My suggestion for cutting hole like you did with the cutoff wheel is to first take a drill and hit all 4 of the corners with the drill. This will allow you to stay within the marked area and not cut more out than you want with the cutoff.
But the trouble he was having was the cutting disc was too big when doing the short cuts in the downward direction as cutter disc was oversized for the short cuts😊 required .
Using the trailer plug arrangement was genius. I live in Australia but love what you do on this channel. I live by the DIY mantra too. Keep it up, Jimmy.
Since you went to the 4 way plug, which was a brilliant idea, I think that I would have chosen to wire the red color to the high side instead of the low side, giving you additional brake/turn lights instead of tial/running lights. Good video presentation.
Coming from someone that works for this great company, thank you for the comprehensive video on the new ssc2s, I personally would recommend the flood lights as opposed to the fogs that were initially installed. If you want a focused light as well as a thrown light for surrounding area, you might look into the combo lenses as well!
I think it would be nice if they had a dual intensity red with the white... to make it more like a rear light arrangement... break/turn light with running light....
@@gabrielbeach5426 So with the aluminum housing of the C2 it's just over 2" long and just over 1" tall, so no they wouldn't, however we do have our SS3 pods that are just over 3" squared, and we sell flush mount kits too. You'll really have to check out the website for all our options to see what will best fit your needs, it's hard to say without seeing what size cutout you have
@@Blueoval08 it would be disappointing if they didn't have a setup to retrofit the 6 inch oval trailer lights. I will look again at the company's website and/or call them up to get the best setup for my application. Thanks!
I love the fact that you chose to use the power from the trailer plug! Bravo, although I believe a great wiring upgrade would have been to use a splitter for the 4 pin in order to leave a 4 pin accessible for trailers, then run a switch for the ground in the cab that will normally stay on. I would personally hate crawling around looking for my 4 pin every time I hooked up a trailer.
The intended use of your trailer plug was pretty brilliant for someone like me who doesn't do this kind of wiring all the time. Make sure you throw some dielectric grease on your contacts if you haven't already. For a cleaner look you might in the future split the ends of your wires in half and twist them together then fold them one to each side. Solder them in place apply dielectric grease and shrink sleeve over your joint. Strong, weatherproof and sharp. Not much more difficult.
At first I thought using the trailer plug was overkill. But after the entire explanation I realize it's totally genius! Not only have you solved an issue most of us wouldn't think of until we were blinded by the lights against our trailers, you've also added a layer of protection to that trailer plug that will keep it from the constant exposure to the elements. Brilliant! Thank you for sharing! So glad I found your channel.
Great video! Top tip! After seeing this, I believe I'll install these too. I will probably mount them towards the outer ends of my bumper. This way the lights will illuminate the perimeter of the trailer and the path of the tires in my mirrors when backing. I'd also paint the edge of the spot cut out in the bumper with a couple of coats of Rustoleam. Water will get between the chrome and the steel of the bumper and corrode it otherwise. The back of the bumper gets blasted with spray in normal driving.
I like how you tapped into the trailer wiring harness. That was a very clever idea. And a good point that you won’t need the auxiliary lights when you have the trailer since it has its own lights.
Since you replaced the factory reverse light bulbs with led bulbs, you already reduced the amp load to the factory fuse, so adding those auxiliary reverse/marker lights that are also led, you are well below the amperage that would blow the fuse. Great job, it looks great and performs great 👍
@@Briceon That suburban uses a 3156 bulb for reverse lights. There is no 3156 LED bulb that is rated at 27 watts, which is what the halogen is rated at. Suggest you do a little research before commenting.
@@Briceon Most common LED's require a forward operating voltage of between approximately 1.2 to 3.6 volts with a forward current rating of about 10 to 30 mA, with 12 to 20 mA being the most common range. 1mA = 0.001 Amp
I carry a truck camper and have been pondering adding more lights to my rig. I didn't want to drill into my bumper but after seeing the way you installed these lights I think I have changed my mind. I drive a 98 GMC 2500 and as most know the lights on them are less than perfect especially when it comes to the back up lights. Thank you for the great idea of mounting into the bumper.
~21:27 - for those heat shrink applications where there is a lot of exposure to water and not to forget potentially winter salts, I highly recommend doing an end-to-end wire splice instead of a twisted "V" and follow-up by then using heat shrink tubing which has a waterproofing inside that liquifies around then seals the wiring upon cool-down so the connection won't afford crevices for moisture intrusion. I believe that heatshrink tubing also used a lot in Marine work.
BRILLIANT!!! I'd like to add that the LED in your stock reverse lights use less power than the incandescent bulbs it was made for so you should be safe with the added power the new lights use.
Your wiring idea is great. I will be installing a set soon. I have decided to wire mine differently. I will be using an On/Off/On switch, but backwards. The center wire from the switch will go to a relay to power the light. The top position will be to the reverse lights and the bottom position will go to constant power. This way, I will be able to (when switch is up) have the lights on, ( switch centered) lights off, (switch down) lights controlled by reverse lights. Wiring it this way will give me the ability to turn on the lights when I am at camp or need light from the rear (when hooking up a trailer). Or have no lights at all. I do like why you did it your way and definitely didn't think of that.
