mounting my hella 500s!?

asgates · **Posted:** Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:02 pm

i just bought my set of hella 500 driving lights to mount on my '03 KJs bumper. i know exactly where i want them, but i'm curious about the mounting. is it ok to drill into the metal structure underneath the bumper or do i need to do somthing else? if anyone has pictures that would be extremely helpful.

thanks,
asgates

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:10 pm

Usually people drill right over the tow hooks so you can look up through the hole to see whats going on. There is an opening in the steel bumper under there.

corwyyn · **Posted:** Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:27 pm

Here's a link to a thread over on KJCountry where I posted some pics with dimensions. There are a couple of things I would suggest: 1) make the 1" dimension 1 1/4-1 1/2", it will make aiming the lights easier since they won't hit the grille. 2) use some silicon sealant or paint after you drill but before you mount the lights, especially since you are in an area where things tend to rust more (something we don't noramlly worry about in AZ). 3) Some flat fender washers between the brackets and the plastic will help to keep the plastic from getting scratched. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

asgates · **Posted:** Tue Jul 04, 2006 6:36 pm

thanks for the link and advice. the other thing i was wondering was if you could wire them in without tapping into the high beam? if not, which wire is the high beam wire? i'll get on it and let you know how it goes.

thanks again,
asgates

corwyyn · **Posted:** Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:25 pm

If you don't want to wire them to the high beams then I would suggest tapping into the side marker lights. That way you can switch them on with low beams, High beams, or just markers. Tapping into the markers for your relay would also insure that they go off when the lights are turned off. You could also run the relay wire direct to the battery and just use the switch to turn them on and off, but IMHO this isn't the best course of action.

unixxx · **Posted:** Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:47 pm

If you want to stay legal you probably want to wire them into the low beams. I believe having both the high beams and additional lighting on at the same time is illegal in most states. Wiring into either the parking lamps or high beams would give you no option for turning the Hellas off when the high beams are on. Wiring them with the low beams is closest to the OEM driving light configuration, except that you can't turn them on with the parking lights and can't turn them off with the low beams. Maybe I'm just biased because I never use my driving and parking lights at the same time and and always turn my driving lights on with my headlights

corwyyn · **Posted:** Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:43 pm

unixxx wrote:

I believe having both the high beams and additional lighting on at the same time is illegal in most states.

Yes, if they were fog lights they would need to be wired with the low beams, but driving lights need to be wired to the high beams since they are designed to supplement them (and its the recommended install from Hella's instructions). Tapping off the marker light is an 'off-road-only' option; I just threw it out since he asked. I personally have mine tapped off the hi-beams and don't use a switch.

Stuhlie · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:39 am

I 'm also thinking of this mod . But I want to add them to my roof rack !! with its own switch is this OK or not ?
I'm so confused over your post about LOW beams or high beams . I have the stoch FOGGS inthe Valance below .
I would like something lite up the nite when I need to. ! Please help Thanks

unixxx · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 1:43 am

Quote:

Yes, if they were fog lights they would need to be wired with the low beams, but driving lights need to be wired to the high beams since they are designed to supplement them (and its the recommended install from Hella's instructions). Tapping off the marker light is an 'off-road-only' option; I just threw it out since he asked. I personally have mine tapped off the hi-beams and don't use a switch.

Ah, didn't know that, thanks.

corwyyn · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 3:11 am

Stuhlie wrote:

I 'm also thinking of this mod . But I want to add them to my roof rack !! with its own switch is this OK or not ? I'm so confused over your post about LOW beams or high beams . I have the stoch FOGGS inthe Valance below .
I would like something lite up the nite when I need to. ! Please help Thanks

As far as mounting goes, fog lights are normally mounted as low as practical so that they project the light out without it bouncing back off of fog/snow into the drivers eyes, which is also why they tend to be wired to work with the low beams. Driving lights are typically mounted at a similar height to the headlights and aimed to project the light out beyond the limits of the high beams; this allows the driver to see further down the road so they can react to problems sooner (great for when you're cruising down the highway at 3am and come across that deer in the middle of the road). Lights mounted on a roof rack or a roof-mounted light bar are normally used for off-road only, since they have they potential to blind oncoming traffic if used on the highway. Your best bet would be to go to the local DMV office and see if they have information on height restrictions, quantity of lights permitted or how they need to be wired.

Quote:

Ah, didn't know that, thanks.

Your welcome. I always feel that a day when I learn something is a good day, and if I can share the knowledge that makes it even better

asgates · **Posted:** Fri Jul 07, 2006 7:53 am

success!

i ended up having to wire them up directly due to a bad relay that came w/ the kit

. yesterday me and my buddy went and tested them on the trail. fantastic!

corwyyn · **Posted:** Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:33 pm

Wow, that looks familiar

As far as the relay is concerned, you should be able to pick up a replacement at any auto parts store - it's a common type of relay.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Jul 07, 2006 1:50 pm

Wow, be careful with the direct wiring. Those suckers pull a decent amount of amps(around 9) and that could be to much for what ever relay you put them on. I wouldnt use them that much until I got a new relay. Be sure the relay is bad, put a multimeter on it or something.

asgates · **Posted:** Fri Jul 07, 2006 7:18 pm

Quote:

Wow, be careful with the direct wiring. Those suckers pull a decent amount of amps(around 9) and that could be to much for what ever relay you put them on. I wouldnt use them that much until I got a new relay. Be sure the relay is bad, put a multimeter on it or something.

i actually did not use a relay. i had similar concerns. what i did was wire from the battery to the switch, then switch to the lights. each light as well as the switch has a ground and the power wire has a fuse. that way i won't fry any of the electronics. also, a multimeter is how i checked the relay

. i found that all the relay does is control weather your lights are on or off with your headlights. i wanted them to be auxillary anyway so that i could use them whenever.

unixxx · **Posted:** Sat Jul 08, 2006 1:56 am

Just make sure the switches can handle the power that the lights draw so you don't melt them, which would suck

The switches should have the number of amps they can handle at 12 volts stamped onto them. Looking good!

Marlon_JBT · **Posted:** Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:49 am

Look what you started, Corwyyn!

corwyyn · **Posted:** Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:59 am

Marlon_JBT wrote:

Look what you started, Corwyyn!

Who, me???

Nuthin' like a Red LIberty sportin' Hellas!

Marlon_JBT · **Posted:** Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:52 am

Shush! You're making me miss mine.

:remembers fuel economy:

Oh well, so much for that.

But I am thinking about a way of mounting some on here without drilling into the bumper. Lighting sucks on the highway.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:25 pm

I like mine better. :twisted:

FarmDiesel · **Joined:** Thu Sep 15, 2005 8:49 am **Posts:** 132

Around where I live, those lights on the front bumper would last, ohh, maybe 3 seconds...

mounting my hella 500s!?

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