A non-enthusiast's Tacoma build

Most of that exhaust wrap retains a ton of moisture, may or may not be an issue but I've seen plenty of performance applications where it rotted the underlying exhaust pipe.

Pull it, ovalize the last 3 holes and you should be able to get an extra 1/4"+ out of it easily. Once it's bolted in place with the carriage bolts and washers it's not going anywhere and nobody will see it. Drove me crazy but RCI never returned my inquiries :shrug:

 

Thanks for the pointers, @aturk. I’ll get working on that as soon as time allows. Not really sure how I’ll pull it off, since all I have is a dremel, but I’m sure I’ll figure something out.

 

$14 Sworker Carbide Burr Set Compatible with Dremel 1/8" Shank 10PCS Die Grinder Rotary Tool Rasp Bits Accessories Attachments Metal Wood Stone Plastic Carving Cutting Cleaning Grinding Engraving

https://www.amazon.com/Sworker-Compatible-Accessories-Attachments-Engraving/dp/B09NSZFHHW

See if this link works.

 

Did a bit of noise reduction these past couple days. I swear, the task list never ends.

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After I installed my RCI skids, I noticed a strange vibrating/groaning noise when driving at low speed. I wasn't really sure what was causing it, at least until I got the truck up on a lift:

The driver's side catalytic converter guard (installed on the RCI transmission skid) was contacting the secondary cat, which seemed to be the most likely source of this noise. Following the advice of @aturk, I purchased some grinding burrs for my Dremel and opened up the mounting holes on my tranny skid to drop the height of the cat guard:



I only opened up the holes about 1/8" (in the downward direction only) on the driver's side, which resulted in around a 1/16" gap between the secondary cat and cat shield. While this probably isn't as far as I should've gone, it seems that it was enough to make the noise go away. If it comes back, I'll have to drop the tranny skid and grind out the holes some more.

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Ever since I got my SPC UCAs dialed in by Bert's Alignment, back in November 2020...

... I've noticed that I get significant rubbing on my passenger side mud flap when the suspension is compressed. My decision to retain mud flaps with larger tires would seem to be the actual problem, but the driver's side doesn't rub at all. Something isn't right.

I searched my local Toyota group once again for alignment shop recommendations, and came right back to Bert's Alignment as the supposed "best" in my area. Recalling my previous terrible experiences with them, I dug deeper to see if there was a specific alignment tech that came recommended above others. It turns out there is, so I called the shop and requested him by name. While booking my appointment with the receptionist, I clearly explained the equipment I have installed and the rubbing issue I was experiencing. I was assured that their tech could handle the issue, and I need not worry.

Upon arrival, I explained the situation to the tech in detail. He immediately told me that the shop "won't touch adjustable UCAs." I informed him that they had done so recently, and it was my suspicion that an inconsistency in the UCA settings was responsible for the passenger side rubbing. He then told me that "adjusting the UCAs won't make any difference." I offered to pull out SPC's instruction sheet, which I had printed off and set on the back seat; these instructions clearly state that adjusting the UCAs absolutely will affect clearance at the rear of the wheel well. He refused to look at them, again saying that adjusting the UCAs won't change anything. I asked him to check the space between the tire and mud flap on both sides, since that would be a clear indication of some inconsistency present. He checked it, and confirmed what I already knew: the passenger side tire was much (like an inch or more) closer to the mud flap than the driver's side.

The tech discovered that the SPC ball joints had been clocked 180 degrees opposite of each other by the previous guy (also an employee of Bert's), which I had somehow failed to check myself. He then went to work, re-clocking the passenger side UCA ball joint to match the setting of the driver's side. There seemed to be some issue with getting the adjustments dialed in, so I once again offered to pull out the SPC instruction sheet. He refused, and instead reinvented SPC's alignment procedure step by step. I mean okay, the end result is the same, but why do it the hard way?

I stayed with the tech during the entire process, partially because I wanted to learn and partially because I don't trust this alignment shop. Did I learn some things? Yes. Was I right not to trust these guys? Ehhh... maybe.