Awesome setup! Do the red parking lights stay on when you shift into reverse? There is a 5 pin flat trailer harness that I believe includes a reverse light function. I have an adaptor that goes from a round plug to a dual 4 pin & 5 pin flat that I got several years ago from Wal-Mart or Tractor Supply. This might be easier in the future for a newer vehicle or for someone else. Please do another video update comparing the fog & flood lenses. Wiring isn't my thing, but you do a great job of explaining it in simple terms. Keep up the good work!
Awesome video Jimmy, the lights are nice and bright. And the way you installed them, to look like they are factory, is awesome, I love that look! Love your channel, keep the great content coming!
I think by using the red LED function as your "running lights" you are likely taking away from the intensity and attention grabbing ability that is emitted when you hit your brake lights, especially given how bright the new "running lights" are. While you may think overall visibility is important, and wired things up for this reason, I think you would be safer and potentially increasing your safety margins by using them on your "brake light" circuit instead. This way, their impressive brightness would be cast when you are braking, and need to communicate to the person behind you of a possible unexpected/unanticipated stop/maneuver giving them the brightest and clearest indicator to react to, and thusly adding/capitalizing on vital milliseconds of reaction time they otherwise may not have acted in time because the lack of jarring change in brightness from running to braking was due to such bright running lamps. By using them as the running light, you "dilute" the impressiveness of the brightness, and pull focus/impact away from the braking response, which I think should be far more critical. I hope this makes sense to you, but I respect the project and really enjoyed the detailed and concise explanation you gave to your endeavors!
Those lenses are exactly what newer oem led headlights use. I’m glad aftermarket companies are doing it right now I just might have to do this with my k2500
It's a very common thing now. I bought a under tailgate LED light setup for my truck 3 years ago and that was the directed way to hook them up. Still have to connect a BU light wire though (because trailer's don't have BU lights generally}.
@@x-man5056 This could be a pretty simple addition to add BU lights to a trailer as well. You don’t always need them, but when you do it could avoid a late night cluster f!
I can honestly say...{{{{ I LIKE HOW THIS LOOKS }}}...I want to do this to my mom's car. I drove her car this past weekend and I could barely see the driveway. It took me 2 attempts before getting her car in the garage straight and squared away. I would like to incorporate these lights with a "back-up" camera for my mom's car, and for my SUV also. I think you did a great job wiring those lights. Like you said the reverse light is fused and there isn't much amperage being drawn to worry about. Excellent job and looks great. Thanks for making the video and for all the videos you make also. God Bless.
I had a Radio Shack "on-off-on" rocker switch (yes that was a while back) whereas "on-1" was tapped into the factory reverse line at the shifter and "on-2" went to always hot. Switch center would disable auxiliary lamps, "on-1" aux on when in reverse, "on-2" to illuminate full time, like when un/loading firewood or other cargo at night. Too, I had a small piezo alarm & pilot lamp wired into on-2 so I wouldn't forget to turn aux off while in forward motion on public roadway (to avoid citation).
Sold! Great video... now I just need to watch it at half speed a few dozen times to figure out your wiring diagram. Beautiful! I do appreciate your detailed videos and information... thank you!
I have been on the hunt to help out my truck's visibility, it's very poor when it comes to lighting. Your Diode Dynamic solution looks like the solution i've been searching for!
I have back up reverse lights on my Suburban as well. The only difference is I have a 3-Way switch On-Off-On in Reverse all in the comfort of my Suburban. I like the lights you have and really enjoy your videos.
Excellent video! Please keep in mind that soldering as soldering provides the best electrical connection. - However, where the soldering material ends inside the cable is a serious breaking point. Meaning, it is very sensitive to vibration and will breaks over time. Solution: zip tie the soldered parts as hard as you can to protect them from breaking due to future vibrations.
Great idea using the trailer connector. Myself, I would still like the option of being able to switch them on when I want like needing some utility lighting on the back of truck. A couple switches and diodes could accomplish that. These look like a good option to mount into the bumper of the big trailer, you never have enough light behind them when backing up.
excellent video. Great work. I understand and appreciate your wiring to get what you needed. For my jeep, i did just add a tiny 3 way switch inside the back hatch. With 3 positions I now have-- "connected to the factory reverse lights" and then OFF (for the extra reverse lights when towing) and then an ON position. So when I am at camp, with trailer unhitched I can just flip the switch to ON and use the huge amount of light. And I located the 3-way switch right next to my ball/hitch storage in the back, so flipping this switch was very simple. Having bright reverse lights is one the best mods I have done, and I would never be able to live with just factory reverse lights ever again. Thanks again.
Brilliant idea to bypass for trailer! This is exactly the clear and concise tutorial I’ve been looking for to add factory looking BU lights to my 2018 Nissan Armada/Patrol. I just bought her and want to keep upgrades professional so she stays “classy” as my wife puts it!!! A lady on the streets and a freak in the creeks!!
I like the way you did the wiring, leveraging your trailer connector for a ground and for your tail lights. Clever. I would definitely give the flood lenses a try though.
