Front 42" Light Bar

[Bob R1]

I went by Harbor Freight today and bought a 42" Road Shock LED Light Bar. This Light Bar has good reviews, from what I can tell. My plan is to install it on the front of the Fortress Roof out in front of the Windshield. I will bolt the Light Bar to the Roof, then drill a hole in the roof, and install a Rubber Grommet to run the wiring through to get the wiring on the under side of the roof. My plan is to run the wiring back from the Switch/Relay to the B-Pillar through my PVC Conduit that I have installed under the drivers door opening for my other wires going to the back. I will then route the wiring up the B-Pillar Drivers side Vertical Roll Bar, then route the wiring forward along the Horizontal Roll Bar to the Windshield area. I will drill a hole in the Windshield to Roof Filler Plate, and connect the Switch Wiring to the Light Bar Wiring.

I have a new Rocker Switch Pro Switch and Back Lit Cover on hand, and ready to go. I also have a new 5 Pin Relay with the Wiring Harness for the Relay. All of my Rocker Switch Pro Switch's have a Top "Back Light" that comes on with the Ignition. This illuminates the Symbols and Wording on the Switch's so that you can easily identify what each Switch is for in low light/at night. I have Switch's for the Interior Lights, Rear Flood Lights, Front Light Bar, and the Two Speed Wiper Switch. When one of the Switch's is activated a light comes on on the bottom of the switch that light up an oval area so that you know the switch is activated. This is mainly handy in daylight letting you know a switch is on.

I have Harbor Freight Rock Lights for Interior Lighting. One mounted on the B-Pillar and the second under the dash on the passenger side.
I have 3 each of the Road Shock 6 LED Flood Lights on the back of the Roof for Rear Work Lights, and to see when backing up at night. One centered on the back of the roof, doing a great job lighting up my Spare Tire and the Bed, and the other two are outboard on the roof lighting up the area behind the Roxor. NOTE: I did not have the Spare Tire Mount when I installed the first Rear Light in the Center almost two years ago. Having three on the back of the roof works out fine. I have the center one pointed down a little more to light the bed, and the outboard ones are both angled out a little, lighting up a larger area behind the vehicle. So far ALL of the Harbor Freight LED Lighting has been 100% trouble free. The Rock Lights work very well for interior lighting. The 6 LED Flood Lights likewise have worked out great for rear lighting. Per the reviews that I have read, I am sure that the 42" LED Light Bar will also work out well.

FYI I have the Fortress Roof made for the Rear Angled Roll Bar that extend to the back of the bed. This Roof extends back about 10 Inches behind the B-Pillar, and angles down. This works out very well for mounting the rear lighting. Bad Hunter, a member here picked up a Hard Cab a couple years ago, and I bought his Fortress Roof and Windshield that he no longer needed. If ordering new I am 100% sure that I would not have bought the roof for the Rear Angled ROPS. I ended up lucking out getting this roof. It has worked out very well for my rear lighting as well as my Hard Cab Rear Bulkhead. With the YJ Jeep Windshield the front of the roof extend forward of the windshield and angles down, this likewise works out well for the Front Light Bar installation. Having both the Front and Rear Light Bars mounted on angled down areas of the roof keeps them away from limbs a little better avoiding most damage. I am glad that I ended up with this particular Fortress Roof totally by accident.

I have Sportsman Club stuff to do Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I might find time to work on getting the Light Bar installed, and wired up Sunday Afternoon, "With a Little Luck".

Bob R

 

[lost1wing]

I went by Harbor Freight today and bought a 42" Road Shock LED Light Bar. This Light Bar has good reviews, from what I can tell. My plan is to install it on the front of the Fortress Roof out in front of the Windshield. I will bolt the Light Bar to the Roof, then drill a hole in the roof, and install a Rubber Grommet to run the wiring through to get the wiring on the under side of the roof. My plan is to run the wiring back from the Switch/Relay to the B-Pillar through my PVC Conduit that I have installed under the drivers door opening for my other wires going to the back. I will then route the wiring up the B-Pillar Drivers side Vertical Roll Bar, then route the wiring forward along the Horizontal Roll Bar to the Windshield area. I will drill a hole in the Windshield to Roof Filler Plate, and connect the Switch Wiring to the Light Bar Wiring.

I have a new Rocker Switch Pro Switch and Back Lit Cover on hand, and ready to go. I also have a new 5 Pin Relay with the Wiring Harness for the Relay. All of my Rocker Switch Pro Switch's have a Top "Back Light" that comes on with the Ignition. This illuminates the Symbols and Wording on the Switch's so that you can easily identify what each Switch is for in low light/at night. I have Switch's for the Interior Lights, Rear Flood Lights, Front Light Bar, and the Two Speed Wiper Switch. When one of the Switch's is activated a light comes on on the bottom of the switch that light up an oval area so that you know the switch is activated. This is mainly handy in daylight letting you know a switch is on.