While dialing in the LCA cam bolts, the tech mentioned that one of my cam tabs was flattened. Now, whether the tab was already flattened or whether the tech himself did it in that moment, I do not know for sure. What the tech failed to mention is, any alignment settings dialed in were now likely to shift, since the cam tabs are an essential part of keeping alignment adjustments in position.

The tech and I took a test drive after he was done. The passenger side rubbing was gone, which was great. My truck was making a new clunking noise, which only seemed to occur during braking and acceleration. I didn't give this new noise any thought until the next day, when I asked @EatSleepTacos if the flattened cam tab might be responsible. It turns out that yes, the flattened cam tab was a likely culprit, and yes, I would need to get them repaired and get an alignment. Again.

I'm not one for blasting people on the internet, but Bert's Alignment is charging specialty shop prices for less-than-impressive service ($130 for this appointment, in my case). I have a follow-up scheduled for tomorrow morning, and will provide an update once I get back.

*Edited for clarity, now that I've had a bit of time to cool off*

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Due to some really fortunate timing, I was able to get my flattened LCA cam tabs fixed just a few days after they were damaged. It turns out that I had two flattened tabs, one on the driver's side and one on the passenger side. In an abundance of caution (and generally just being a great dude), @EatSleepTacos reinforced every single cam tab on my truck, including cutting off and replacing one that was beyond repair.



With the front suspension disassembled, I figured now was a good time to slather the LCA cam bolts in anti-seize. While the grease on the bolts was still very much in place...

... A bit of research showed that anti-seize is a better choice for high-load applications. I wiped off most of the excess grease, then absolutely covered every sliding surface to ensure I wouldn't have further drama.

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While wrestling with my front suspension, Randy discovered something that spiked my blood pressure: rust, bane of the Toyota truck.



Thankfully, this wasn't on any of the factory equipment. It was in the vertical tubular section of my steel bumper, which ARB left un-capped for... reasons?

The area inside the tubing isn't really accessible, so grinding off the rust and painting the bare metal wasn't a realistic option. Instead, I hosed inside the tube with Fluid Film, then borrowed Randy's calipers to spec out a plug.



McMaster-Carr offers plastic plugs (P/N 9283K19) that fit neatly with a bit of trimming. While this isn't an optimal solution, it is an improvement.

 

I just got back from my follow-up appointment at Bert's Alignment, once again with their top tech. I explained that the flattened cam tab was allowing the LCA cam bolts to shift (causing a clunking noise), so I got them repaired and likely needed some minor adjustments to get back in spec. Based on my previous experiences with this shop, I fully expected him to do the whole admit nothing/deny everything/make counter-accusations thing. Much to my surprise, he agreed that the cam tabs were the most likely source of the noise, and mentioned his shock at how quickly I got them repaired (thanks again to @EatSleepTacos for the save).

I looked over the tech's shoulder the entire time he was tweaking my alignment, and I double-checked every measurement before he torqued everything down. I was 100% "that guy," and I have no shame about it. No one is obligated to care about my truck except for me.

45 minutes and 0 dollars later, my alignment was dialed back in. Now I'm just fighting the urge to run to Firestone to get verification on the numbers provided.

 

That's the win that was needed after all this debacle, congrats on that.

 

I mauled my shiny new Prinsu roof rack with a Dremel, because I've got plans for this lil feller.

I traced the outline of one of the side panels. This was done to sketch up what I was going to mount, and how I was going to mount it. I spent some time figuring this out, because there are no take-backsies when it comes to removing material.



After I completed the sketch, I realized that I needed some additional components to accurately dimension some of the holes. @Truck Brigade received a second order from me, this time for 2 pairs of Summit handles and a load panel.

Once I had everything in hand, I drilled and ground the new holes needed in one of the side panels. Having the sketch on hand was invaluable, because I really don't trust myself to remember every little detail about what goes where. Once one side panel was complete, I bolted it to the other and used it as a jig.