I live in an area where in the winter liquid deicer and salt are used to keep roads clear. I have found leaving the plugs connected all the time they get enough moisture in through the joint to corrode the contacts. I've had connacts totally disintegrate. To prevent this, I wrap the plug in tape, wrap again with plastic that is wrapped in tape. So far so good. In looking at the way you joined the wires, it appears moisture could follow the wire into the joint and may cause the same type of issue.
I did something similar. I used cheap eBay flush mounts. The white is wired similar to yours. However, the red is wired to the brake/turn signals. So the red only comes on when triggered by pressing the brake, or individually when the turn signals are activated. If that makes sense.
I love it. Great video. I have very few things to say in the negative. My only gripe is the way you connected the wires together. There are some great wiring technique vids that may be worth a watch. Your method looks to allow moisture into the connection as your heat shrink cannot seal right with the method you used. Heat shrink should go over the wire(s) first and then slipped back over after the soldering is done/cool then heat applied to shrink. As to the method I use for a 2-1 connection is to wrap the new wires around in same direction as current wiring so as to not have any 90° bends that the heat shrink cannot properly shrink over. Additionally to waterproof the connection in the heat shrink sleeve, just add a bit of silicone, petroleum jelly, or heavy bearing grease prior to slipping on the heat shrink. I have some heat shrink with a hot glue lining and it kicks ass!
I would like to see the flood pattern as well. If you are goin to show us the flood lens, you should show it lit up. I love the look of these lights though! Great, clean install!
I twist wire in that same fashion. I find it’s the most simple and easy to keep it tight and solder. Only downside is just the direction of the wire isn’t ideal but not a big issue. No wire nuts on this one just heat shrink.
@@1RoadGarage I like to solder it with the new wire soldered parallel to the original wire and the remaining original wire joined the other two like you would solder only 2 wires together end-to-end rather than having all 3 soldered parallel. It makes for a neater overall appearance and the connection doesn’t look like a wire nut was used. I have also used t-taps but they are never as solid as soldered connections. I never use the 3M ScotchLock suitcase connectors which tend to have a high failure rate and invite corrosion.
Bruh. I freakin love this! I have a pair of basic Auxbeam flush mount pods that are probably 6 or 7 years old mounted in the rear bumper of my Cherokee. For the ground wire, I just tapped into the nearest vehicle ground splice location I could find in the factory service manual for the Cherokee. For the hot wire, I ran it up to the hot wire for the reverse lights and a couple months ago when I was pulling an enclosed uhaul trailer I was absolutely blinded by the lights reflecting off the gloss white uhaul trailer. My solution was to open the rear hatch, and lay out my welding gloves and close the hatch on the cuffs of the gloves. The reverse lights were blocked about 85% and we're no longer blinding, and while I could clearly see the ground behind my Jeep and in front of the trailer. They were absolutely useless to see what was behind the trailer. I think I'm going to go in and rewire the lights to ground off my 4 flat so when I'm towing and using it, the lights won't do me more harm than good. Love the vid! The lights are even cooler! Wish we would've gotten to see the other lenses for shits and giggles. Nevertheless, thanks for the great idea!
Love what you did there making them blend in. I might do this to my Nissan Xterra. Something to think about, the engine doesn't have to be running to test your lights. Just turn your key to the run position so the shifter can move. Probably different on much newer vehicles though.
I think you are an awesome person and not to many of us who are into doing projects like this. I know many people who would pay hundreds of dollars to have some shop do the same exact thing. My opinion you did an awesome job, you did your homework and successful installed some cools lights. And to answer your question - yes you will be fine to not worry about fuses and relays, I’ve ran lights as big as 4inch pods without fuses/relays for many years on older & newer trucks.
Janky? Maybe...my kind of guy? Absolutely 💯 Bro you would applaud my breaker panel/center console use of "never needed it bucket and coin dispenser" in my 99 S10 lol
the output really incredible for a small size.. i think i want to install that on my tacoma with additional on/off switch so when i cruising down at night and someone tailgating too close behind me, i can burst them off with that.
Good video and clean install. I would add a dpst switch. One side goes from reverse light wire to switch and the other pole goes from a 12v source. The center pole goes to the reverse light. I did that so I can have them on while hooking up to a trailer or for just light to work behind truck.
That was brilliant using an otherwise unused wiring connection. My trailer connection just sits there doing nothing until I actually use it for a trailer. You found a second use for it. I wouldn't be worrying too much about fuses since you are using LEDs which uses a lot less power!
The nylon washers are used to be prevent galvanic corrosion. Because volts and nuts are stanless steel, and the bumper common hard steel plated with chromium.
I think ya did good Jimmy! I probably would have done it the same way. The only thing I may have changed is the running light. I may not always want that on when I want the reverse lights but that's just me.
The trailer plug idea was great. The only 2 things I would do differently are: 1) touch up the the area you cut the chrome bumpers...you're in the rust belt now. You don't want that chrome to delaminate or begin rusting. 2) I would use the diffused lens which should operate more like a driving light vs a focused light. You want to illuminate not only the road behind but also other vertical obstacles and off to the sides. A better test would be to park it in tight parking lot that is dark, like behind a restaurant. And then back up and turn out of the spot to see if you can see enough of the surrounding cars, people, etc.
