4 Hella 500's On Roof Basket Question

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:46 pm

I picked up the Hella's. Now I would like some pictures of ways to mount them on my basket. On top would be best to reduce windshield glare, right?

Terry

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:28 pm

do you mean clear on top of the basket? I say just in front, less wind drag etc and look better IMO, don't like lights a foot above the roof. Does your basket come with light mounts? If not I can show you a cheap way to mount them using eye bolts, strong as well :wink:

corwyyn · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:40 pm

tommudd wrote:

do you mean clear on top of the basket? I say just in front, less wind drag etc and look better IMO, don't like lights a foot above the roof. Does your basket come with light mounts? If not I can show you a cheap way to mount them using eye bolts, strong as well :wink:

Tom, what's your idea for using eye bolts? Just drill thru the frame parallel to the roof and use the 'eye' as the hole for the mounting bolt on the lights? I'm thinking about adding some lights to my rack and don't need anything fancy or expensive.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:48 pm

I would rather have them in front of the basket but I read on here that it creates glare on the windshield. One thing I'm going to do is put the wires down through the roof. :shock:

Water proof electrical connector attached to roof so it can be unhooked nice and easy. It would be placed under the basket for protection from branches etc. Then run the wires between the roof and headliner, down the post to the dash. The connector I'm looking at is good for 3' under water.

Terry

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:49 pm

corwyyn wrote:

tommudd wrote:

do you mean clear on top of the basket? I say just in front, less wind drag etc and look better IMO, don't like lights a foot above the roof. Does your basket come with light mounts? If not I can show you a cheap way to mount them using eye bolts, strong as well :wink:

Tom, what's your idea for using eye bolts? Just drill thru the frame parallel to the roof and use the 'eye' as the hole for the mounting bolt on the lights? I'm thinking about adding some lights to my rack and don't need anything fancy or expensive.

Yes thats about it, I have had them mounted that way before on the basket I had on the one Cherokee and then have my backups on my basket now that way, they have different sizes, lenghth etc works good and cheap...well i think it is! :wink:

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:50 pm

corwyyn wrote:

tommudd wrote:

do you mean clear on top of the basket? I say just in front, less wind drag etc and look better IMO, don't like lights a foot above the roof. Does your basket come with light mounts? If not I can show you a cheap way to mount them using eye bolts, strong as well :wink:

Tom, what's your idea for using eye bolts? Just drill thru the frame parallel to the roof and use the 'eye' as the hole for the mounting bolt on the lights? I'm thinking about adding some lights to my rack and don't need anything fancy or expensive.

I did something similar (see my CarDomain page for pics). I got a piece of flat stock that I placed along the inside length of my basket and which was held by 2 u-bolts to the basket. I drilled holes in that for the I-bolts then used the eye to mount the lights. Only thing was I had to put short spacers on the shank of the eye bolt to space the body of the lights away from the basket so the body didn't rub and to allow up/down side/side adjustability room.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:53 pm

tommudd wrote:

do you mean clear on top of the basket? I say just in front, less wind drag etc and look better IMO, don't like lights a foot above the roof. Does your basket come with light mounts? If not I can show you a cheap way to mount them using eye bolts, strong as well :wink:

I thought about that also but I'm not sure about drilling a hole through the basket tube. It's pretty thin material. I was thinking that the up and down force on the lights from trail riding might, in time, elongate the holes. Don't know for sure though.

Terry

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:00 pm

Fulltimer wrote:

tommudd wrote:

do you mean clear on top of the basket? I say just in front, less wind drag etc and look better IMO, don't like lights a foot above the roof. Does your basket come with light mounts? If not I can show you a cheap way to mount them using eye bolts, strong as well :wink:

I thought about that also but I'm not sure about drilling a hole through the basket tube. It's pretty thin material. I was thinking that the up and down force on the lights from trail riding might, in time, elongate the holes. Don't know for sure though.