After about 6 hours of cutting and drilling, it was time for a mockup and dry fit. While my sketch was incorrect in one place, it wasn't a huge problem. I think the finished assembly came out quite nicely.





All that remained was painting the raw metal surfaces, which I completed yesterday. The install itself will have to wait until my order of black stainless tamper-resistant hardware arrives.

Oh yeah, and I smoked my Dremel with all the cutting and grinding. Looks like I need a replacement.

 

Heck yea this is sweet!

 

I replaced my fog lights with makeshift auxiliary low beams. The bulk of the work is done, but some tweaking is required.



First, let’s talk fog lights. What they’re designed to do, what I want to use them for, and how I attempted to reconcile those two distinct use cases into one functional setup.

Fog lights are designed for one specific task: providing short range illumination for navigating hazardous weather conditions at low speeds. The low mounting height lights the road surface at close range, minimizing reflection of light off airborne particulates back at the driver. Because of this low mounting height, fog lights cannot provide comparable distance projection to headlights. For more information on fog lights, look no further than @crashnburn80's excellent thread here:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-led-sae-j583-fog-pod-fog-light-review.554813/

Fog and snow are uncommon in coastal VA, so I don’t really have a consistent need for lighting designed around those conditions. What I do need is something to augment my headlight low beams, providing additional light to better illuminate painted road markings on wet pavement:

The correct approach to my situation is purchasing SAE J582 compliant aux low beam lights, then installing them as close to headlight level as possible. The problem with that course of action is twofold:

- The top of my ARB bumper, which is the obvious candidate for mounting aux low beams, is currently occupied by my Cibie aux high beams. While I could work around this by exchanging my bulky 9” lights for a lower-profile alternative, I’d rather not replace a product that works so well.
- No one manufactures aux low beams any more. Hella used to make one (their SAE J582-compliant Model 550 mid beam), but it has been out of production for quite awhile.

The setup I devised, while working within the mounting and product availability constraints present, is not as performant as properly configured aux low beam lighting.

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My old Diode Dynamics SS3 Pro fog lights were not a good choice for this (mis)application. While they have impressive power, their cutoffs are pretty fuzzy:

Sharp cutoffs are valuable because they allow you to safely eke out every inch of vertical adjustment without running the risk of blinding other drivers. The fuzzier the cutoff, the lower you have to aim your lights to prevent blinding oncoming traffic. Conversely, the sharper the cutoff, the closer to level you can safely aim your lights, the further they illuminate, the more time you have to identify and react to road hazards.

Parallel with my concern for the cutoffs was the perceived imbalance of light intensity between my fog lights and headlights. The fuzzy cutoffs of the SS3 Pros mandate low aiming, which dumps all the light in the near-field directly in front of the truck. The Pros are also very high-powered, further increasing the perception of near-field washout:

This near-field washout effect isn’t a big deal when using fog lights for their intended purpose at low speeds, but it becomes a problem when driving at highway speeds. The effect was so pronounced that it even overpowered my ultra high performance RX350 retrofitted headlights. What I really needed was a less powerful light with a sharper cutoff.

Enter the Diode Dynamics Elite series of fog lights. They’re about as bright as the more budget-friendly SS3 Sport series, but with a very well-defined cutoff and gradient within the pattern:

These lights seemed to be a perfect fit for my needs. Ironically, the only issue was finding a way to mount these OEM replacement lights to my truck. My ARB bumper is equipped with Slee Offroad foglight surrounds, which are designed to accommodate a 3x3 inch LED pod using a standard U-bracket and single bolt.

Time to break out the dremel:





Test fit to ensure everything lined up:



Then off to the powder coating shop to get Slee’s failing coating (and the resulting rust) removed, and new powder coating applied.



I also took this opportunity to replace the polished stainless tamper-resistant ¼-20 x ¾” bolts with black stainless equivalents, ordered from Accu Components.

