Mirror-mounted Baja S2 DIY

Cody_89 · Sep 27, 2020

Heleo73 said: ↑

I might just take it to a shop just so they can find the turn signal out put I already wired it just need the output.
Thank You .
Click to expand...

Do you have a multi meter? Should be able to find it pretty easy with one

Heleo73 · Sep 27, 2020

Yes I have a multi meter but where would I look for the signal ?
Thank you

sagexp · Sep 27, 2020

Cody_89 said: ↑

I've only seen it on the 3rd gens here in the forum. But that doesn't necessarily mean it can't be done.
Click to expand...

I don't know that there's room in a 2nd gen mirror, but you can put 3rd gen mirrors on a 2nd gen with a little work.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-mirrors-on-a-2nd-gen.544814/

daveeasa · Oct 22, 2020

Wondering who will be the first to attempt this with diode dynamics ssc2 pods. DRL, turn, and ditch all in one.

mynameistory · Mar 27, 2021

daveeasa said: ↑

Wondering who will be the first to attempt this with diode dynamics ssc2 pods. DRL, turn, and ditch all in one.
Click to expand...

The SSC2 is honking big compared to the S2. Would be cool though.

Great thread.

TACOMA2NDGEN · Mar 28, 2021

Awesome install!! I was thinking of using the BD s1’s but there not a flush mount.
Might be able to mount them to the neck of the mirror

Yoda11 · Jun 26, 2021

robmpii[OP] initial post: ↑

I've been getting requests for more info on a mirror-mounted ditch light mod I finished on my 2018 Tacoma earlier this year. I thought I'd get a short and sweet write up out there for anyone interested. I wished something like this was out there when I started!

This is not a terribly difficult mod to do, but it is time consuming and requires patience in finishing, achieve correct fitment, and aim. Not a simple cut stuff out and bolt stuff in job.

Some important things to note/think about: the two mirrors are mounted at different angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the truck. This means that the lights will be aimed similarly, but will never be exactly the same. It's hardly noticeable. Also, the lights are adjustable up and down... before final finishing. Any major change after that and you'd have to adjust the hole in the mirror cap. Lastly, I know it seems like a lot of material was cut away. It was. The mirror is still structurally solid.

Inspiration came in no small part from @mesojdm 's mirror-mounted Rigid lights. I imagine the process is pretty similar, with some more material removal for the larger size Baja S2.

I'm not responsible for any damage to you or your truck. Despite how this thread is written, this is a documentation of what I did, not a guide to repeat it. I'm going to focus only on what happens to/inside the mirror, as there's a lot of other info out there on wiring lights and finishing. Please let me know If I need to elaborate or correct anything.

Start by getting the mirror cap off. Get your fingers under the rim of the cap next to the turn signal and give it a gentle pull toward the front of the truck. Additionally, you'll want to remove the mirror glass and tuck the wires out of the way. To remove that, gently push on the top of the mirror to create a gap to get your hand in on the underside. Then, apply a pulling pressure from the center of the mirror. It's more than you think and the mirror will crack if you do it wrong.

Baja offers a template for the S2 on their website: https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/s2-pro-led-driving-combo.asp.

Print that sucker out and start going to town with a dremel. Take extra care not to touch the stock wires. Use cutting disks and grinding attachments to cut out enough material for the S2 to sit parallel with the bottom of the mirror cap and as low as possible to the floor of the mirror assembly. This is where the tedious trial and error fitment begins. Use the template to approximate the amount of material to be removed, then use the S2 with the bracket attached to sweeten up fitment.

Note the orientation of the S2 bracket. It must be mounted like this in order to be low enough. Any higher and when you cut the hole in the cap for the S2, you'll come close to cutting into the compound corner of the mirror cap. Also, do your best to get the bottom of the bracket to mount flush to the plastic support (where the bracket mounting hole is pressed against in this picture). You can do this by grinding away at the higher material, or using a spacer to make the low areas higher.

In order to actually mount the light to the mirror, you'll have to drill a hole for a bolt in the previously mentioned plastic support for a mounting bolt (red) , then a corresponding access hole that'll be used to access and tighten down the nut (blue). You'll also want to use a washer between the nut and the plastic (not pictured). Don't sweat the pro artwork.

Once you have the S2 fitted and mounted, pull it all out. Time to run some wires. Use the harness included with the S2 to cut a section of wire, including the connector for the S2, about 2ft long. Take the mirror housing off of the truck. There are three nuts attaching the mirror behind a trim panel inside the truck. Once the mirror is off, start cramming the positive and negative wires from the section of wire you cut down the hole pictured in yellow. There's plenty of room for two extra 16-18 gauge wires. Pull the wires through and into the cab, add additional sections long enough to get them all the way to the engine compartment, then route them through the door panel, through the rubber accordion tube that connects the door wiring to the cab near the foot well, then to the engine compartment. Wire up the lights.

After you've done all of that and wired the light, mount the S2 to the mirror again and aim it. As you can see in the completed pictures, to get a level aim you'll want to angle the light down slightly. If you can't, you'll have to go back and remove some more material to allow the light to move.

After wiring, mounting, and aiming the light, the only thing left to do is work on the mirror cap. First drill some holes in the mirror cap approximately centered where the S2 will be. Then, slowly work outward from there with a combination of more drilled holes, cuts, filing, melting, or whatever you need to do to make the cutout roughly match the shape of the light. Once that was done and the mirror cap fit loosely around the light. I had to sweeten up the fitment as I made my cutout a little too big. I did this first with a fiberglass impregnated bondo to bridge the gap, then standard bondo to make everything look nice.