Thank You for the video and it was very informative, my concern is that when I had flood lights added in my grill they had to be switched according to law. In Indiana from what I was told that it is against the law to run flood lights in city limits, I do have certified people do my install.
I would also like to see what it looks like with the other (flood) lights…??? Love how these and the front fogs came out and how the rears have the red running lights!!
Great set up! The only thing I would add is a switch (Mounted in the plastic inside the hatch) coming out the running lights to your new back up lights. That way, you could flip the switch and turn the new back up lights on. That would be helpful while hooking up a trailer in the dark or tying off to somebody stuck in the ditch without having to have someone keep their foot on the brake and hold the truck in reverse. It would be kind of like a rear work light.
Love all of it. I plan to do this to my little s10. I think the only difference would be I would add in a switch so I can disable the reverse lights if I don't need them. I'd still hook them up so they'd turn on and off when going in and out of reverse. I'm the kind of person that likes things that can be enabled or disabled by hand. I like having different options.
I did consider that but the original bulb is gone and replaced with a very low draw led and these lights pull .6 amps. I’m pretty sure (but not certain) this would be negligible to the circuit.
Nice video Jimmy. Look like some nice lights.. good work around using trailer wiring. I myself would have wired the red to the brake light wire, not parking lights. NTSB studies show that additional brake lights do lower chances of a rear end collision. Just for a safety tip.. You should not of had the truck running to show the install/light results. You can accomplish the same demonstration by simply doing what you did do, chock the wheels, set parking brake, Turn the ignition key to the "Run" position (not starting engine) and place the vehicle in reverse.
I did something similar to my old 4 runner. Mine point downward more I did go with a switch because I simply want to use for night backing up not every time I reverse. Great way to use in bad weather such as heavy rain, fog, snow, since they will make my vehicle more visible without being in reverse and won't be in anyones face.
Really good video very informative I think you nailed it Your lights look great too I'm going to do the same thing on my trucks right away. So great video again. Keep it going. Thanks.
absolutely, look geaat one thing I would like to ask, is that the blue wire that controls the red light...could you wire that into the dynamic fog lights in the front so that when you turn on the fog lamps the red ones come on as well in the rear so you would have both front and rear fog lamps running off the same circuit and when putting it in reverse the normal things happens.??
Jimmy… I really love your choice of light fixture. I just may buy the same… As for your choice of wiring believe it or not I have the same thoughts on it all I can say to this is GOOD 👍 JOB…
Paint the edges of the metal to prevent rust getting under the chrome causing the chrome to flake off. Clear coat paint works as well.
I’d do the clear coat and maybe a bead of silicone even.
I gotta see the flood light lens. That’s personally what I would want. Slightly dimmer isn’t bad if it lights up everything!
yes
Yea
I'd like to see those rear lights with the flood lense installed.
So would I! Not real impressed with the spot light lens!
Second this. Also, excellent choice for the wiring.
Yeah me too
@@petesmith8362 Those were fogs, not spot light pattern.
I would also
My suggestion for cutting hole like you did with the cutoff wheel is to first take a drill and hit all 4 of the corners with the drill. This will allow you to stay within the marked area and not cut more out than you want with the cutoff.
Great suggestion!
But the trouble he was having was the cutting disc was too big when doing the short cuts in the downward direction as cutter disc was oversized for the short cuts😊 required .
Using the trailer plug arrangement was genius. I live in Australia but love what you do on this channel. I live by the DIY mantra too. Keep it up, Jimmy.
Cool, glad you thought so I was wondering if everyone would think that was a good idea or not…
except he may be pulling too much current from his reverse light wiring
Since you went to the 4 way plug, which was a brilliant idea, I think that I would have chosen to wire the red color to the high side instead of the low side, giving you additional brake/turn lights instead of tial/running lights.
Good video presentation.
Coming from someone that works for this great company, thank you for the comprehensive video on the new ssc2s, I personally would recommend the flood lights as opposed to the fogs that were initially installed. If you want a focused light as well as a thrown light for surrounding area, you might look into the combo lenses as well!
I think it would be nice if they had a dual intensity red with the white... to make it more like a rear light arrangement... break/turn light with running light....
@@markthompson4225 something like that may be in the works, but im not totally sure, im on the shipping side of things
Would these fit the cut out for 6 inch oval trailer lights? If not do they have units that will fit?
@@gabrielbeach5426 So with the aluminum housing of the C2 it's just over 2" long and just over 1" tall, so no they wouldn't, however we do have our SS3 pods that are just over 3" squared, and we sell flush mount kits too. You'll really have to check out the website for all our options to see what will best fit your needs, it's hard to say without seeing what size cutout you have
@@Blueoval08 it would be disappointing if they didn't have a setup to retrofit the 6 inch oval trailer lights. I will look again at the company's website and/or call them up to get the best setup for my application. Thanks!
I love the fact that you chose to use the power from the trailer plug! Bravo, although I believe a great wiring upgrade would have been to use a splitter for the 4 pin in order to leave a 4 pin accessible for trailers, then run a switch for the ground in the cab that will normally stay on. I would personally hate crawling around looking for my 4 pin every time I hooked up a trailer.