While I was waiting for the powder coat to be applied, I modified my CaliRaisedLED H11-to-2 pin Deutsch adapters with the new 4 pin Deutsch connectors required by the Elite fog lights.



After reinstallation was complete, I needed to aim the lights. I was fairly confident the cutoffs would be level, since the lights themselves are level with the Slee mounting brackets…



… it turns out I was mistaken.





It appears the sides of my ARB bumper are slightly upswept. I’ll tweak the lights in the next week or so to get everything squared up.

 

Funny thing in reading through this the first thought that crossed my mind was how was he going to compensate for the horizontal leveling. Get to the end and it is still TBD. Great work and looking forward to the outcome!

 

I slightly over-bored the holes in the foglight surround to give myself some wiggle room for horizontal alignment. Considering how skewed the cutoffs are, I may have to remove even more material from the holes (and compromise the new powder coat in the process). Not ideal, but that's what I get for not reinstalling everything to verify proper fit and function.

Suffice to say, I'm a little irritated with myself.

 

Following up on my previous post:

I ground out the mounting holes for my DD Elite fog lights:



... then leveled them out and re-aimed them this morning. Much better.





The above picture makes it look like my passenger side fog light is aimed high and veering slightly upwards, but that isn't the case. I ensured both cutoffs were level, and did not go above the lowest part of the headlight low beam cutoff.

 

Did not go above the lowest part of the headlight cut off with the fogs? This statement is a bit confusing. Did you measure a 4" drop from the fog height over 25'?

Like so:

 

I see how my statement is a bit unclear. I measured a 12" drop at 75 feet, which equates to a 4" drop at 25 feet.

Also, it turns out my headlights were aimed way too low, like a ~5" drop at 25 feet. I corrected that to 2.5" in accordance with Daniel Stern's aiming instructions, which made a pretty big difference in illumination distance.

https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

 

These kinds of build threads are the best, they let so many learn how to save so much time and money. Not to mention so much detail in the documentation and photos, keep it up.

 

Thanks man, I appreciate your kind words. I think explaining why I did what I did is worth the effort, even if it only benefits my future self because I forgot the details.

 

Well boys and girls, that’s a wrap. I can confidently say that my build is complete.



It doesn’t look like much has changed since my last round of modding. Just a roof rack and ditch lights, right? If you’ve been following along for awhile, I think you probably already know that there’s more to it.

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Ditch lights



I added ditch lights to expand the area illuminated by my aux high beams. While the full, wide beam pattern of the Cibie Super Oscars is excellent, it’s a bit too forward-biased to really light up roadside critters on winding back roads.

I went for Morimoto 4Bangers, in HXB (high power) configuration and wide pattern, for this role. The limited foreground light and wide spread make them a good choice for punching through roadside darkness to illuminate whatever suicidal deer may be lurking, while simultaneously ensuring that near-field washout doesn’t affect my distance vision. They’re also a bit lower profile than traditional 4-emitter LED pods, which reduces how much they obscure my field of view from the driver’s seat.

I wired the ditch lights into the same Stedi aux high beam wiring harness that controls my Cibie lights, using a couple Stedi DTP splitters to increase the number of plugs available. This control setup is ideal, slaving the lights to my high beams and allowing them to be disengaged with the push of a switch.

The ditch light brackets were made by @scoomas. They are manufactured from heavy gauge stainless steel and fit perfectly. There is a bit of interference between the passenger side ditch light and my snorkel with the hood open:



… but this slight rubbing isn’t significant enough to pose a problem.

For those of you who read my previous post on preventing galvanic corrosion, you’re probably wondering why I opted for stainless steel brackets. Dissimilar metals don’t usually play nice together, and stainless has a nasty habit of eating anything else in contact with it for an extended period of time. I did some research on how to mitigate these effects, which led me to this site:

https://www.komaspec.com/about-us/blog/galvanic-corrosion-why-it-happens-and-how-to-avoid-it/

According to these guys, powder coating is an effective method to prevent galvanic corrosion:

Based on this evaluation, I opted to get my brackets powder coated to provide long-term corrosion protection for my hood hinges.