I have Harbor Freight Rock Lights for Interior Lighting. One mounted on the B-Pillar and the second under the dash on the passenger side.
I have 3 each of the Road Shock 6 LED Flood Lights on the back of the Roof for Rear Work Lights, and to see when backing up at night. One centered on the back of the roof, doing a great job lighting up my Spare Tire and the Bed, and the other two are outboard on the roof lighting up the area behind the Roxor. NOTE: I did not have the Spare Tire Mount when I installed the first Rear Light in the Center almost two years ago. Having three on the back of the roof works out fine. I have the center one pointed down a little more to light the bed, and the outboard ones are both angled out a little, lighting up a larger area behind the vehicle. So far ALL of the Harbor Freight LED Lighting has been 100% trouble free. The Rock Lights work very well for interior lighting. The 6 LED Flood Lights likewise have worked out great for rear lighting. Per the reviews that I have read, I am sure that the 42" LED Light Bar will also work out well.

FYI I have the Fortress Roof made for the Rear Angled Roll Bar that extend to the back of the bed. This Roof extends back about 10 Inches behind the B-Pillar, and angles down. This works out very well for mounting the rear lighting. Bad Hunter, a member here picked up a Hard Cab a couple years ago, and I bought his Fortress Roof and Windshield that he no longer needed. If ordering new I am 100% sure that I would not have bought the roof for the Rear Angled ROPS. I ended up lucking out getting this roof. It has worked out very well for my rear lighting as well as my Hard Cab Rear Bulkhead. With the YJ Jeep Windshield the front of the roof extend forward of the windshield and angles down, this likewise works out well for the Front Light Bar installation. Having both the Front and Rear Light Bars mounted on angled down areas of the roof keeps them away from limbs a little better avoiding most damage. I am glad that I ended up with this particular Fortress Roof totally by accident.

I have Sportsman Club stuff to do Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I might find time to work on getting the Light Bar installed, and wired up Sunday Afternoon, "With a Little Luck".

Bob R

I'd like to see how it turns out. I am keeping the factory cab. I already installed the switch and harness for a light bar. I was still trying to decide on the light bar itself. I was thinking about how to run the wire to the light. I guess drilling through the roof is the only way.

 

[Bob R1]

FOLLOW UP
First I mounted the Harbor Freight Road Shock 42" Light Bar on the nose of the Fortress Roof. I used the Bolts Provided in the Box.

NOTE: Something I did not think about. I got the Light Bar to far forward. If I lift the hood all the way up and lay it back against the roof edge, it now hits the Light Bar before contacting the roof edge. Just something to keep in mind when installing a Light Bar. You might want to check this out before drilling the mounting bolt holes.

I rounded up a Rubber Grommet the correct size for the Light Bar Wiring to go through, then I used my Step Bit to drill a hole in the nose of the roof to get the wiring to the lower side of the roof.
Next I drilled a hole through the Windshield Filler Plate to get the Factory Light bar Wiring inside the vehicle.
I extended the light bar wiring along the Horizontal Drivers Side Roll Bar to the B Pillar, and then routed the wiring down the B Pillar, then forward in PVC Conduit. My Rear Light Bars, 12V Outlet in the bed, and my Interior Light Wiring is protected by this PVC Conduit.
I thought that I still had one circuit free off my 6 Circuit Auxiliary Distribution Panel, however I did not locate it. I ended up routing a new wire back from the battery to the 5 Pin Relay controlling the Light Bar. I used a 30A inline fuse holder to protect the wiring.
I split the power circuit, and ran one wire to power up the Switch, and the other #12 wire went to the 12V IN Terminal on the 5 Pin Relay.
I ran a Neutral to both the Switch, so that the Indicator light would work on the Switch, as well as to the Relay so that it would work.
Here is where I end up getting creative. With the 12V wire ran straight off the battery, I could not power up the Indicator Lights on the Switch with that wiring. It would be on full time, so I popped out the Windshield Wiper Switch, and installed a Piggy Back Terminal on the Wiper Switch Power Terminal that was activated off the Ignition Switch. I jumper-ed this 12V Ignition Switched power wire to the Light Bar Switch Light Circuit. With the Jumper wire the Switch Back Lighting comes on just like all the other rocker switch's.
When I took the Roxor out for a test after dark, I discovered that I had already positioned the Light Bar perfectly. All that I needed to do was tighten down the screws on both sides.
The Harbor Freight Road Shock 42" Light Bar does a great job lighting up the World in front of the Roxor at night. With the Flood/Spot Combination you not only light up the road, you also have enough side light to keep an eye on the sides of the road for deer.

I still need to open the Dash back up, and do a much better job securing all of my wiring up behind the dash and out of sight.

I give the Harbor Freight Road Shock 42" Light Bar my Seal of Approval. It works as well as I had hoped for.

Bob R