Hella 500 Install

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:14 am

So I expected this install to be pretty simple - remove old fogs, drill holes or re-use existing fog light mount, bolt on new Hella driving lights, done.

Not so simple, it turns out. The mounts for the factory fogs are nearly unusable, as they have a nut built in (but with a different thread than the Hella lights). In addition, the stud mount for the Hella is about an inch and a half long - barely long enough to reach down to the metal bumper, let alone bolt through the metal solidly.

Since I already have a big square hole in the bumper cover where the factory fogs were, I'm not really able to mount to the bumper cover with washers like some people have done. I would much prefer bolting right to the metal bumper or to the existing bracket, but to do that I would need a much longer bolt, since there's about an inch of space between the bumper cover and metal at that point. Has anybody done anything like this, or does everyone fab brackets or install on the plastic bumper?

I emailed a company to get a price quote for longer bolts that match the ones included in the Hella mount kit. It's tricky to find, because hardly anyone makes square headed bolts, and when they do, they don't make them with such a thin head (and anything thicker than 1/8" won't work).

AbsoluteRenegade · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:58 am

Just drill and tap the old mounts out. Why dont you like the stock hella lights? OR You could also take a piece of stock steel, about 2 inches wide and attach it underneath the stock bumpter cover, using the stock hella mounts, then possible mount the new hellas to that, have both sets on the front bumper.

C co Crusader 2/127 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:45 pm

if i remember corectally the stock light are hella's. Dont the use an H3 bulb too?

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 2:32 pm

I like the stock lights, I just lost them in a rear-end collision. Doesn't make much sense to spend $200+ on a replacement set when I can spend $60 on standard Hellas and mount them myself.

Hmm, hadn't thought about tapping out the old mounts. I was considering that, or trying to find a bolt that is the same thread as the old mount and making that work. That would actually save me from having to remove the bumper, which would be nice.

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:49 pm

Se7enLC wrote:

I like the stock lights, I just lost them in a rear-end collision. Doesn't make much sense to spend $200+ on a replacement set when I can spend $60 on standard Hellas and mount them myself.

Hmm, hadn't thought about tapping out the old mounts. I was considering that, or trying to find a bolt that is the same thread as the old mount and making that work. That would actually save me from having to remove the bumper, which would be nice.

Check ebay, alot easier if your only goal is to replace the broken fog light.

I installed hellas on my bumper but it was a pita trying to mount the brackets!!!

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 4:21 pm

myjeepwalks wrote:

Check ebay, alot easier if your only goal is to replace the broken fog light.

Most eBay ads just say "Jeep Liberty Renegade" but are really just generic bolt-on fog lights. Some of them say renegade but show a sport or limited with the in-grill lights. I think I will forge ahead with mounting generic Hellas, but I'm not sure how I will do it, yet.

myjeepwalks · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:04 pm

Well i just checked ebay and it appears you have the hella lights which mount on the bumper and not in the bumper like mine. The ones that mount in the bumper are not hellas and are all over ebay. I couldn't find any of the ones you need. So yeah my suggestion is about useless. :oops:

Hella 500 Install

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