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Roof rack: configuration and hardware



Speccing out the roof rack was a bit of an ordeal. I had to start by identifying what I wanted to put on it:

- Grab handles, to make getting in and out easier when my back is being fussy
- Solar panels, for trickle charging the starter battery
- Auxiliary hazard flashers, for improving visibility in inclement weather or heavy traffic
- Rear-firing lights, for illuminating my tonneau cover when used as a work surface
- Additional cargo space, either in the form of easily-removable hard cases or a surface to strap down long/awkward items

From there, I had to figure out the design considerations that would drive the final configuration. Frontal profile ended up being the most important metric, because more frontal area = more wind resistance = more wind noise and worse gas mileage. My desire to maintain a low profile meant a highly modular roof rack was really the only option, which is why I went for a Prinsu instead of a classic basket-style rack like ARB or Gobi.

Once I had the roof rack selected, it was time to get to work on the design:

… and then the modifications required to make the design a reality:

Part of modifying the side panels involved adding cable raceway, which would keep the wires running front-to-rear nice and tidy. I got the “small/micro +” size, available here:

$31 D-Line 13.12ft Cord Hider Kit, Patented Cable Cover, Hide Wires on Wall, Channel for TV Mount Cords, Raceway Wire Hiders, Paintable, Adhesive, Half Round, 4X 0.78in W x 0.39in H x 39in Lengths, Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084WRCMPT

… and used RTV to seal the upward-facing seam, which should prevent water intrusion and adhesive degradation:



Unfortunately, the cable raceway I selected was too small to secure the cables coming from the solar panels. These were zip-tied to the side panel mounting tabs, which is ugly but effective.

For the wires running side-to-side, I came up with a way to keep them contained and neat. Using a Dremel, I ground out a semicircle at the end of each crossbar, then ran the wires through. The result is pretty clean:



Once the modifications were done and all the components were in hand, it was time to do a complete dry fit:



I’m glad I did this before moving ahead with installation. It turns out that the solar panel manufacturer slightly changed the dimensions of their 100W panels, which meant a bit of re-work was required. The 1x1 crossbar shown above was replaced with a 2x1 crossbar for the final assembly.

There are a few oddities in my setup, which may be of interest to others who are pursuing a similar exhaustive approach for their own roof racks:



I added a 1 1/2” wide x 36” long x 1/8” thick aluminum bar to act as a wind deflector extension of sorts. The top edge is level with the top of the roof rack, and allows air to continue flowing up the front face of the rack without whacking into the front crossbar and causing turbulence. It is secured using 10 series corner brackets, stainless offset 10-32 T-nuts, and black stainless tamper resistant 10-32 x ¾” bolts, all available here:

https://www.mcmaster.com/8975K581/
https://8020.net/4132-black.html
https://8020.net/3676.html
https://www.accu.co.uk/imperial-security-torx-button-head-screws/170136-SHSB-10-32-3-4-A2-BL

I also filled every unused T-slot with economy covers, again in the interest of guiding airflow in a linear manner to prevent turbulence. Covers are available here:

https://8020.net/2820.html



For most trucks, the rearmost crossbar on Prinsu roof racks must be oriented vertically (or replaced with a 1x1 crossbar) to clear the sharkfin antenna mounted on the roof. I didn’t have to worry about this, since I replaced my OEM sharkfin cover with a TRP Offroad Bullet antenna cover when I had my roof vinyl-wrapped:

https://totallyradproducts.com/products/the-bullet-cover

The lower-profile TRP sharkfin offers enough clearance for a standard 2x1 crossbar to be installed in this position. It also allowed me to install a Prinsu load panel over the top of it, which is (was?) an important addition.



While I don’t plan on regularly strapping stuff to my roof, I wanted to have the option in case additional cargo space was needed. Keeping the solar panels just below flush with the crossbars allows items to be laid across the rack without causing damage, and adding the Prinsu cargo hooks at the rear of the rack rounded out the tiedown points needed to adequately secure a load.

