Probably extremely late now, but be careful running wires through your doors, can eventually wear through all the protective casing and short out causing popping fuses or even a fire hazard, great video just checked in to see how other people were running their wires 👍🏻
JCR Offroad makes a bracket for the XJs that goes on the rain gutter, and mounts like their roof racks do. The bracket clamps instead of drilling holes. For anyone who doesn't like making unneeded holes lol
+Dom Provenzano Just leave yourself a little extra length on the wire in case you mess up, you can always just cut it again and start over. Its pretty simple. Just cut and strip the wires and either solder them or use connectors and attach to the switch
Hey man, Have the exact same setup and buy as you, i noticed that the leads to connect to the battery are smaller, how did you attach to battery? Thanks
+Sam Adelman I attatched them to the bolts on the battery leads.if you message me on facebook, I can show you a picture of how i did it. Facebook.com/admiraloffroad
I'm loving the ugly Jeep sweater~! Nice touch for this time of year. I would like to add a couple of notes to this tutorial however. Whether your using self tapping screws, or not, any time you drill thru painted metal of a vehicle, it's a good idea to protect the holes from moisture. Even though the hole will be filled with a screw, and there's a bracket in place...yadda yadda... well there's still microscopic spaces, and gaps in all that where moisture and condensation can form. And as you all know, moisture and unprotected steel create rust. Granted, in this scenario all factors (including the weather stripping in place) can and likely will prevent any rust from forming for years, but in other cases, it may be a good idea to dab a bit of silicone on the screw before installing it. I would also add that it is typically not a good idea to route wires thru a door jam without going thru the boot or adding one of your own. Simply running wires under the weather stripping doesn't guarantee that they wont get pinched, or that the insulation wont be compromised over time. Having worked in the mobile electronics field for over a decade, this is something that should be avoided if at all possible. Another option would be to use existing thru ports in the firewall to pass wires from one side to the other, or to drill and grommet your own. (just make sure you dont drill into the heater core) That being said, there's a lot of great advice in this video, and shows a very easy way of adding a light bar to a Jeep Cherokee. Keep up the great work Admiral! .....and keep those videos coming! -Josh B. www.TheJeepTalkShow.com ruclips.net/user/jeeptalkshow
+Josh B For you especially, living in the northwest rust and moisture is much more of an issue than it is for me living in the desert. The wiring, however does not contact the door or any moving parts, so I don't foresee any issues there. Hope you had a great Christmas!
Hey sorry I'm asking so many questions but did you ever have a problem with the light bar cooling things on the back of the bar vibrating while driving down the road and making an annoying ringing noise?
yep. At about 40 they make a ringing noise but anything above or below that it goes away. I've seen people use weather stripping on the fins to make the noise stop
I haven't run it very long without the engine running, but I'm able to have the light bar and my spotlights on at the same time without any drop in battery level
here is a link to a good description of why you should have a relay for an accessory with a high draw: www.fourthgen.net/automotive-relays-functions-uses.shtml
+Skylir Kosiorek good catch! I will change that. I will update the video description and if you contact me on Facebook Facebook.com/admiraloffroad I can send you the links directly
I haven't had any issues with moisture getting into the light bar. I live in the desert so we dont get much rain but it has been through a few rain storms without issue.
Alright. So there is a plug where the wiring attaches to the light. It's located right where you tucked it behind the weather stripping. Did you have the same problem? There is a good 12 inches or so from the light to the plug. I rather not have to tuck that all up on the roof
I will add it to the description, and here are the links for you as well. Light bar: www.amazon.com/Penton%C2%AE-10v-30v-Curved-Offroad-Harness/dp/B00SISDC5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468790825&sr=8-1&keywords=penton+led+light+bar+50+in+curved Brackets: www.amazon.com/Omotor-Windshield-Mounting-Brackets-Cherokee/dp/B014W5IK7S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468790933&sr=8-2&keywords=jeep+XJ+light+bar+brackets
+Cameron Croall It would not fit in the same position. The windshield is narrower at the top than the bottom, so if you were to use a wider light bar with the same brackets without bending or modifying them in some way, they wouldn't mount correctly to the same location on the windshield. They may, however, fit lower on the windshield because it is wider towards the bottom, but that might begin to obstruct the driver's view. If you are mounting to the roof instead of the windshield, then the brackets should be the same since there isn't a specific location that they would need to attach to.
+ariasbeto76 its 17.5 in from the bottom of the windshield to the bottom of the bracket on the a pillar. That puts the bottom of the light bar 21in above the bottom of the windshield
I'm pretty sure the windshield width is different between the XJ and ZJ so it might not fit with the same size light bar. Here is one that works for the ZJ www.amazon.com/Rough-Country-Windshield-Mounting-Brackets/dp/B0143LH220/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478071575&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=jeep+ZJ+50+in+curved+light+bar+mount
There are a few other factors that i would keep in mind like IP rating and materials. More watts doesn't always mean a brighter light. Watts measure the energy required to power the light while lumens measure the output (brightness). If you can find lumen numbers for both light bars, that would be a better comparison.
