Anybody run there wire from there lightbar or becon through there third brake light
Just looking for some ideas to see if anyone uses the third brake light to run there light bar or beacon wire. Any good waterproof plugs or grommets, etc and where to put it.
Yes actually i found somewhere on this site someone else did it to their Dakota. So i did some thinking and planning and remembered i had my old 3rd brake light housing in my tool box that i could use.
I have it sitting on my dinning room table letting the clear silicon sealer drying. Drilled a main hole in the top of the light and another in the back of housing. ran the wiring threw and sealed it up. and put a connector on the wire. so after the season i can remove the 3rd brake light and light bar and store it away and install my LED brake light assembly.
When all is done ill try to get some photos and post them up.
I have my reverse lights mounted in place of the third brake light up on my high topper shell. It works great! I got the reverse lights, corner strobes, backup alarm and wiring from dissociative who I found on this site and youtube. The backup lights and alarm are controlled with separate switches off the same relay. It really works great as do the strobes.
If you mean just running the wire through the third brake light that is possible. I think there is a thread on here somewhere about that but I didn't want to drill through a good light. If I did that I would prefer to make a temporary replacement plate for the wire to go through. My beacon wire just runs by the sliding window in back of my Ford.
Looking to do the same. Looking to have connectors to plug and unplug the lightbar for removal. Anybody recommend any weatherproof connectors? where to buy? Thanks
I've done this for years on every single one of our F-350's. (Ten total) We run Star strobe mini bars on everything and use a simple "flat 2" trailer style connector available at Advance Auto Parts as a pigtail run out (under) the Center High Mount Stop Light (CHMSL). The hot side of the truck side pigtail is the shielded part of the connector. I then modify the mini bars to have the other half of the connector. This allows us to quickly swap in a "hot spare" for any reason and take the bars off when we don't want them on the trucks.
BTW: I've never found the need to add any silicone sealer anywhere on the CHMSL's if you run the wires out the bottom.
My father did it this way on are dump truck we had two spot lights and a mini light bar he used a 4 way flat trailer plug so you could unplug it and take the hole thing off in the summer.
Here is how I installed mine. I know you have to remove the brake light assembly to remove the light bar, but its 2 screws and keeps the connector inside the truck and dry. Also the light was junk (bad smoke paint job) and I have a nicer LED light that will go on when lightbar is not in use. I didnt want any wires just hanging out while the light bar was off.
Installed on the truck, prior to sealing everything up.
Here is how I installed mine. I know you have to remove the brake light assembly to remove the light bar, but its 2 screws and keeps the connector inside the truck and dry. Also the light was junk (bad smoke paint job) and I have a nicer LED light that will go on when lightbar is not in use. I didnt want any wires just hanging out while the light bar was off.
Installed on the truck, prior to sealing everything up.
How i drilled and sealed everything
This right here is a great idea!!! A spare brake light with the plug safely inside! I might have to "borrow" this idea from you...I'll be adding a minilightbar after this season. Thanks for sharing!
Borrow away. I borrowed/modified the idea from someone else here. I just made it my own.
I prefer the connector stashed away inside. and it was a spare light, and to take it off is only 2 screws.
Oh update on the set up. the clear silicone/sealer, didnt hold up at all. Been sitting in my dinning room drying and after it was completely dry i found it not hold up and start coming off. so i stripped it off and used some Hondabond (was a honda tech for many years, and this stuff is amazing, will hold engines together, i run it everywhere) instead, its the gray stuff i used on the back of the light.
I have see this same idea done before. Excellent idea. And a cheap place to get a spare break light is the junk yard. Beats the new dealer prices for them. I thought about this idea before I put all interior leds in my truck. None of the junk yards in my area had the third break lights for my truck and the dealers wanted way to much for one of them. So I just ran the cord along the roof and in thru the door. Also i would use RTV sealer. Seems to hold up better than silicone. Looks great. Nice install.
__________________
2004 Gmc Sierra 2500 HD Duramax Diesel Ext. Cab Short Box W/ 8' Boss Steel Straight Blade.
8'-14' Ebling on the back.
2003 Gmc Sierra 2500 HD 6.0 Liter Gasser Ext. Cab Short Box (backup truck).
1990 JCB 406 Wheel loader. No Plow yet. Thinking a 9 or 10 footer should do the trick.
stupid question: How do you turn the light on and off?? Did you wire it via the "cargo" lights in the 3rd brake light housing and just turn the "cargo" light switch on to power it?
The way we do it is to ground the one lead just inside the CHMSL opening, then run the hot lead to a switch on the dash. For our Super Duty's, that means running a wire inside the headliner and down along the driver side A-Pillar. And of course everything needs to be properly sized, routed, protected and fused.
Linear Mode
