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Here is take two of my driving lights install. Take one was wrecked by a deer back in March and I'm finally getting around to working on take 2.

After selecting some lights that should be OK (Hella FF50), it all starts with a couple of holes (only got one cut today)

hole_zps6313fdff.jpg

Then wedge the light in to see how I like it and where the hole needs work

light1_zps97ebc07d.jpg

And from the side, not going to stick out very far at all

light2_zps9f048204.jpg

More work tomorrow, probably going to take a while to finish this one because they will require me to make a custom mounting bracket. Going to need to fill in the grille bits where it was cut with some kind of epoxy to help finish it off a little.

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Another day, more progress

This bracket needs to be pushed back to clear the light, melting the plastic didn't give enough room.

light3_zpsae5c9cd0.jpg

Also needed to collapse the light housing a little

light4_zps84c241a0.jpg

And what it will mostly look like when I get the bracket made and installed

light5_zpsc1760926.jpg

Should be able to get these working tomorrow.

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And the rest, didn't take any more pictures while making the final pieces because it seems there is little interest. Summary is you need some 1x1 inch angle (I used aluminum), cut to about 3.5 inches long (two of them), some 5mm or 6mm button head bolts, and the correct tap for your bolts. Drill a hole to use the mounting bracket for your lights, bolt it all together and mark the holes to secure the angle to the bumper, then drill and tap the angle.

The finished pictures (all with photo-flash because it was getting too dark)

lights off

light6_zpsaf1c50f9.jpg

low beams and optional factory fogs

light7_zps9c23a82b.jpg

high beams and new driving lights

light8_zpsb5adcd06.jpg

Hope these survive longer than the last lights did, the body shop did a horrible job putting my car back together and I need to go out to get some parts tomorrow to finish putting all the expanding snap things back in.

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Since mine is an LS I used the space on the left side dash where the remote mirror would go. Untaped the rubber grommet where another harness entered an snuck the relay trigger wires through.

I do need to add that the harness that came with these FF50 lights was junk, all it had was a bundle of wire, some crimp on ends, a relay, and a cheapo switch. I ended up cutting the ends off the broken FF200 lights I previously had installed, and use the entire harness that was already in place. The FF40 lights also have a good harness, but do not have the black plastic buckets, so they would look especially ugly sticking out past the grille.

Still haven't driven at night, but they do light up the street signs sooner/brighter in the near sunset so they are doing something. In hindsight, I might not have used a switch with these lights and just rigged them to always come on with the highbeams, they look a lot more like they should be there than having big old lights bolted to the grille ralley style. Lots fewer questions this way. Most states allow these to be operated as long as not more than 4 lights are on at any one time, since the fogs go out with the high beams, I should be safe.

Edited by Greg_E
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  • 2 weeks later...

I've had a couple chances to drive at night and have these pretty well aligned... They are only OK. If I had it to do all over again, I probably would have gone with these:

http://www.rallylights.com/rallye-ff500-free-form-driving-lamp-kit.html

The lights I have (FF50) are supposed to reach out 100 meters farther, but I'm just not seeing this in real life. I probably would have just drilled a hole in the solid part of the plastic grill and mounted the FF500 there, maybe a piece of aluminum as a big backing plate to help prevent some of the flex in the plastic.

Edited by Greg_E
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  • 2 months later...

Pull the fuse box cover inside the car and reach up to carefully push the snaps out, I still broke one of mine when I did this. Once that fuse box cover is removed you can look up at the switch panel. Please do a new thread on your lock install, I'm sure a lot of us would be interested in seeing what you are doing. The stock actuators are really pretty cheap so I was considering building a system into mine too.

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Will do. I read somewhere that all the doors but the drivers has wired in actuators in place, just the master driver door does not. I am going to get into her today and verify. if this is the case, the OEM driver actuator is around $50, but it does not come with the key fobs, or transmitter, so I will probably get a remote starter with the keyless entry module built in to activate the locks from the key fobs.

If the doors do not already have actuators, I will just go with a cheap ebay kit for now. I put one of those in my Jeep Wrangler TJ, and it worked flawlessly, so it should be pretty easy.

Either way, i will take lots of pictures from start to finish.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I seen how crazy the fog light prices were at the dealer, so I just put in upgraded headlight bulbs, and pulled the little "not fog light" player off, cut them and used a good 2 part plastic adhesive to put in some LED running lights that fit the holes perfectly.

The only downside of the brighter headlight bulbs is that people tend to flash me a lot more Now thinking my brights are on. They're nowhere near HID bright though, so IDK why they complain.

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  • 1 year later...
On 2013-8-22 at 2:37 AM, Greg_E said:

big ugly switch

light9_zps8baa9c27.jpg

I'll have to spend more time searching for a better switch sometime in the future, something that looks more in place.

Greg, you really gave me good reason to think again for switch. I was planning for similar rocker switch for fog install. But will go with push type one.

Just a side by side comparison. I liked rocker in pic as it perfectly match with ice blue backlight on cluster of my beat. So with other one I need to replace LED, its having white backlight.

PicsArt_06-24-11.23.05.jpg

Update - today I took off the coin holder from dash and found the dimensions are matching with push button in above pic. 25mm wide and 42mm high. Depth is not an issue. For ref. Push button is ebay item no. 201869700398, for Toyota.

Below is coin holder we get in India.

PicsArt_06-29-11.13.29.jpg

Edited by ChevyBeat
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  • 2 months later...

Finally bought the GM light stalk as the price difference was reduced comparing to switch meant for Toyota (₹550+)from regular big ugly switch(₹250). I got GM one in ₹700. Now, I'll buy fog lamp and required sealed connectors. Just waiting for rainy season to end. Another task will be touchup on scratch my neighbour gave to my BEAsT.

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  • 1 year later...

I've put mine on a mount above screws holding front number plate on!

LED's, they look amazing and work superbly being in centre of car.

I have good quality LED bulbs in headlight and they come on with high beam. LED bulbs good but high beam merely adds light on top of low, low beam stays on, but it needed some more fill.

Apologies dark here in NZ and raining so got a quick pic to show you position lights off.20190714_183905.jpg

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