Probably extremely late now, but be careful running wires through your doors, can eventually wear through all the protective casing and short out causing popping fuses or even a fire hazard, great video just checked in to see how other people were running their wires 👍🏻
JCR Offroad makes a bracket for the XJs that goes on the rain gutter, and mounts like their roof racks do. The bracket clamps instead of drilling holes. For anyone who doesn't like making unneeded holes lol
2 years later, but here it is - www.jcroffroad.com/product/XJLM50-PC.html
great channel especially since I have a 2000 xj. def subscribe
thanks!
Holy crap that thing is bright!
wow, cool sweater!
How to mount on the roof?
Any whistling noise or wind noise from the light bar
How tf u get ur wires through the door, my door can’t close when the wire goes in
Hello I am writing from Costa Rica, I have a 92 XJ with a snorkel, do you think the snorkel would get on the way of the brackets?
you don't have an install video? I'm going with the 4.5 long arm for mine
No unfortunately I did the lift before I started the RUclips channel
i have the same harness and i want to use a different switch, i know it sounds stupid but I'm nervous about cutting it. any advice?
+Dom Provenzano Just leave yourself a little extra length on the wire in case you mess up, you can always just cut it again and start over. Its pretty simple. Just cut and strip the wires and either solder them or use connectors and attach to the switch
That just got you a new subscriber
Hey man, Have the exact same setup and buy as you, i noticed that the leads to connect to the battery are smaller, how did you attach to battery?
Thanks
+Sam Adelman I attatched them to the bolts on the battery leads.if you message me on facebook, I can show you a picture of how i did it. Facebook.com/admiraloffroad
Stupid question but how did you know when to stop drilling
+kyle reese You will feel the drill bit punch through the sheet metal. Just don't press too hard and you wont damage the other side.
I'm loving the ugly Jeep sweater~!
Nice touch for this time of year.
I would like to add a couple of notes to this tutorial however.
Whether your using self tapping screws, or not, any time you drill thru painted metal of a vehicle, it's a good idea to protect the holes from moisture. Even though the hole will be filled with a screw, and there's a bracket in place...yadda yadda... well there's still microscopic spaces, and gaps in all that where moisture and condensation can form. And as you all know, moisture and unprotected steel create rust. Granted, in this scenario all factors (including the weather stripping in place) can and likely will prevent any rust from forming for years, but in other cases, it may be a good idea to dab a bit of silicone on the screw before installing it.
I would also add that it is typically not a good idea to route wires thru a door jam without going thru the boot or adding one of your own. Simply running wires under the weather stripping doesn't guarantee that they wont get pinched, or that the insulation wont be compromised over time. Having worked in the mobile electronics field for over a decade, this is something that should be avoided if at all possible. Another option would be to use existing thru ports in the firewall to pass wires from one side to the other, or to drill and grommet your own. (just make sure you dont drill into the heater core)
That being said, there's a lot of great advice in this video, and shows a very easy way of adding a light bar to a Jeep Cherokee.
Keep up the great work Admiral! .....and keep those videos coming!
-Josh B.
www.TheJeepTalkShow.com
ruclips.net/user/jeeptalkshow
+Josh B For you especially, living in the northwest rust and moisture is much more of an issue than it is for me living in the desert. The wiring, however does not contact the door or any moving parts, so I don't foresee any issues there. Hope you had a great Christmas!
Hey sorry I'm asking so many questions but did you ever have a problem with the light bar cooling things on the back of the bar vibrating while driving down the road and making an annoying ringing noise?
yep. At about 40 they make a ringing noise but anything above or below that it goes away. I've seen people use weather stripping on the fins to make the noise stop
What year is ur xj I was planning on doing the same to mine but I have been limited on time and money to do it
+WEST SIDE WHEELERS Mine is a 2000
Does this light bar work on 2001 xj models ?
yes
What's the hit to your battery? Does it drain the battery quickly?
I haven't run it very long without the engine running, but I'm able to have the light bar and my spotlights on at the same time without any drop in battery level
Did you do anything to prevent rusting where you drilled holes for the brackets?? If not have you noticed any rust?
just added some silicone to the holes and no rust
where did you get those mounting brackets from?
I think they were rough country
Probably a noob question, but why do you need a harness? Can't you just wire directly to the switch?
here is a link to a good description of why you should have a relay for an accessory with a high draw: www.fourthgen.net/automotive-relays-functions-uses.shtml
Michael Wilcox I did that to my little one and it works just fine.
On your two links, one is a 52 inch light bar and brackets are 50 inch, so is that right? Or do I go for 50 inch light bar??
+Skylir Kosiorek good catch! I will change that. I will update the video description and if you contact me on Facebook Facebook.com/admiraloffroad I can send you the links directly
The video description has been updated
What kind of switch panel you using
Its a home made one. I believe I made a video on it as well if you're interested
I like you videos I have a have a XJ 87😁
Quality video
Have you ran into any moisture issues with this bar? I'm curious of how it does in the weather.
