one for the wires and grommet. I drilled the holes on each side and then taped them off and hit them with rustoleum.
Once mouned I realized the antennea would need to be bent back. I rarely listen to the radio, I have enough MP3s to last me days on end.
Problem arouse with the pass side. Under the cowl, the pass side cowl is solid. I had to cut and access hole in the cowl. It's just big enough to get my arm in with some squeezing. This lead to some small cuts in my arm, but I wanted a small hole. Have a shop vac on hand, sinse the metal shavings will fall into the cowl and get in or on the HVAC intake. I vacuumed it clean afterwards, but I will blow out the system before using again.
I mounted the brackets by putting a few washer in a bolt and a locking washer. Then fed them into the cowl by hand and pushed it through. I then put the bracket on and a locking washer and nut on top. Hand tightened it an dthen fed a open end wrench in to hold the bolt as I tightened it down. The driver side snugged right up without needing the wrench inside. I was hoping the lock washers would work on both, but only the Drivers side did.
Okay, now the bad. I wanted the ligts as far up as possible. I mocked it up with the hood open, but didn't MARK the bracket postion. I was off by under 1" on both sides, and due to this the hood won't open all the way with the lights installed. :laugh:
With the lights on, there is a bit of glare on the hood on top to the sides.
So I am planning on looking for some other brackets to attach to the current ones to give me more adjustability and a higher up mount location to allow for the hood to open and there to be less glare on the hood. I want the abilty to turn the lamps sideways for night wheeling as well.
