Lights behind grill ?
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 182
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Lights behind grill ?
I have seen this before so know it is possible but I am having trouble finding it. I want to get a new grill for my 04 SD and put some big round driving lights behind it. Does not look like a whole lot of room without cutting the stock grill though.
Anyone have pics or links so I can do this. Mabye I will just go with a bolt over grill and worry about the rest later. Let me know what you guys have done or reccomend. Only had my SD for 5 days now but excited to make it more unique.
Anyone have pics or links so I can do this. Mabye I will just go with a bolt over grill and worry about the rest later. Let me know what you guys have done or reccomend. Only had my SD for 5 days now but excited to make it more unique.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 5,326
Likes: 18
From: Gilbert
I could've sworn that jetjock put his lights behind his grill but I can't find any pics of it in his gallery. Maybe he'll see the thread and respond.
EDIT: I found the thread but it appears as though he removed the pics from his gallery.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=337867
EDIT: I found the thread but it appears as though he removed the pics from his gallery.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=337867
Last edited by 2000silverbullet; Sep 6, 2005 at 11:01 AM.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 790
Likes: 1
From: Fort. Lauderdale FL,
I am actuly looking for the same thing.. I went to PIAA's wedsite and HELLA this morning to start looking for lights that i can put behind the grill. I was wondering about heating up the grill though if they are behing the,, Piaa has a nice light right now that draws 85w but puts out the light of a 135w. Dont really know to much about any lights but what i read. Am looking though to get some behind there and as to mounting of them in the best way. I just got done mounting some tractor lights under the truck in the back tucked up under the back so you cant really see them unless you look. But at the angle they are at they shine real nice out the back, Great for hooking up the trailer at night or backing into a dark area.. Put a nice little switch on the dash matching the high idle switch :-) ..Would be nice to put another switch there for some bright bright like 6in or even 8in if they will fit lights behind the grill..Hope to get some good pics of others and good ideas on mounting and brands..
thanks
ryan
thanks
ryan
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,214
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From: All Over
Wolffee...you did it huh? mounted the lights under your truck....
Are you using the lights that came with the housing? If so...check out the aircraft landing lights...you can get them at Carquest for pretty cheap and they are a heck of a lot brighter and fit right into the rubber housing.
I'm doing the high idle mod today when I get home from work
...one note though...every truck I have seen with lights behind the grille have the one piece aftermarket billet grilles. The plastic is cut out of the stock grille and the lights fit behind there.
Are you using the lights that came with the housing? If so...check out the aircraft landing lights...you can get them at Carquest for pretty cheap and they are a heck of a lot brighter and fit right into the rubber housing.
I'm doing the high idle mod today when I get home from work
...one note though...every truck I have seen with lights behind the grille have the one piece aftermarket billet grilles. The plastic is cut out of the stock grille and the lights fit behind there.
Last edited by Bear Hunter; Sep 6, 2005 at 01:15 PM.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 790
Likes: 1
From: Fort. Lauderdale FL,
The lights that i have under the truck in the back are tractor rectangle lights.. they arent like aircraft lights but they are bright.. I might get brighter later but it was hard to tell on what to get when you dont see them on you knw... I will take a pick of how i have them.I didnt want them to be to insight. I know i will catch heat from this from some guys but i drilled one hole on each side right into my reciever hitch. Not big. I think a 1/2 hole i dont think its going to hurt anything.. Then mounted them to the reciever.. That way they are kinda up under the truck but pointed right make a nice wash of light out the back of the truck.. They wont blind the guy tail gating you but thats what i have the 5,000,000 candle power trigger flash light in the truck for :-). About the front lights i have the factory grill and it looks like there is some good space back there.. I just want to see some picks of mounting jobs how they did it where and with what kinda thing.. I know its going to get done soon i just want some input if i can get it you know...Thankss
ryan
ryan
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 790
Likes: 1
From: Fort. Lauderdale FL,
Here is a picture of the lights in the rear i only go one side as the truck was back up against the wall and didnt feel like pulling it out to take the picture.. Its the same thing on the other side so you get the idea..
