Switch panels and lights

[Goofyexponent]

I bought 4 100 watt 4.5" lights to be put on my truck as back up lights, but as I find myself in akward situations all the time....stopping to change people's tires, yanking things from the ditch, camping, towing trailers, etc....I decided I need more exterior lighting.

What I did with two of the bulbs was mount them to the frame of the truck, point outwards towards the rear tires.....it will light up the ground around the outside of the truck. These come on only with a switch.

Two more are going up under the rear bumper and will come on with the factory reverse lights, or by a switch.

I liked Midnight's idea of having two on either side of the front bumper pointing towards the ditch for turning into driveways and lighting up around the front of the truck. I would have these come on independantly...left and right separatly.

But I now have a billion wired in the cab, and I don't want 40 holes in my dash for switches....what are you guys running for switch panels?! And where did you get them?

 

[nyteshades]

I'm planning on mounting lights on the rear bumper as well for the same reasons. Although I think I'll leave mine on a switch. That way I don't have to shut the truck off in reverse if I want to hook something and go real fast. That and living in town, I could see people throwing a fit about running lights coming on as I back up.

 

[Goofyexponent]

Well, I just ordered one of these for the truck, looks like I can run several relayed accessories without punching any more holes in my dash.

 

[icanfixall]

That idea about lites on the front corners of the rig so you can see where your turning is a great idea. Maybe you could wire up some kind of a contact switch that triggers off the turning suspension so that lite comes on automatically. The switch could even be setup off the steering colum shaft near the rag joint... Just thinking out loud here....

 

[Goofyexponent]

That idea about lites on the front corners of the rig so you can see where your turning is a great idea. Maybe you could wire up some kind of a contact switch that triggers off the turning suspension so that lite comes on automatically. The switch could even be setup off the steering colum shaft near the rag joint... Just thinking out loud here....

I thought about going off the left and right signal indicators...having it relayed in. And having the ability to switch them on independantly without the signals as well.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

That idea about lites on the front corners of the rig so you can see where your turning is a great idea. Maybe you could wire up some kind of a contact switch that triggers off the turning suspension so that lite comes on automatically. The switch could even be setup off the steering colum shaft near the rag joint... Just thinking out loud here....

I have a link saved in my favorites to a 1960-66 GMC and Suburban enthusiast site.

I would post it up, but my computer has been terribly sluggish lately and it would take me forever.


There is a tech article there that describes how to wire these cornering/ditch lights through the turn-signals, relays, and some sort of electric-motor capacitor.

The idea being that the capacitor keeps the light constantly on without flashing, while the signal flashes.

I have not yet went that route, although it is simple enough.


Like I already stated somewhere else, all of my auxilliary lights are on three-position SPDT/center=off toggle-switches.

Flipping a switch UP turns ON that set of lights manually.

Center position is OFF regardless.

DOWN is automatic; forward-facing lights come ON with the dimmer-switch on BRIGHT and OFF on DIM; backward-facing lights come ON when in REVERSE.

All lights can be turned ON or OFF at will.


Those cornering/ditch lights are REAL NICE turning onto little blind roads and driveways.


All our trucks have numerous automatic REVERSE lights, mostly 55-watt, all angled slightly downward.

I have never had anyone complain about them; rather, people look me up and ask how they can do likewise.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I thought about going off the left and right signal indicators...having it relayed in. And having the ability to switch them on independantly without the signals as well.

If one could tap into the directional wire prior to the flasher and let that signal trigger the relay, then possibly that would allow the lights come ON with the signals and not also flash.

 

[nyteshades]

Well, I just ordered one of these for the truck, looks like I can run several relayed accessories without punching any more holes in my dash.

I like that....it's clean and has lots of room as well as a master power switch.

 

[idi traveler]

If one could tap into the directional wire prior to the flasher and let that signal trigger the relay, then possibly that would allow the lights come ON with the signals and not also flash.

You might be able to use the turn signal to energize a latching relay and the signal going off trigger a timing circuit to turn the light off.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

I like that panel and for the money, you couldn't put one together much cheaper. Nice buy, keep us posted on the finished product

 

[OLDBULL8]

I'll take a pic of my rear bumper. It has slots in it on each side and a mounting behind it for backup lites. I used just regular rectanglar bumper lites, and there was already a wire there for reverse. Most any ranch bumper could be drilled and slotted to do it.

 

[93turbo_animal]

My buddys got an old mercury that has the turn lights in the fender when you turn on the turn signal the light comes on and goes off when the turn signal is cancelled. They are very nice and fun as we turn them on just to look out in the fields as we drive

 

[LCAM-01XA]

If one could tap into the directional wire prior to the flasher and let that signal trigger the relay, then possibly that would allow the lights come ON with the signals and not also flash.

That is impossible, as the flasher is BEFORE the turn signal switch, so if you tap before the flasher you will end up with key-on 12V and no any directional-based current flow. If you move the flasher AFTER the switch and then actually use two flashers (one for the left directionals and one for the right) then you can intercept a steady (non-pulsing) 12V after the switch that you can use for the purpose of ditch lights.

By the way many '80s fullsize Ford passenger cars have ditch lights from the factory, I dunno what module operates them but I suspect it's quite adaptable for use in our trucks (just like their delayed-exit headlights setup that I retrofitted in my truck)...

 

[Goofyexponent]

I started bolting on and running wiring to the lights yesterday.

I got two lights mounted on the frame under the doors pointed at the rear wheels....I pretty much don't need anymore back up lights! Those things are BRIGHT!! I got the trigger wire for the relay run into the cab...just waiting on that switch panel now.

All lights will be wired to the keyed side of my big relay, so they can only come on with the key on.

The cases on the lights are stainless, and the bulbs are merely H3's, so you can get them at ANY parts store. I won't be backing up blindly anymore!

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

The wire you see ziptied and strong along the bottom of the body is one left by the PO....no idea where it goes, or what it does...but it's coming off regardless!

 

[LCAM-01XA]

All lights will be wired to the keyed side of my big relay, so they can only come on with the key on.

I wouldn't do that if I were you - auxiliary lights come really handy as work lights, and you really do not need to have the key on while you're working on something outside the truck. For this reason all my auxiliary lights are battery-powered.