The Prinsu load panel was eventually going to be used as a mounting platform for a pair of (EO)2 Fastener mounting rails, which would mate with similarly-equipped Pelican cases for additional storage space:

https://www.livingoverland.com/2014/10/review-eo2-fastener-final-review.html

Unfortunately, it looks like (EO)2 Fastener’s site went dead earlier this year, so that plan is on indefinite hold. A real shame, considering the slick design of the product.

The last notable change is my choice of hardware. I replaced all of the supplied Prinsu bolts with black stainless steel tamper-resistant equivalents, procured through Accu Components:

https://www.accu.co.uk/2011-imperial-security-torx-button-head-screws?Finish=Matte+Black&Material=Stainless+Steel+(A2)&Thread+Size+(T)=1/4-20&page=1

I also opted to purchase larger 1” diameter washers to prevent bolt pull through, lock washers as an added anti-loosening measure, and EPDM sealing washers to prevent galvanic corrosion:

https://www.mcmaster.com/90377A157/
https://www.mcmaster.com/92146A621/
https://www.mcmaster.com/93650A124/

While substituting all these bolts increased the cost of the finished product, the resulting longevity and peace of mind is well worth it.

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Single-battery solar charger

Solar setups are usually employed to keep a “house” (secondary) battery topped up without placing excessive additional strain on the OEM alternator. My truck is my daily driver, not a legit expedition vehicle or weekend toy, so rigging up an additional battery would be comical overkill.

What isn’t overkill is the desire to keep the starter battery topped up. This becomes especially relevant when factoring in the electrical loads that are constantly drawing power, whether the engine is running or not. My dash camera and 12V outlets really need to stay on, especially if I’m off running around in the woods for the weekend and want to know that whoever comes poking around gets their picture taken. And, well, it’s nice to come back to a fully-charged phone.



The circuit sketch above shows how I wired everything up. It’s pretty standard fare, with the notable exception of the ignition disconnect. While it may not be needed, the logic behind the idea is sound:

I installed the charge controller in the engine bay, just behind the fuse and relay panels on the drivers side. The mounting bracket is a modified Redarc BCDCMB-007 universal mounting bracket, which is constructed of 1.5mm thick stainless steel:

https://www.redarcelectronics.com/us/universal-dc-charger-mounting-bracket

@scoomas was kind enough to take on the project of welding the included brackets onto the mount base, which allowed everything to bolt up with enough room to fit a relay holder over the top:



I used 8mm ID sealing washers between the charge controller mounting bracket and engine bay wall to prevent any contact, which could lead to galvanic corrosion.

Selecting my solar panels took some research. While there are tons of #overland #goexplore brands out there that offer solar products, none are very good at providing meaningful information. I was specifically interested in panels that have a UL/IEC 61730 rating, which is the safety standard for solar panels used in open-air installations. One of the more important evaluation criteria is resistance to impact damage, specifically from hail. I can’t imagine what would happen if my panels took a few good hits from… well, anything… and started shedding glass fragments while driving down the highway. I imagine the result wouldn’t be good.

I stumbled upon Rich Solar, who is the only manufacturer that offers UL/IEC 61730 rated solar panels in a small enough size to fit a roof rack. I went for two of their Mega 100W panels in black:

https://richsolar.com/products/mega-100-onyx-solar-panel-black

Which I mounted with 10 series mesh retainers, 8 per panel:

https://8020.net/2490-black.html

This results in the top of the solar panels sitting about 3/16” below the top of the crossbars, clearing the way for any cargo that may need to be strapped on top.

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Auxiliary hazard flashers



There’s a reason most emergency vehicles have their warning lights positioned on the roof. This location offers superior visibility to other drivers, warning them to steer clear of the slowed/stopped vehicle ahead. The addition of roof-mounted hazard flashers on a standard passenger vehicle is the most practical roof rack accessory that I can imagine.