Next was sanding and painting. I sanded the bondo and plastic down to 400 grit. Then I applied several coats of primer, color, and 2k clear from automotivetouchup.com. Their products worked out very well for me. The color match was spot on. Even the 2k spray clear self-leveled enough that I didn't need to wet sand.

Aaand done! Cool ditch lights in an understated, clean, oem looking package.

I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. I know some steps would have benefited from more pictures, but please let me know if there's anything else I can do to clarify. Happy chopping.
Click to expand...

Not sure if I missed it but any chance you have a pic of how you mounted the light inside the mirror? Thanks

seidita84t · Jun 26, 2021

Very nice.

Tcodyw88 · Jul 2, 2021

Tacospike · Jul 2, 2021

Tcodyw88 said: ↑

Click to expand...

Goodness

mynameistory · Jul 2, 2021

Tcodyw88 said: ↑

Click to expand...

Cool install! Definitely would have gone for real Diode Dynamics SS3s rather than the knockoffs though.

RushT · Jul 2, 2021

Crikey, just checked prices on the S2 pro version and $190 each.

Traction · Jul 2, 2021

This is SOOOOOOOO much better than the hideous ditch lights people throw on those cheesy brackets.

shotgunbilly420 · Jul 2, 2021

With my meso puddle pods and my ditch lights I'm pretty satisfied. Still though this is a great mod great job guys

sagexp · Jul 2, 2021

Tcodyw88 said: ↑

Click to expand...

What the actual hell? How did you fit those in there? I thought the S2's were a project. Holy mirror ditch light hell batman....

Traction · Jul 2, 2021

sagexp said: ↑

What the actual hell? How did you fit those in there? I thought the S2's were a project. Holy mirror ditch light hell batman....
Click to expand...

I imagine most of the light sits outside of the mirror cover?

RushT · Jul 2, 2021

@robmpii,

Do you think the DD C1 would fit?

Tcodyw88 · Jul 2, 2021

mynameistory said: ↑

Cool install! Definitely would have gone for real Diode Dynamics SS3s rather than the knockoffs though.
Click to expand...

Do you even know what brand these leds are before dogging them?
I see your in redondo, Im in el segundo bring your delayed dynamics SS3 over to my shop and I’ll show you the difference both at start up and once the lights are fully warmed up.

Tcodyw88 · Jul 2, 2021

Traction said: ↑

I imagine most of the light sits outside of the mirror cover?
Click to expand...

At the bottom a small amount and and because of the mirror caps contour about 1” at the top.

Traction · Jul 2, 2021

Tcodyw88 said: ↑

At the bottom a small amount and and because of the mirror caps contour about 1” at the top.
Click to expand...

Can you grab a profile for us? I gotta see it, so cool!

Log in or Sign up

Welcome to Tacoma World!

Mirror-mounted Baja S2 DIY

#61
Cody_89 Member

#62
Heleo73 Member

#63
sagexp Well-Known Member

#64
daveeasa FBC Harness Solutions

#65
mynameistory My member is well known

#66
TACOMA2NDGEN Well-Known Member

#67
Yoda11 Member

#68
seidita84t Well-Known Member

#69
Tcodyw88 Well-Known Member

#70
Tacospike Semi-Unknown Custodial Member

#71
mynameistory My member is well known

#72
RushT Amateur Everythingist

#73
Traction Well-Known Member

#74
shotgunbilly420 OG Owner 249+ mi club/Tacoma enthusiast

#75
sagexp Well-Known Member

#76
Traction Well-Known Member

#77
RushT Amateur Everythingist

#78
Tcodyw88 Well-Known Member

#79
Tcodyw88 Well-Known Member

#80
Traction Well-Known Member

Products Discussed in

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

Welcome to Tacoma World!

Mirror-mounted Baja S2 DIY

#61 Cody_89 Member

#62 Heleo73 Member

#63 sagexp Well-Known Member

#64 daveeasa FBC Harness Solutions

#65 mynameistory My member is well known

#66 TACOMA2NDGEN Well-Known Member

#67 Yoda11 Member

#68 seidita84t Well-Known Member

#69 Tcodyw88 Well-Known Member

#70 Tacospike Semi-Unknown Custodial Member

#71 mynameistory My member is well known

#72 RushT Amateur Everythingist

#73 Traction Well-Known Member

#74 shotgunbilly420 OG Owner 249+ mi club/Tacoma enthusiast

#75 sagexp Well-Known Member

#76 Traction Well-Known Member

#77 RushT Amateur Everythingist

#78 Tcodyw88 Well-Known Member

#79 Tcodyw88 Well-Known Member

#80 Traction Well-Known Member

Products Discussed in Entire Site Forum: 3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016-2023)

#61
Cody_89 Member

#62
Heleo73 Member

#63
sagexp Well-Known Member

#64
daveeasa FBC Harness Solutions

#65
mynameistory My member is well known

#66
TACOMA2NDGEN Well-Known Member

#67
Yoda11 Member

#68
seidita84t Well-Known Member

#69
Tcodyw88 Well-Known Member

#70
Tacospike Semi-Unknown Custodial Member

#71
mynameistory My member is well known

#72
RushT Amateur Everythingist

#73
Traction Well-Known Member

#74
shotgunbilly420 OG Owner 249+ mi club/Tacoma enthusiast

#75
sagexp Well-Known Member

#76
Traction Well-Known Member

#77
RushT Amateur Everythingist

#78
Tcodyw88 Well-Known Member

#79
Tcodyw88 Well-Known Member

#80
Traction Well-Known Member

Products Discussed in