You're a genius. You connected them to your trailer lights hookup, so they only work when the trailer ISN'T hooked up. GENIUS, sir!
The intended use of your trailer plug was pretty brilliant for someone like me who doesn't do this kind of wiring all the time. Make sure you throw some dielectric grease on your contacts if you haven't already.
For a cleaner look you might in the future split the ends of your wires in half and twist them together then fold them one to each side. Solder them in place apply dielectric grease and shrink sleeve over your joint. Strong, weatherproof and sharp. Not much more difficult.
At first I thought using the trailer plug was overkill. But after the entire explanation I realize it's totally genius! Not only have you solved an issue most of us wouldn't think of until we were blinded by the lights against our trailers, you've also added a layer of protection to that trailer plug that will keep it from the constant exposure to the elements. Brilliant! Thank you for sharing! So glad I found your channel.
Awesome video! Very informative. Thank you for including us on your build!
Great video! Top tip! After seeing this, I believe I'll install these too. I will probably mount them towards the outer ends of my bumper. This way the lights will illuminate the perimeter of the trailer and the path of the tires in my mirrors when backing. I'd also paint the edge of the spot cut out in the bumper with a couple of coats of Rustoleam. Water will get between the chrome and the steel of the bumper and corrode it otherwise. The back of the bumper gets blasted with spray in normal driving.
I like how you tapped into the trailer wiring harness. That was a very clever idea. And a good point that you won’t need the auxiliary lights when you have the trailer since it has its own lights.
Since you replaced the factory reverse light bulbs with led bulbs, you already reduced the amp load to the factory fuse, so adding those auxiliary reverse/marker lights that are also led, you are well below the amperage that would blow the fuse. Great job, it looks great and performs great 👍
You just said that based on the fact he's using leds. You have no idea what those pull. Shut up
@@Briceon crawl back under the bridge troll
@@imurbrother2128 way to defend yourself, idiot. My statement stands.
@@Briceon That suburban uses a 3156 bulb for reverse lights. There is no 3156 LED bulb that is rated at 27 watts, which is what the halogen is rated at. Suggest you do a little research before commenting.
@@Briceon Most common LED's require a forward operating voltage of between approximately 1.2 to 3.6 volts with a forward current rating of about 10 to 30 mA, with 12 to 20 mA being the most common range. 1mA = 0.001 Amp
I would have went with relays, and fuses, and would have made the install way more complicated that it needed to be. Your install is brilliant!
I carry a truck camper and have been pondering adding more lights to my rig. I didn't want to drill into my bumper but after seeing the way you installed these lights I think I have changed my mind. I drive a 98 GMC 2500 and as most know the lights on them are less than perfect especially when it comes to the back up lights. Thank you for the great idea of mounting into the bumper.
Glad you liked it!! 👍
Diode dynamics makes amazing led lights and housings
Side benifit of using the flat 4 plug, it helps keep water out of rge plug. Just add some dielectric grease to those connections.
~21:27 - for those heat shrink applications where there is a lot of exposure to water and not to forget potentially winter salts, I highly recommend doing an end-to-end wire splice instead of a twisted "V" and follow-up by then using heat shrink tubing which has a waterproofing inside that liquifies around then seals the wiring upon cool-down so the connection won't afford crevices for moisture intrusion. I believe that heatshrink tubing also used a lot in Marine work.
BRILLIANT!!! I'd like to add that the LED in your stock reverse lights use less power than the incandescent bulbs it was made for so you should be safe with the added power the new lights use.
Your wiring idea is great. I will be installing a set soon. I have decided to wire mine differently. I will be using an On/Off/On switch, but backwards. The center wire from the switch will go to a relay to power the light. The top position will be to the reverse lights and the bottom position will go to constant power. This way, I will be able to (when switch is up) have the lights on, ( switch centered) lights off, (switch down) lights controlled by reverse lights.
Wiring it this way will give me the ability to turn on the lights when I am at camp or need light from the rear (when hooking up a trailer). Or have no lights at all.
I do like why you did it your way and definitely didn't think of that.
Jimmy, they look great! I liked using the 4 wire plug. They'll help out a lot when you go off road camping again.
Awesome setup! Do the red parking lights stay on when you shift into reverse?
There is a 5 pin flat trailer harness that I believe includes a reverse light function. I have an adaptor that goes from a round plug to a dual 4 pin & 5 pin flat that I got several years ago from Wal-Mart or Tractor Supply. This might be easier in the future for a newer vehicle or for someone else.
Please do another video update comparing the fog & flood lenses. Wiring isn't my thing, but you do a great job of explaining it in simple terms. Keep up the good work!
Awesome video Jimmy, the lights are nice and bright. And the way you installed them, to look like they are factory, is awesome, I love that look! Love your channel, keep the great content coming!
I think by using the red LED function as your "running lights" you are likely taking away from the intensity and attention grabbing ability that is emitted when you hit your brake lights, especially given how bright the new "running lights" are. While you may think overall visibility is important, and wired things up for this reason, I think you would be safer and potentially increasing your safety margins by using them on your "brake light" circuit instead. This way, their impressive brightness would be cast when you are braking, and need to communicate to the person behind you of a possible unexpected/unanticipated stop/maneuver giving them the brightest and clearest indicator to react to, and thusly adding/capitalizing on vital milliseconds of reaction time they otherwise may not have acted in time because the lack of jarring change in brightness from running to braking was due to such bright running lamps.