Picture is in my profile, couldnt figure out how to paste it in the text
ryan
Picture is in my profile, couldnt figure out how to paste it in the text
ryan
Last edited by wolffee; Sep 6, 2005 at 06:04 PM.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,214
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From: All Over
wolffee,
Yeah I did the same thing, except my lights are round. I used the rubber tractor light housings and replaced the lights with the aircraft landing lights. The lights are offset to the sides and its a pretty solid beam so they don't look that bright during the day when looking dead center to the rear of the truck. When viewed from an angle it'll blind you.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal.../88310.520.390
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal.../88311.520.390
Yeah I did the same thing, except my lights are round. I used the rubber tractor light housings and replaced the lights with the aircraft landing lights. The lights are offset to the sides and its a pretty solid beam so they don't look that bright during the day when looking dead center to the rear of the truck. When viewed from an angle it'll blind you.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal.../88310.520.390
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal.../88311.520.390
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 3
From: Phenix City, AL
Yeah, I figure I'd put them up too. It makes me giggle everytime I think about the uses for them.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=85478&width=0
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=85478&width=0
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 790
Likes: 1
From: Fort. Lauderdale FL,
Bear Hunter where did you get the replacement bulbs from, how much were they if you dont mind me asking.. I wanted the lights to be more down so the light shines better but i was worried about it being an eye sore...yours do look good though..I am curious about the bulbs.. I am going next week to get new head lights put in. I have PIAA in right now and still not that happy with them. So i am going with a Hella set up.. Kinda crazy set up with new wire harness and special wires and switches and this and that.. They are wild.. I saw the owners truck and you can see his lights in the day time half a mile away like its night time 100ft away.. Only thing is that they run about 500bucks installed..400 or so in the box but i dont know if i have the time or patients for it...Still want the lights behind the grill though
ryan
ryan
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,214
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From: All Over
BFR250...yeah they are fun
Wolffee,
The aircraft landing lights were given to me by my friend...he got them at Carquest for $25.00 I think. They are actually called "aircraft landing lights"...they fit perfect in the round tractor light housing. My buddy fabbed me up some brackets that I have mounted to my hitch. I positioned the light as far back as I could and as high as I could where it would not affect the beam/light pattern. Its pretty cool to see it at night from the sides because it looks like two huge beams coming from under the truck in a straight line. The beam pattern widens the further out it goes....It will light up the end of my street...
Have you tried mounting your lights lengthwise and getting them up a little higher? Best way to see how it would work is to do it at night so you can see the pattern.
Wolffee,
The aircraft landing lights were given to me by my friend...he got them at Carquest for $25.00 I think. They are actually called "aircraft landing lights"...they fit perfect in the round tractor light housing. My buddy fabbed me up some brackets that I have mounted to my hitch. I positioned the light as far back as I could and as high as I could where it would not affect the beam/light pattern. Its pretty cool to see it at night from the sides because it looks like two huge beams coming from under the truck in a straight line. The beam pattern widens the further out it goes....It will light up the end of my street...
Have you tried mounting your lights lengthwise and getting them up a little higher? Best way to see how it would work is to do it at night so you can see the pattern.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 790
Likes: 1
From: Fort. Lauderdale FL,
This was the first attempt at putting them up and now that they are i am a little bit dissapointed. So last night after reading all the post at work on my way home i stoped at my old job. Metal recycling and fabricating shop. Picked me up some 3/8in steel flat stock that i bent and drillied all the holes for. I made the stock almost like into an L shape. The small part of the L will bolt to where the lights are bolted now and the the lights will now be bolted to the long flat part of the L. The eL will be facing up as opposed to down if that makes sence. (Rotate and L counterclockwise 90deg.) this way i can hang them length wise and they will hang a little lower as the L is facing up. I can also put the L facing down....It would raise the light the length of the small part of the L. Kinda complicated i know but i think the pic will be much easier to understand haha...I probably wont be able to do it till tomorrow though...About the Air Craft Landing Lights we used to use them alot in show production.. I have a degree in Show production and touring.. The common name for them is ACL's
ryan
ryan
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 3
From: Phenix City, AL
Just make sure they are up good and high so they are out of the way. I put mine so they were directly behind the trailer hitch.
AutoZone or Advance has a little cheapee set of backup lights that have a mount for the hitch. Like 20 bucks or something. That is what I'm using on mine. It's similar to what you are talking about in the L-shape, but they are adjustable up / down and left / right. You mount it with either hose clamps or the wire ties that come with it. I used the lights that came in the kit for the ATV.
AutoZone or Advance has a little cheapee set of backup lights that have a mount for the hitch. Like 20 bucks or something. That is what I'm using on mine. It's similar to what you are talking about in the L-shape, but they are adjustable up / down and left / right. You mount it with either hose clamps or the wire ties that come with it. I used the lights that came in the kit for the ATV.