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my backup lights suck.

K

K5dreamer

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so im looking at upgrading my rear lighting because i really cant see anything when im in reverse (yes the backup lights are still good). Ive got a set of fog lights that i took off the front bumper (PO installed, aftermarket), they are pretty small (not KC, more like, import tuner grill install fog lights) so i can probably tuck them up under the bumper pretty easy, but i dunno if they still work, i think the PO hooked them up to the blackout light circuit, which if memory serves is 24v??? I also have a spare headlight that i replaced because the low beam went out, but the high beam is still good, so i was wondering if any of yall had installed a headlight on the back end of a K5 somewhere that came on with the backup lights. and if so, where/how did you wind up installing it?
 
The blackout lights are still 12v I am pretty sure. If I am not mistaken the only things that are 24v on the cucv pickups and blazers are the nato slave recepticle, starter, and the radio plugs in the cabs that are mounted on the bottom of the dash. The reason is because all mil vehicles are 24v, so they can jump start one vehicle with any other vehicle. Also the 24v starter does produce a little bit more starting power compared to a 12v system.

One thing you might think about is checking out the relay mods that have been done to brighten the front headlights and apply the same concept to your taillights and backup lights. Or just do like you mentioned and get some cheap aux lights and mount them up and reroute your wiring.

I would personally do the relay mod and then pull off the lenses, polish them, and get the inside housing that the lenses mount to, and sand them down a little to scuff the surface and spray some chrome spray paint on the housing to help it reflect more light.
 
interesting.... kinda like the guage cluster mod, but on the tail lamp assembly. i dig it. may do that and install the fog lights as a first go around. just gotta figure out where im gonna install em without having em go crunch.
 
i went to local auto parts store and found some back-up bulbs rated at 50 watts. not nearly as bright at a seperate light fixture, but definately a much brighter light and is noticeable while backing.
 
interesting, maybe ill do the upgrades on the backup lights, bulbs, polishing, chroming, see what that gets me, and just install the rear facing high beam headlight on a switch for when people are driving behind me with their high beams on :)
 
What about LED's? I know you don't get the "spread" of light as much as you do with incandescents, but as bright as they are, I wonder if they would still work well, especially with something behind you that they would reflect off of.
 
lights

go to napa get the 4inch round tractor lights they are 50 watt . they are great rubber housing if you do hit and break the bulb just pop out put in new . they are just few bucks 8-10 . put on 2 or 10 they great .
 
Anybody ever do anything based upon this?

I'm going to look into this. Mine are pathetically dim and I want some more output bad. Before I hang another set of lights in the back I want to see what I can do with the stock setup. I had the light lenses off in October and they're nice and silvery inside the housing. Think it's just typical old fashioned pathetic bulbs.
In the past I've used 50w lights but the only place I can find them now specifically listed as 50w 1156's is JCWhitney and they want $21 before shipping!
http://www.jcwhitney.com/jcwhitney/...13&skuId=211045&id=3317127#prodDetailTabPanel

Did see these LED lights in Hot Rod:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=/1157.htm
Sent them an email with my concerns and interested to see what they have to say.

chevystepside, or anyone else for that matter, should I just hit up NAPA with those part numbers and see what they have to say?
 
tourdog said:
go to napa get the 4inch round tractor lights they are 50 watt . they are great rubber housing if you do hit and break the bulb just pop out put in new . they are just few bucks 8-10 . put on 2 or 10 they great .
Click to expand...
What he said. I did this years ago and they work great for very little money. You can direct the light where you want it to go. Replacement bulbs are dirt cheap, and no rust to worry about. You can wire them into your back up harness or to a toggle switch to ward off would be tailgaters. :D
 
Ok, I'm running on no sleep, some pain meds, and high level antibiotics, so take it for what its worth.
Back in the day, I had a '60 model heavily modded CJ5 Jeep. Front lights were actually kinda good, since they were close together and really lit up what they were aimed at.
But it had no backup lights. I got tired of crunching NAPA combination brake and tail light assembles turning around at night in the woods.
I bought them by the case.

Remember those 7 inch 150,000 candlepower 150w halogen driving lights J.C. Whitney used to sell?

Yep, pair of them mounted on the stern, rigged to a switch on the dash.
I found a piece of 8 inch or so heavy wall steel pipe in a junkpile and made two recessed light guards.
Talk about being able to see while turning around at night!!

Oh yeah, now that I think about it, maybe you better not do anything like that. I was young and a little excitable...............

You ever have one of those guys come up behind you at night with his brights on????????

J.
 
Fordum said:
Oh yeah, now that I think about it, maybe you better not do anything like that. I was young and a little excitable...............

You ever have one of those guys come up behind you at night with his brights on????????

J.
Click to expand...

Im going to get some cheap implement lights and run them with a relay with the reverse light 12v to kick the relay on, to avoid just that.:haha:
 
That'd be COOL!


But knowing me I'd forget to turn it off, be half way to work, and get in front of a cop.



Corey, did you just tap into the reverse light wires? Have any trouble with that?
 
<That'd be COOL!>

Oh it was. Didn't just do it once either. I used to hate those guys. No dimming mirrors in the old jeeps, and since you were fairly slow, what with the 90 roaring horses in that old Hurricane engine, they liked to run right up behind you.
The ones that I figured had just forgotten, I would just give a quick flash, like asking for dims from an oncoming driver.
But the ones that liked to run right up behind me and turn them on full, got parked.
And believe me, they would pull over and stop. Had to, couldn't see a thing.

MAN, it is flatrocking outside right now. I have been in drier hurricanes. I may have to get offline in a few minutes. Anybody close by north of Panama City Fl, get ready, you got a lot of water coming your way.

J.
 
I actually put them on a toggle switch with an in line fuse. I did it that way so that I could use them at will. I figured if I was in a well lit up parking lot there was no reason to turn them on. Also like I said they were good for tailgaters.
:wink1: :D
 
I run two of the cheap rectangle 55W fogs from TSC, Wal-Mart, etc... on the back of mine. One is just wired into the stock reverse light circuit so it comes on whenever I put it in reverse. I've had it on for years with no issues. The second one is on a seperate circuit so I can turn it on whenever.
 
Where do you guys mount them from? Just hanging under the bumper or somewhere further in?

Not that I wheel hard anymore but I remember dragging my bumper on pretty simple stuff before so I don't want to have even $20 worth of lights hanging down there waiting to get crunched the one time I'm feeling frisky at my buddy's farm.
 
I have the rubber implement lights on my Blazer and my tractor. I like them a lot. I have them on the front of my Blazer, wired on relays, switched by the hi beams. Doing the same with back ups should be no problem. I am also running a M1009 btw. The grill guard is perfect for mounting the lights. I removed the black out light and the jump start plug, and used those spaces for the lights. I am under the impression that the leds are 24 volt on these. Try steelsoldiers.com for more info. The moderators are jerks, but the rest of the guys are good joes. Do a search for a post about my custom dash and you'll see what I mean.
 
These are for the rear.

However I am going to be putting some lights on Big Ugly's brush guard.
 
chevystepside said:
Here are several 50w bulb part #

h1156
795
64170

All are 12v 50w



Lancer
Click to expand...
Oh, and randomly, none of these part number crossed with anything at NAPA, Advanced Auto, and AutoZone.

I heard back from the LED place but got no good answers and just a note that said they had $16 each bulbs appropriate for backup light use. No clue what that meant and ouch, $40 shipped? Nah.

I may just go with the $21 JCWhitney bulbs to start and see how I like them. They have free shipping right now at any rate.
 
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