By using them as the running light, you "dilute" the impressiveness of the brightness, and pull focus/impact away from the braking response, which I think should be far more critical.
I hope this makes sense to you, but I respect the project and really enjoyed the detailed and concise explanation you gave to your endeavors!
Totally agree
Honestly! The wiring and placement! GENIUS!!! I never would've thought to use the trailer wire harness!
My vote is BRILLIANT idea... great solution, simply, cheap, and not drilling holes all over and tearing the truck apart running wires. Love it.
The fact is u r perfect guy to own a workshop and an accessories shop to be deal with peace of mind. Well done it’s 10/10 👍 I wish you the best.
Those lenses are exactly what newer oem led headlights use. I’m glad aftermarket companies are doing it right now I just might have to do this with my k2500
Great job doing that install, Jimmy! That was a very well-thought out idea with the trailer wiring being used.
Keep up the good content!
Thank you!!
It's a very common thing now. I bought a under tailgate LED light setup for my truck 3 years ago and that was the directed way to hook them up. Still have to connect a BU light wire though (because trailer's don't have BU lights generally}.
@@x-man5056 This could be a pretty simple addition to add BU lights to a trailer as well. You don’t always need them, but when you do it could avoid a late night cluster f!
I can honestly say...{{{{ I LIKE HOW THIS LOOKS }}}...I want to do this to my mom's car. I drove her car this past weekend and I could barely see the driveway. It took me 2 attempts before getting her car in the garage straight and squared away. I would like to incorporate these lights with a "back-up" camera for my mom's car, and for my SUV also. I think you did a great job wiring those lights. Like you said the reverse light is fused and there isn't much amperage being drawn to worry about. Excellent job and looks great. Thanks for making the video and for all the videos you make also. God Bless.
I had a Radio Shack "on-off-on" rocker switch (yes that was a while back) whereas "on-1" was tapped into the factory reverse line at the shifter and "on-2" went to always hot. Switch center would disable auxiliary lamps, "on-1" aux on when in reverse, "on-2" to illuminate full time, like when un/loading firewood or other cargo at night. Too, I had a small piezo alarm & pilot lamp wired into on-2 so I wouldn't forget to turn aux off while in forward motion on public roadway (to avoid citation).
Sold!
Great video... now I just need to watch it at half speed a few dozen times to figure out your wiring diagram.
Beautiful!
I do appreciate your detailed videos and information... thank you!
I have been on the hunt to help out my truck's visibility, it's very poor when it comes to lighting. Your Diode Dynamic solution looks like the solution i've been searching for!
I have back up reverse lights on my Suburban as well. The only difference is I have a 3-Way switch On-Off-On in Reverse all in the comfort of my Suburban. I like the lights you have and really enjoy your videos.
Your right with the teflon washer, it's meant to go directly behind the head of the screw. Keeps moisture from getting to the threads.
Excellent video!
Please keep in mind that soldering as soldering provides the best electrical connection.
- However, where the soldering material ends inside the cable is a serious breaking point. Meaning, it is very sensitive to vibration and will breaks over time.
Solution: zip tie the soldered parts as hard as you can to protect them from breaking due to future vibrations.
Great idea using the trailer connector.
Myself, I would still like the option of being able to switch them on when I want like needing some utility lighting on the back of truck. A couple switches and diodes could accomplish that.
These look like a good option to mount into the bumper of the big trailer, you never have enough light behind them when backing up.
I knew what you were going to do as soon as you explained what you wanted from it and it makes complete sense to do it that way
Great video. Nicely done, HOWEVER, I would have loved to see the difference between using the fog lenses and the spot lenses. Very impressive.
excellent video. Great work. I understand and appreciate your wiring to get what you needed. For my jeep, i did just add a tiny 3 way switch inside the back hatch. With 3 positions I now have-- "connected to the factory reverse lights" and then OFF (for the extra reverse lights when towing) and then an ON position. So when I am at camp, with trailer unhitched I can just flip the switch to ON and use the huge amount of light. And I located the 3-way switch right next to my ball/hitch storage in the back, so flipping this switch was very simple. Having bright reverse lights is one the best mods I have done, and I would never be able to live with just factory reverse lights ever again. Thanks again.
Brilliant idea to bypass for trailer! This is exactly the clear and concise tutorial I’ve been looking for to add factory looking BU lights to my 2018 Nissan Armada/Patrol. I just bought her and want to keep upgrades professional so she stays “classy” as my wife puts it!!! A lady on the streets and a freak in the creeks!!
I enjoyed the fact that you were clear, detailed and that your video is very efficient. Thank you for this!
I like the way you did the wiring, leveraging your trailer connector for a ground and for your tail lights. Clever. I would definitely give the flood lenses a try though.
I swear by Diode Dynamics. Their customer service is flawless, at least with my experience.
