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VX-157
03/30/2009, 04:28 PM
G’day

I am looking at adding lights to the roof racks and I am trying to work out how to hide the wiring.

Where do you run your wires? Do you run them though the door jam? Or along the roof to the rear spoiler?

Cheers
etlsport
03/30/2009, 04:41 PM
i ran mine up the passenger side pillar along the windshield, just inside the weather stripping... but im going to move it so that it comes out on the rear spoiler like nfpgasmask did.. if you are picky about your vx, dont bother running it up the windshield.. you will get tired of seeing the bulge up there really quickly
Gussie2000
03/30/2009, 05:10 PM
G’day

I am looking at adding lights to the roof racks and I am trying to work out how to hide the wiring.

Where do you run your wires? Do you run them though the door jam? Or along the roof to the rear spoiler?

Cheers

Go to my gallery & look at my pics,i got a nice set up you may be interested
pbkid
03/30/2009, 08:40 PM
gasmask ran his through the rear spoiler and no reported problems yet...
VX-157
03/30/2009, 09:29 PM
gasmask ran his through the rear spoiler and no reported problems yet...

This is what i was thinking of doing. i did like the idea of running the wires though the passanger door but i would perfer to hide them.

Cheers
crotchrocket
03/31/2009, 02:05 AM
Can you not get a grommit and run a wire through the roof ?
pbkid
03/31/2009, 12:37 PM
Can you not get a grommit and run a wire through the roof ?

yes but i would worry about rust then...
nfpgasmask
03/31/2009, 02:06 PM
gasmask ran his through the rear spoiler and no reported problems yet...

Nope, no issues:

http://www.nofuture.com/myvx/mods/hella.jpg

http://www.nofuture.com/myvx/pics/069.jpg

http://www.nofuture.com/myvx/pics/067.jpg

You can see more stuff here:

http://www.nofuture.com/myvx/myvx.htm

The connector I used is a Weatherpack Connector (http://www.weatherpack.com/). Really easy to put together and has a hot disconnect which is why I went with it. I can pull of the roof rack and wiring easily. Running the wires was a bit of a pain, but it worked just fine.

:) Bart
VX-157
03/31/2009, 02:34 PM
Hi Bart, nice set up. a couple of questions. could you explian your switch set up? i see two switchs. also did you use a rubber groment in the rear spoiler to help stop water seeping in?

cheers
nfpgasmask
03/31/2009, 02:53 PM
Hi Bart, nice set up. a couple of questions. could you explian your switch set up? i see two switchs. also did you use a rubber groment in the rear spoiler to help stop water seeping in?

cheers

Hiya, yes, a rubber grommet in the hole I drilled keeps the water out. I have 1 wire from each light plus a ground from each light. I spliced the ground into one wire and ran the other 4 wires along with the ground back through the spoiler. IIRC, I used a self tapping screw and grounded the ground wire back there somewhere, and then ran the other 4 wires up along the head liner, down the b-pillar, under the driver's side sill panel, up under the dash, through the firewall seal, into 2 in-line fuses, and then over to the battery. Each switch controls 2 lights. IIRC, each switch goes to one of the in-line fuses and this is a necessary step. I am no electrician, I would have to go back and look at my notes and wiring diagram.

The WeatherPack I used is a 6 wire connector. Obviously, I only used 5 of the slots. One of my next mods will be to mount up some cheap-o rectangular lights on the backside of my roof rack. It's really awesome to ride trails at night, but then, when you get to a dead end and have to back down a pitch black mountain with no way of seeing what's behind you...well, you get the idea. For whatever reason I didn't even think of this. I wish I had because I am not looking forward to updating this mod with another set of lights. :)

I have a fuzzy hole switch plate which I plan to use for the 3 switches. 2 for the front lights and one for a pair of reverse lights, which might also come in handy for blinding tailgaiters!!!

Bart
VX1032
03/31/2009, 05:02 PM
you can look in my gallery for how I did it. I went through the roof under the roof rail and hid the hole there. Then I have a disconnect there for the CB and the lights, works really well with an extra cb attachment for it to hold still as I am driving without the rack.
rowhard
03/31/2009, 05:56 PM
The connector I used is a Weatherpack Connector (http://www.weatherpack.com/). Really easy to put together and has a hot disconnect which is why I went with it. I can pull of the roof rack and wiring easily. Running the wires was a bit of a pain, but it worked just fine.

:) Bart

Bart, what a find. bookmarked for all future projects, thanks
etlsport
03/31/2009, 07:53 PM
i used weatherpack connectors too.. work awesomely!.. i also purchased an extra set of them that i sealed off with RTV to use as a plug when everything is disconnected

i have two switches for mine as well, one for the two lights aimed diagonally away from the vx and one for the two lights aimed straight forward

the only close up pics i have of where my wiring is run is pics of everything frozen.. but you get the idea of where mine was run up the pillar

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/medium/dash_of_blue_007.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=11947)

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/medium/SNC00045.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=12771)

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/medium/SNC00047.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=12773)
VX-157
04/01/2009, 03:52 PM
etlsport, my that looks cold :eek:

Thanks for all the respones, i have some food for thought.
pbkid
04/01/2009, 10:11 PM
you can look in my gallery for how I did it. I went through the roof under the roof rail and hid the hole there. Then I have a disconnect there for the CB and the lights, works really well with an extra cb attachment for it to hold still as I am driving without the rack.

hey NJ...
where did you get the mount for your CB?? i like how you can swivel it..