Terry

I have had 6 inch Daylighters mounted that way for years, washers/nuts on both sides and it holds tight, did for me anyways and thats back when I lived in Southeastern Ohio and gravel roads all the time

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:01 pm

Fulltimer wrote:

tommudd wrote:

do you mean clear on top of the basket? I say just in front, less wind drag etc and look better IMO, don't like lights a foot above the roof. Does your basket come with light mounts? If not I can show you a cheap way to mount them using eye bolts, strong as well :wink:

I thought about that also but I'm not sure about drilling a hole through the basket tube. It's pretty thin material. I was thinking that the up and down force on the lights from trail riding might, in time, elongate the holes. Don't know for sure though.

Terry

See my pics..... Mount flat stock to the inside of the basket, to the tubes, then drill the flat stock.

Khaki-KJ · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:18 pm

Fulltimer wrote:

I would rather have them in front of the basket but I read on here that it creates glare on the windshield. One thing I'm going to do is put the wires down through the roof. :shock:

Water proof electrical connector attached to roof so it can be unhooked nice and easy. It would be placed under the basket for protection from branches etc. Then run the wires between the roof and headliner, down the post to the dash. The connector I'm looking at is good for 3' under water.

Terry

An interesting write up on how to power roof lights on Jeep KJ Country, in case you had not already seen it.

http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25742

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:24 pm

Khaki-KJ: That is an interesting thread. But it defeats what I want to be able to do. If I want the basket off all I have to do to the lights is unplug them. Basket back on...plug in the lights.

Terry

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 10:02 pm

I ran the wire from my roof basket to right between where the front and rear doors close at the top. Popped a small hole in the weather stripping then ran the wires under the stripping all the way down the door frame (inside the weather stripping - it pulls back very easily) to a point across from the fuse box, then under the hinge and over to the fuse box where I connected it. The doors close with no problem. The wire doesn't pinch anyplace and I didn't have to take anything apart! You could simply put a connector at the top where the wire comes out of the weather stripping and you wouldn't have to do any drilling or anything to the roof. When the doors are closed, you really don't even see the wire when the basket is in place. With it off you could tuck the wire connector inside the door top where it would be hidden. There is plenty of air gap between the top edge of the door and the weather stripping to tuck the unused connector when the basket is off.

My wire looks thicker and bulkier than yours would because I have my wiring inside split loom which really wasn't needed but I originally thought I would need the abrasion protection where the doors closed on the wire. Turned out the way the wires are run between the doors there is really nothing rubbing on the wires. At some point (like that will ever happen!) I intend to remove the split loom and replace the wires with a heavier guage of 2 conductor wire instead of the 2 individual thinner guage wires I have now. It will look neater coming out of the top.

riptricket · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 10:23 pm

or you could do what i did...
got these at lowe's, 2 for $.50 and they work perfectly.
no problems at all!!!

yeah that's right i got a loooooottta lights!!!!

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:10 pm

Hmmm, lots of good ideas! I'm not in a big hurry so I'm going to check these out.

Terry

riptricket · **Posted:** Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:39 pm

okay... it happened, one bracket broke. i really need to find a good way to mount them on the rack... and i want to be able to move the bracket/lights around the rack.

riptricket · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:17 pm

so i am still trying to figure out a way to mount to my black widow, and now i wish i had saved up some more for the surco roof rack which has those square sides.

DryBones · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:56 pm

riptricket wrote:

so i am still trying to figure out a way to mount to my black widow, and now i wish i had saved up some more for the surco roof rack which has those square sides.

sounds like you need to send that Black Widow my way and buy the Surco rack for yourself. :lol:

riptricket · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:58 pm

if u can take it off my hands forr $100 plus shipping, sure!!!

DryBones · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:05 pm

I can get a new one for that! :lol:

Besides, I need to save for the lift...remember?

riptricket · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:08 pm

iknow, just being funny!

4 Hella 500's On Roof Basket Question

Who is online