I live in an area where in the winter liquid deicer and salt are used to keep roads clear. I have found leaving the plugs connected all the time they get enough moisture in through the joint to corrode the contacts. I've had connacts totally disintegrate. To prevent this, I wrap the plug in tape, wrap again with plastic that is wrapped in tape. So far so good. In looking at the way you joined the wires, it appears moisture could follow the wire into the joint and may cause the same type of issue.
I did something similar. I used cheap eBay flush mounts. The white is wired similar to yours. However, the red is wired to the brake/turn signals. So the red only comes on when triggered by pressing the brake, or individually when the turn signals are activated. If that makes sense.
Love it. This is the 3rd time a search pulled up one of your videos. Subscribed. Thank you for the quality and personal style you have to your videos.
I have a 96 Chevy truck. And I get so dang jealous every time I see a video with this 95 suburban and how the underside looks practically brand new.
I think you did a brilliant installation and wouldn't change a thing.
I love it. Great video.
I have very few things to say in the negative.
My only gripe is the way you connected the wires together.
There are some great wiring technique vids that may be worth a watch.
Your method looks to allow moisture into the connection as your heat shrink cannot seal right with the method you used.
Heat shrink should go over the wire(s) first and then slipped back over after the soldering is done/cool then heat applied to shrink.
As to the method I use for a 2-1 connection is to wrap the new wires around in same direction as current wiring so as to not have any 90° bends that the heat shrink cannot properly shrink over. Additionally to waterproof the connection in the heat shrink sleeve, just add a bit of silicone, petroleum jelly, or heavy bearing grease prior to slipping on the heat shrink.
I have some heat shrink with a hot glue lining and it kicks ass!
I like the way you think. Your project was very well thought out. You explained things so that a novice could understand. Great video!
I would like to see the flood pattern as well. If you are goin to show us the flood lens, you should show it lit up. I love the look of these lights though! Great, clean install!
I'm just glad those auxiliary lamps aren't glare monsters!
Good explanation on how you did the install. Your solder job makes it look like you used wire nuts though.
I twist wire in that same fashion. I find it’s the most simple and easy to keep it tight and solder. Only downside is just the direction of the wire isn’t ideal but not a big issue. No wire nuts on this one just heat shrink.
@@1RoadGarage I like to solder it with the new wire soldered parallel to the original wire and the remaining original wire joined the other two like you would solder only 2 wires together end-to-end rather than having all 3 soldered parallel. It makes for a neater overall appearance and the connection doesn’t look like a wire nut was used. I have also used t-taps but they are never as solid as soldered connections. I never use the 3M ScotchLock suitcase connectors which tend to have a high failure rate and invite corrosion.
Bruh. I freakin love this! I have a pair of basic Auxbeam flush mount pods that are probably 6 or 7 years old mounted in the rear bumper of my Cherokee. For the ground wire, I just tapped into the nearest vehicle ground splice location I could find in the factory service manual for the Cherokee. For the hot wire, I ran it up to the hot wire for the reverse lights and a couple months ago when I was pulling an enclosed uhaul trailer I was absolutely blinded by the lights reflecting off the gloss white uhaul trailer. My solution was to open the rear hatch, and lay out my welding gloves and close the hatch on the cuffs of the gloves. The reverse lights were blocked about 85% and we're no longer blinding, and while I could clearly see the ground behind my Jeep and in front of the trailer. They were absolutely useless to see what was behind the trailer. I think I'm going to go in and rewire the lights to ground off my 4 flat so when I'm towing and using it, the lights won't do me more harm than good. Love the vid! The lights are even cooler! Wish we would've gotten to see the other lenses for shits and giggles. Nevertheless, thanks for the great idea!
Thanks Mike! Yes, I will certainly do another video showing the difference between the the two lenses! Hope you get all that figured out!
I think that was a very good idea wired into where you can unplug or plug it in when you pull in a trailer
I like the lights(front and back), the light pattern and the wiring!
Good job. Much improved over factory. Smart thinking with unplugging for a trailer.
Love what you did there making them blend in. I might do this to my Nissan Xterra. Something to think about, the engine doesn't have to be running to test your lights. Just turn your key to the run position so the shifter can move. Probably different on much newer vehicles though.
Your videos help me so much on things for my 94 k1500 pickup
Jimmy, really smart thinking brother. thats a very simple fix to a complicated problem!
Looking into getting some LED pods for the Flash to Pass that these trucks lack. May look into doing this as well. Thanks for the recommendation!
I think you are an awesome person and not to many of us who are into doing projects like this. I know many people who would pay hundreds of dollars to have some shop do the same exact thing. My opinion you did an awesome job, you did your homework and successful installed some cools lights.
And to answer your question - yes you will be fine to not worry about fuses and relays, I’ve ran lights as big as 4inch pods without fuses/relays for many years on older & newer trucks.
Janky? Maybe...my kind of guy? Absolutely 💯
Bro you would applaud my breaker panel/center console use of "never needed it bucket and coin dispenser" in my 99 S10 lol
the output really incredible for a small size.. i think i want to install that on my tacoma with additional on/off switch so when i cruising down at night and someone tailgating too close behind me, i can burst them off with that.
Oh that was you backing up!! I thought my neighbors put up their Christmas decorations up early.