I haven't had any issues with moisture getting into the light bar. I live in the desert so we dont get much rain but it has been through a few rain storms without issue.
@@AdmiralOffRoad lol yeah not too much moisture there lol thanks for the quick response!
great video! So how is the light bar holding up? aNy issues long term with it? thanks
Thanks! no issues so far!
Alright. So there is a plug where the wiring attaches to the light. It's located right where you tucked it behind the weather stripping. Did you have the same problem? There is a good 12 inches or so from the light to the plug. I rather not have to tuck that all up on the roof
what bracket did you use? was looking at the rough country one but done really want to buy a pop rivet gun to install them.
+Cameron Simpson I believe mine were the rough country brackets. You can always replace the rivets with self tapping screws.
+Admiral Off-Road what length are the self rappers you used?
Cameron Simpson I don't remember exactly off the top of my head, but i believe they were 1" or 1.25"
How did you connect the wire from the wiring kit to the light bar you didn't show that point !
+Fraser Shellie you can solder them, use butt connectors, or twist them together and use heat shrink tube.
Does it matter if you don't use butt connectors?
+Fraser Shellie No. I prefer one of the other two methods, actually
Admiral!! Part number for that custom switch panel please.
Just saw your, how to make custom panel. 🤓
can you please put the link that you purchased everything from in the description?
I will add it to the description, and here are the links for you as well. Light bar: www.amazon.com/Penton%C2%AE-10v-30v-Curved-Offroad-Harness/dp/B00SISDC5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468790825&sr=8-1&keywords=penton+led+light+bar+50+in+curved
Brackets: www.amazon.com/Omotor-Windshield-Mounting-Brackets-Cherokee/dp/B014W5IK7S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468790933&sr=8-2&keywords=jeep+XJ+light+bar+brackets
+Admiral Off-Road thank you, very much appreciated. Keep up the good work on the videos
Hey would a 52'' light bar work on 50''led light bar melts
+Cameron Croall It would not fit in the same position. The windshield is narrower at the top than the bottom, so if you were to use a wider light bar with the same brackets without bending or modifying them in some way, they wouldn't mount correctly to the same location on the windshield. They may, however, fit lower on the windshield because it is wider towards the bottom, but that might begin to obstruct the driver's view. If you are mounting to the roof instead of the windshield, then the brackets should be the same since there isn't a specific location that they would need to attach to.
You should put some silicon on those screw holes. Other wise rain water is gonna get into your A Pillars and rockers and cause them to rust
I'll do that
how much is this light bar? what brand and how many lights are in this bar?
+BrianLeeUSA73 It was a Christmas present, so I don't know the price. It has 96 LEDs and ill have to get back to you on the brand.
would this fit on my 1996 jeep grand Cherokee Limited Edition
you would need to get mounts for the grand Cherokee instead of the Cherokee
How many inches did you go from the bottom up to install the brackets?
+ariasbeto76 i will have to measure and get back to you on that.
+Admiral Off-Road Thanks I appreciate it if you can.
+ariasbeto76 its 17.5 in from the bottom of the windshield to the bottom of the bracket on the a pillar. That puts the bottom of the light bar 21in above the bottom of the windshield
+Admiral Off-Road thanks so much! thanks for the demonstration nice video!
+ariasbeto76 You're welcome!
The brackets I am referring too !
where did you get the wiring harness
it came with the light bar
Hey how many inches from the bottom of the windshield did you mount them? Like down by the mirror
I'll measure and get back to you on that
Admiral Off-Road thank you! You just earned another subscriber my friend
would you like to have the measurement from the bottom of the windshield to the bottom of the bracket or the light bar?
Admiral Off-Road bottom of bracket
17.25 in from the bottom of the A pillar above the fender to the bottom of the bracket.
I'm having a problem drilling through...I'm using an 18 volt drill and a black and decker drill bit...is there something I'm doing wrong?
It shouldn't be hard. Maybe try a smaller bit first.
Admiral Off-Road that's exactly what I did and it pushed through! Thanks
Would this fit on a jeep zj ?
I'm pretty sure the windshield width is different between the XJ and ZJ so it might not fit with the same size light bar. Here is one that works for the ZJ www.amazon.com/Rough-Country-Windshield-Mounting-Brackets/dp/B0143LH220/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478071575&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=jeep+ZJ+50+in+curved+light+bar+mount
what lift do you have?
4.5 in. The front is Rubicon Express coils and the rear is a combo of Chevy S10 and XJ leaf springs
how many watts is the light bar
288
I'm trying to find one for my jeep wagoneer but I found a 52" 500w and a 50" 288w both are 6000k I am not sure if there is much of a difference
There are a few other factors that i would keep in mind like IP rating and materials. More watts doesn't always mean a brighter light. Watts measure the energy required to power the light while lumens measure the output (brightness). If you can find lumen numbers for both light bars, that would be a better comparison.
No one explain how to mount the circuit
In my opinion I would have ran the wire through the firewall but that's my opinion
Absolutely. That's another way to do it
Thats the right way to do it this kid did it ghetto.
Also, I would never cut you off!