@caribe makaira helped me spec out this circuit, which mimics the functionality of the other additional electronics I have on board. Much like my aux high beams, the added hazard flashers are simply slaved to the OEM hazard switch. Also like my aux high beams, the roof-mounted flashers can be easily deactivated with the push of a switch.

The ground connection for the relay is made via 20-22 AWG Posi-Tap, secured to the white HAZARDS SELECT wire that goes into the gray 1L plug:



… which is located behind the cab fuse panel:



After wiring up this circuit, I found that the roof-mounted lights did not flash in sync with my OEM hazard lights. Instead, they were constantly illuminated when the OEM hazard switch was pressed. Thankfully, the Whelen Micron series lights I purchased (available here):

https://zips.com/parts-detail/whelen-micron-series-super-led-surface-mcrns-light

… are programmable, with 25 different flash patterns available. Instead of going through the process of completely redoing the circuit, I programmed the lights to a simple 75-single-flashes-per-minute setting. It doesn’t quite sync up with my OEM hazards at their ~87 flashes per minute, but accomplishes the desired goal of increased visibility regardless.

There is a way to get everything to sync up as originally intended, removing the need for programmable lights. @caribe makaira was kind enough to rework the circuit sketch, which I’ll post here in case anyone wants to pursue this on their own:



Once the circuit was done, I had to figure out some way to install the lights on the roof rack. I came up with a fairly straightforward design: a mounting “block,” manufactured from a section of square aluminum tubing:



… secured with stainless 6-32 hardware (for the light), 10-32 bolts (for the crossbar connection), and finished with plastic plugs. All available here:

https://www.mcmaster.com/6546K21/
https://www.mcmaster.com/96006A258/
https://www.mcmaster.com/90101A007/
https://www.mcmaster.com/9565K12/

In an abundance of paranoia, I also wanted some method to secure light covers to the roof-mounted flashers. I didn’t want to get caught unprepared in case a VA state inspector was having a bad day. Back to the graph paper we go:



… and then off to McMaster to find a suitable cover and bolts:

https://www.mcmaster.com/9474K63/
https://www.mcmaster.com/90200A264/

@scoomas fabricated both the hazard flasher mounting “blocks” and stainless light cover tabs, doing an outstanding job completing both.

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Cargo lights

I wanted rear-firing lights to illuminate my tonneau cover, since it’s a large and convenient flat surface to do… stuff. Eat food, load magazines, doodle in my coloring book, whatever.



I’m over 2500 words into this post, so you’ll have to forgive me for losing a bit of steam here.

I went for Rigid SR-M Pro lights, partially because they’re small enough to fit under the rear crossbar and partially because of their pattern. Based on my rough measurements, any light with a pattern narrower than ~50 degrees wouldn’t illuminate the whole surface, while any pattern wider than ~85 degrees would end up shining directly into the eyeballs of whoever needed the light in the first place. According to the Rigid rep I talked to, the SR-M Pro puts out a 60 degree cone of light, which falls within the acceptable range.

I made stainless steel lanyards to secure the light covers to their respective mounting brackets. Since these lights are on the same circuit as my under-hood and in-bed LED strips, I wanted to retain the ability to block them when not needed.



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This research, design, and pre-fab stuff is interesting and all, but it won’t do much good until it actually gets installed on the truck. Once again, I have to thank @EatSleepTacos for his guidance and help getting the bolts torqued, holes sealed, and anti-seize spread all over the damn place. Randy, you are the man.

 

Once those words are typed "another unexpected/needed mod" is sure to appear!

Seriously, awesome, amazing job. Well thought out and well executed. I do not have time right now to peruse the post in the detail it needs but I will make sure I revisit the post once I have some time to immerse myself in it.

 

The only mods I can think of are either silly or impossible.

Silly: rock lights tied to the interior dome light circuit, as super mega puddle lights.
Impossible: hard cases mounted with lockable (EO)2 Fastener snap rails, which are no longer in production