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Aux backup lights installed

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FWIW, I've just installed a pair of auxilliary backup lights. Advance Auto has sets of Optronics QH-101T off-road/racing lights for $20. For that price, I figured I couldn't go wrong. I also bought a standard small relay typically found in the PDC under the hood.

Mounting was fairly easy. I drilled out a hole in the mounting brackets to fit the Torx bolt under the bumper and mounted the lights under the bumper just on either side of the registration tag and aimed them slightly outward and horizontal.

Wiring was also fairly easy. I zip-tied the relay to the trailer harness at the hitch mount near the plug. I tapped into the B+ to feed power through the supplied fuse to the relay. I tapped into the backup light wire to control the relay. Ran a wire from the other side of the relay secondary to the ground from the lights, and tied it to a suitable ground. Then I connected power for the lights to the normally-off terminal of the relay's primary circuit.

Finally, I wrapped most of the wiring in electrical tape and zip-tied the wiring from one light to the other up onto the bumper; there are some convenient holes there to hold the ties.

Et voila! I now have *very* bright (110W) backup lights. They only come on when I shift into reverse. I should be able to see back there in the worst weather now, the OEM backup lights, as y'all well know, are next to worthless. But DC aren't the only ones; Dad was just complaining the backup lights on his Town Car are quite abysmal as well.

As I said, for $20, I couldn't go wrong.

Fest3er
 
Sounds pretty good. I have used the rubber tractor utility lights on my last two trucks, they are cheap and work okay, no need for a relay as they are only 35 watt bulbs, I believe.



When I wired in the back up alarm, I used a relay and decided to add another set that I had lying around. Nothing extravaganet, just Pilot 55 watt driving lights. I placed them on the center of the hitch receiver, they work real well, especially when combined with the tractor lights. Here's a pic... ...
 
that looks like my lights

I did the same thing with the tractor lights but mine are a little lower mounted on botom of hitch they shine just under the gooseneck very well. They really gets peoples attention in parking lots.
 
You can buy 100W aircraft landing lights at NAPA that will snap right into those rubber tractor lights. I've had them on the front of almost every vehicle I've owned and they'll soon be on my Ram too.



I've never found any aftermarket lights that work better. :cool:



Blake
 
where do you get the tractor lights?



I am trying to fi9nish off my Diesel Ramcharger with lights for the front and rear.

Right now the tub of the Ramcharger and my 89 bed are getting sprayed in liners right in my drive way as I type.



Thanks

Thierry
 
backup lights

now, fest3er, run switched 12v+ to a toggle switch in the cab, then run from that switch to terminal 86 (the one you connected to the truck's OEM backup wires). Pigtail the new wire in with the one you already have. you will then be alble to manually turn the new lights on when you want them and they will also come on when you shift to reverse. lots of uses. hooking trailers at night, work lights, etc. a quick toggle on the switch seems to give tailgaters heart problems, also. :D :D :D
 
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