Good video and clean install. I would add a dpst switch. One side goes from reverse light wire to switch and the other pole goes from a 12v source. The center pole goes to the reverse light. I did that so I can have them on while hooking up to a trailer or for just light to work behind truck.
Billy Bob Thornton back at it again with great tips!
I own an old minivan ,boy could i use these backup lights !
The extra red lights in the back reminds me of the hummer.. cool
That was brilliant using an otherwise unused wiring connection. My trailer connection just sits there doing nothing until I actually use it for a trailer. You found a second use for it. I wouldn't be worrying too much about fuses since you are using LEDs which uses a lot less power!
The nylon washers are used to be prevent galvanic corrosion. Because volts and nuts are stanless steel, and the bumper common hard steel plated with chromium.
So do you think they should here in the front? That would make sense I guess.
@@1RoadGarage No, back whatever you screw the bolt.
I think ya did good Jimmy! I probably would have done it the same way. The only thing I may have changed is the running light. I may not always want that on when I want the reverse lights but that's just me.
If you’re talking about the red backlight function, that actually switches off when the white ‘reverse’ lights are active.
The trailer plug idea was great. The only 2 things I would do differently are: 1) touch up the the area you cut the chrome bumpers...you're in the rust belt now. You don't want that chrome to delaminate or begin rusting. 2) I would use the diffused lens which should operate more like a driving light vs a focused light. You want to illuminate not only the road behind but also other vertical obstacles and off to the sides. A better test would be to park it in tight parking lot that is dark, like behind a restaurant. And then back up and turn out of the spot to see if you can see enough of the surrounding cars, people, etc.
Thank You for the video and it was very informative, my concern is that when I had flood lights added in my grill they had to be switched according to law. In Indiana from what I was told that it is against the law to run flood lights in city limits, I do have certified people do my install.
I would also like to see what it looks like with the other (flood) lights…???
Love how these and the front fogs came out and how the rears have the red running lights!!
Lights look good very clean look with them on
Long video, but it was extremely awesome! I might look into this if I can purchase a used 26’ school bus.
Great set up! The only thing I would add is a switch (Mounted in the plastic inside the hatch) coming out the running lights to your new back up lights. That way, you could flip the switch and turn the new back up lights on. That would be helpful while hooking up a trailer in the dark or tying off to somebody stuck in the ditch without having to have someone keep their foot on the brake and hold the truck in reverse. It would be kind of like a rear work light.
Love all of it. I plan to do this to my little s10. I think the only difference would be I would add in a switch so I can disable the reverse lights if I don't need them. I'd still hook them up so they'd turn on and off when going in and out of reverse. I'm the kind of person that likes things that can be enabled or disabled by hand. I like having different options.
I like how you wired it, as long as the backup fuse / circuit isn’t overloaded .
I did consider that but the original bulb is gone and replaced with a very low draw led and these lights pull .6 amps. I’m pretty sure (but not certain) this would be negligible to the circuit.
Great product and smart solution for your particular wiring needs! Congrats!!!
Nice video Jimmy. Look like some nice lights.. good work around using trailer wiring. I myself would have wired the red to the brake light wire, not parking lights. NTSB studies show that additional brake lights do lower chances of a rear end collision. Just for a safety tip.. You should not of had the truck running to show the install/light results. You can accomplish the same demonstration by simply doing what you did do, chock the wheels, set parking brake, Turn the ignition key to the "Run" position (not starting engine) and place the vehicle in reverse.
Good job Jimmy, I think that was a brilliant way to solve your trailer reflecting issue. Keep up the good work.
Great video. Your wiring solution is fantastic. Been thinking about adding the same lighting setup to my 1993 Suburban.
Thanks I was wanting / looking for a additional back up light . Put the lights on the backup switch.
A job well done . Might want to try the other lenses just to see the difference. . Great video and good explanation. Be well
Yes, very curious about the other lenses.
They look great, Jimmy.
I like them a lot!
You forgot to put some mid strength threadlocker on those fasteners. Vibrations might loose them over time
Good point 👍
you have done an incredibly good job. became perfect mounted
Excellent video. Please give a link to the fog lamps and the reverse LEDs.
I did something similar to my old 4 runner. Mine point downward more I did go with a switch because I simply want to use for night backing up not every time I reverse. Great way to use in bad weather such as heavy rain, fog, snow, since they will make my vehicle more visible without being in reverse and won't be in anyones face.
Nice lights and len's design. Thanks for sharing 👍🇬🇧
Really good video very informative I think you nailed it
Your lights look great too
I'm going to do the same thing on my trucks right away. So great video again. Keep it going. Thanks.
Looks good . You can still plug in the ground side only if the trailer connector to use the back up light if you want it tho . 💯👍
absolutely, look geaat
one thing I would like to ask, is that the blue wire that controls the red light...could you wire that into the dynamic fog lights in the front so that when you turn on the fog lamps the red ones come on as well in the rear so you would have both front and rear fog lamps running off the same circuit and when putting it in reverse the normal things happens.??
Jimmy…
I really love your choice of light fixture. I just may buy the same…
As for your choice of wiring believe it or not I have the same thoughts on it all I can say to this is GOOD 👍 JOB…
Your thinking is right the trailer harness is fused assuming its a factory harness or was atleast properly installed