Switches for lighting accessories

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lfhoward

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Hi Jeepers,

I’ll be installing some auxiliary lighting soon where I’m going to need to install some aftermarket switches in the dash area. There is precious little real estate available on the KK dash for switches, especially when you take into account that you need about 2” of depth behind whatever surface you’re thinking of installing the switch.

I’ve been all over amazon and found tons of options that look like they should be on a little kid’s power wheels Jeep. They are too large or comically colorful, or have a super bright LED that would be distracting at night. What I’m looking for is something small, inconspicuous, but rugged, that fits the OEM style of the Jeep, and that does have a small LED to let the driver know that it’s in the on position.

I’m looking for options at this point. What brands of toggle switches do you all use/recommend?
 

lfhoward

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I found what I was looking for on eBay. I like the no nonsense look of these switches.

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lfhoward

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Great thread and good company. I’ll have to take some time to look through their options. The switches I got from eBay were $4 so no big deal if I end up going with something different.

I like the switches on the belt line to the left of the steering wheel in the KJ. In the KK this area is smaller and I’m not so sure how much room there is behind it. I will post up some dash disassembly pics from when I did my heater core and you can see what’s there.

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To the right of the gauge cluster technically could have some space but that interferes with the CB radio placement.

The other location I’m considering is near the gear shifter, to the right of it. It has to be on the passengers side of the console because the hand brake would block switch access on the drivers side. Looks like I have some room for switches and wiring there though, and a fore & aft switch placement would match where the lights are on the Jeep.

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sota

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I know some people have put switches in the knee panel, below the steering column.
I was looking into the idea of integrating a pod into the ceiling.

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some are better ideas than others.
the upper headliner idea might get done, if I ever get a "testbed" liberty to play with. :D
 

sota

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also, I know it's not a perfect solution but...
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-...itch-For-Fog-Lights-HID-Worklamp/131349802011

I'm not ashamed to say, I'm picking up a couple of those kits (hopefully at a cheaper price!) to use to get things going now. I'm looking at a "ain't gonna do nuffin' if you don't do sumtin'" situation here, so if I put in the lights I want and wire up some temporary switches for now, it'll bug me enough to get off my **** and get the final install set up.
 

lfhoward

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Sota, Tom, & TC— thanks for your ideas!

I got the roof rack installed yesterday, so now I’m thinking about mounting lights.

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I have the wiring harnesses laid out on my workbench and both function fine when I tested the lightbar and pod lights using a 12 volt battery. Not a bad little battery for testing things:

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The lightbar harness has a nice 40 amp relay on it, so that one will be bulletproof. (Looks just like the one you posted up, Sota.) I may have to extend the length and I’m certainly replacing the stick-on toggle switch that it came with.

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The harness for the 2 reverse light pods (pictured above) has no relay though. It came with an in-line 30 amp fuse, but then proceeded to run through a 10 amp switch... D’oh! This switch is getting replaced with a 35 amp switch also, but if it were yours, would you also use a relay on this? I don’t know what the amp draw of 2 pods is, but it probably isn’t a lot. Still, the cautious me says use a relay.

Here’s one of the pods.
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sota

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I did manage to pick up a bunch of the switch harnesses for $6ea. Sadly I discovered a bigger problem: there's a wiring harness stuffed between the rear bumper cover and the plastic reinforcement. Luckily I spotted that before I started cutting!
 

lfhoward

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I did manage to pick up a bunch of the switch harnesses for $6ea. Sadly I discovered a bigger problem: there's a wiring harness stuffed between the rear bumper cover and the plastic reinforcement. Luckily I spotted that before I started cutting!
Oh man! So you must be sinking pod lights directly into the bumper skin so they sit flush. That would be a cool way to do it. Mine will go on 2 light tabs on the back of the roof rack.
 

turblediesel

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Oh man! So you must be sinking pod lights directly into the bumper skin so they sit flush. That would be a cool way to do it. Mine will go on 2 light tabs on the back of the roof rack.
Nice to have them up high. Better for backing downhill and seeing uphill to what's coming next.
 

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