Looking for a write-up for wiring

Maybe this should be in the Technical forum but I'm looking for a write-up specific to 1st gens...

I need TW's help. I am wanting to install and organize a system for auxilliary circuits (off-road lights, 12v power in toolbox, rock lights, winch wiring, etc) to clean up my wiring mess before it gets bad. I saw somewhere on here, where one of our members made his own platform and bolted some relays, a Blue Sea 6-circuit fuse panel, and a circuit breaker next to his battery and it was a really clean install on a 2nd gen.

I'd like to know if anyone has done a clean wiring and fuse/relay setup on a 1st gen and has a write-up for me to get ideas from. If not, I'll be making a thorough one myself but it will take a while...

Thanks in advance!

 

Don't know if any specific write ups on the 1st gens but the only difference between the two would be probably how and where a Blue Sea block would mount. Perhaps all you could mock up a mount of some kind in cardboard and then dupe that in plexi or metal, other than that everything else would be the same under the hood.

 

That's a good looking system you have pictured there thanks for sharing!

Question: Do you run each individual offroad light through a relay on your setup? I see you have a bunch of relays and are using over half of a 12-circuit fuse panel I was thinking I would only need a 6-circuit one.

So far I have a pair of 130w KC slimlites behind the grille, a 12v aux cig plug in the toolbox, and plans for rock lights, back-up lights, and under-hood lights.

I am curious if I need to run each KC light through its own relay, or if I can pair them up through a single relay for both, and then to the rocker switch. I know a relay is recommended between the switch and the load because the switches aren't designed to handle the full amps constantly. Also, I planned on using 14ga wire does that seem sufficient?

 

Run pairs through their own relays. No need to put a 30 amp relay on a light that draws 10 amps or less itself.

Id also look into using a Bussman setup if you want to use less space. Hold 5 mini relays and 10 fuses in a smaller foot print the a 12 circut Blue sea box. Guy on ih8mud forum sells them pre wired for 100 bucks. Pretty nice really. I built my own put the parts are expensive.

14 ga will be fine for lights.

 

yes, yes, and probably more than you think, I run a relay for each pair of lights (four pairs, two front, two rear), underhood lighting, blue led lighting and a pair of lights inside the camper shell. I have KC 130's as well on all front four lights, one 30A relay for each pair is sufficient and I upgraded everything to 14ga as well, in addition I did not share grounds or hots and I did not daisy chain them, I'm deathly afraid of burning down my truck so I over-engineered everything by running individual hot and ground leads in 14ga all the way back to the aux block. I got the relays that have two 87 output pins instead on one so each pin goes to it's own light. Always fuse your circuits and always relay your switches for safety. In addition because I have four switches in the cab all in the same place, I built a simple 12v bus to power them and a 12v ground bus for them too. This way I did not have to find or run four individual 12v leads to each one of the switches. IIRC, I think I may have run those leads off of my aux block too. The switches we use had three leads, one for incoming 12v+, one for ground and one that goes to the relay. It doesn't matter where the switch gets the 12v power from, just that it gets it.
In case you don't know this formula for picking fusing and relays:

Watt=Amps

Number of watts (130x2=260), divided by number of volts in your system (12 volts), equals amps drawn on that circuit 21.666666~amps, therefore a 25 amp fuse and a 30 amp relay would be proper to use.
There are also wiring charts on length of wire run vs gauge vs amps drawn, most of the standard set ups with 55w bulbs come with 16 ga wire, it may handle 130 but i wouldn't try it and it will melt if you daisy chain them. Bottom line is, if you wire something up, fire it up and feel the wires, I tested all my shit by turning it on and standing there for like 20 minutes half hour feeling wires and looking for problems, if nothing gets really warm or hot you are good, if it gets hot, rip it out and go a gauge bigger.

 

It makes good sense how u ran each hot and ground for each light back to the block but good lord that's alot of wires. I had 4 kc 100s wire in chain to 1 rocker switch with no relay on a previous vehicle and didnt seem to have heat issues but that was still a bad idea. I think ill be ok to chain the 2 kcs to 1 relay/fuse/switch without issues considering I didnt even have a relay on the 4 last time...

 

Thanks for your studious and educated info very well thought out and engineered

 

No problem man, just want us all to be safe and have fun out there