Hilux Roof Lights

February 8, 2006

Ok, I just bought a pair of 8" spot lights for my pickup. I am bolting them to the roll bar. I am wondering where best to route the wiring for them. I'm assuming you want to get the wires into the cab, or what about straight through the bed floor and under the cab to the engine bay? Any pics of peoples' set ups?

Also, I don't want to overload my stock 1988 spec alternator. I already have 220W of extra lighting on the front of the truck. An extra 110W from these should be ok I'm thinking, or do I have to make sure not to use everything all at once? That would be around 450W drain = 37.5 Amps...

February 8, 2006

I havent got a pick up mate but could you drill a small hole in the bed (like you stated) and fit a grommet and silicone it to water tight it then to your engine bay with the wire cable tied to existing wireing.

As for the drain on the system i dont honesty think you will having a problem im running 2 600w amps, spotlamps, dvd player, and my alternator still dont stuggle.

if you are really worried though you could fit a twin Battery system like im about to do (when ive done it i'll post pics and a how to)

I also think your alternator should easily have a rating of 60 amps

I could be wrong as its been a long time since i did my ohms law at college but im sure there is something in about wiring things in series reduces the amps so instead of you lighting system having a 37 amp drain it really would around the 20 amp mark or something like that

February 8, 2006

Being a physicist I am fortunately pretty well up on Ohm's law :yes:

I could wire it in series and the current draw would be reduced, but the lights would also be a lot dimmer. I believe the alternator is rated at 65A, but I didn't know if this is a peak draw or continuous or whatever. Good to know yours is taking the punishment so I don't think I'll worry. Maybe another couple of lights are needed...

February 9, 2006

Being a physicist I am fortunately pretty well up on Ohm's law
I could wire it in series and the current draw would be reduced, but the lights would also be a lot dimmer. I believe the alternator is rated at 65A, but I didn't know if this is a peak draw or continuous or whatever. Good to know yours is taking the punishment so I don't think I'll worry. Maybe another couple of lights are needed...

You alternator will hold out with no problems as long as it is in good working order, but you wont be using these lights all the time and with the combined power of the Battery and alternator will easily power large lighting circuit.

February 13, 2006

i just fit a set of rollbars to my hilux mk3 and realised after that i could have fed the wiring for lights through the actual bars themselves and out through the bottom and under the pickup, to keep em looking tidy, but how do you avoid the messiness of wires hanging everywhere normally? if anyone has pics of their set-ups, forward dem in!!! love to see them

February 13, 2006

Well I have fitted my lights and decided how to wire them. They are actually fitted to the pre- roll bar thing in front of my actual roll bar. I am going to route the wires behind one of these tubes (on the cab side) with cable ties, and then down through the small gap between the cab and the bed. There is just enough space, so no drilling needed. I am going to mount the relay in the engine bay with the relays for all my other lights.