BDRAG
HAhahaaaa.
Hey all,
I Acquired a pair of the TMX HOOD LIGHT BRACKETS. Mine are black anodized. It took me about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to do the bracket install. The first side, passenger side, incase I screwed something up I don't look at it every time I get in side, was the LETS LEARN side and it took over an hour. The second side only took about 15 minutes.
All I needed was a pair of decent tin snips, a small coping saw or pvc pipe saws blade, a 1/4 drive socket the correct size and a 4 inch extension. That's was all. I aligned the bracket up with the hood mount bolts, took a wild ass guess where I wanted to attempt cutting a slot in the cowl and went for it. I snipped a slot about 1/4 inch wide as far in and up as I felt comfy doing with the snips. I then finished the job with the small blade. I then used my pocket knife to deburr the edges. I noticed that it would be much easier to access the aft hood hinge bolt if I took a slight angle cut and remove a small portion of the cowl that does not show when the hood is closed. SNIP! Done deal.
I then took a sharpie and made a few lines from the hinge mount to the inner fender so I could get the hinge back where it was after I loosen it. I then loosened the 2 bolts. BOING! the hood hinge and hood shift but stay close to where they need to be. I then got the bracket in my slot. I had to do a little more trimming and everything fit as I wanted. I got the bolts back in and then the fun began. It would sure be easier to get the hood back where it was if you have a second set of hands. I did not so it took some yoga moves and some kung fu contortions but I got it back to square one! AHhaaaaa. Then did it all over again on the drivers side.
When doing my wiring I must say that the 2 little slots provided in the TMX bracket came in handy and are EXACTLY what is needed for a clean and tidy install. The slots allowed me to tie the wires inside my convoluted tubing completely out of the way of the hood hinge and gas strut when closing. I ran my wires on the outboard side of the bracket which keeps all the wiring away from the hinge stowing area and away from the gas strut in its down position. NICE!
So after I got the brackets in I had to decide what to mount on them. I have 6 of these cheapo Hella lights called Optilux 1400's., I was going to mount them down below the bumper in the center but went with another style there. So I decided to make a flange and hang 2 of these lights on each bracket. They are 55 watt H3's. So 4 of those should put out some light. So I made the brackets, made it where I can adjust all the attaching hardware with it installed. I can sweep them back like in the pics below or I can go back and make them all in line or straight. Got my bracket black anodized to match the TMX brackets. Got it all wired up and this is what I have. The light output is less than I hoped for. It lights a 180 degree sweep from the windshield fwd but these lights do not project way down the road. They will be ideal for night driving in the woods and fields but not for high speed desert blasting. They look good during the day as daylight driving lights! AHahaaaa. Don't look in your mirrors, eye's fwd! AHhaaaaa.
Let me know what ya think. If I change these out I will prolly go DD's or a set of the HELLA 500 BLACK MAGIC'S. The glass looks almost Black but they claim great light output.
BDRAG
Oh by the way, this is not a SLAM comment to any one group of people but a true story so it is what it is. On my way to work at 5:30 this morn, I drive down a street between some old apt's near work where many Hispanics live. As I wheeled around the corner onto this dark side street I flicked on the new lights. Just as I did I see 5 or 6 guy's on the side of the street. When I hit those lights 4 of them took off running???? HAHaaaaa. Who did they think I was anyway? HAhaaaaa. TRUE STORY!
I Acquired a pair of the TMX HOOD LIGHT BRACKETS. Mine are black anodized. It took me about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to do the bracket install. The first side, passenger side, incase I screwed something up I don't look at it every time I get in side, was the LETS LEARN side and it took over an hour. The second side only took about 15 minutes.
All I needed was a pair of decent tin snips, a small coping saw or pvc pipe saws blade, a 1/4 drive socket the correct size and a 4 inch extension. That's was all. I aligned the bracket up with the hood mount bolts, took a wild ass guess where I wanted to attempt cutting a slot in the cowl and went for it. I snipped a slot about 1/4 inch wide as far in and up as I felt comfy doing with the snips. I then finished the job with the small blade. I then used my pocket knife to deburr the edges. I noticed that it would be much easier to access the aft hood hinge bolt if I took a slight angle cut and remove a small portion of the cowl that does not show when the hood is closed. SNIP! Done deal.
I then took a sharpie and made a few lines from the hinge mount to the inner fender so I could get the hinge back where it was after I loosen it. I then loosened the 2 bolts. BOING! the hood hinge and hood shift but stay close to where they need to be. I then got the bracket in my slot. I had to do a little more trimming and everything fit as I wanted. I got the bolts back in and then the fun began. It would sure be easier to get the hood back where it was if you have a second set of hands. I did not so it took some yoga moves and some kung fu contortions but I got it back to square one! AHhaaaaa. Then did it all over again on the drivers side.
When doing my wiring I must say that the 2 little slots provided in the TMX bracket came in handy and are EXACTLY what is needed for a clean and tidy install. The slots allowed me to tie the wires inside my convoluted tubing completely out of the way of the hood hinge and gas strut when closing. I ran my wires on the outboard side of the bracket which keeps all the wiring away from the hinge stowing area and away from the gas strut in its down position. NICE!
So after I got the brackets in I had to decide what to mount on them. I have 6 of these cheapo Hella lights called Optilux 1400's., I was going to mount them down below the bumper in the center but went with another style there. So I decided to make a flange and hang 2 of these lights on each bracket. They are 55 watt H3's. So 4 of those should put out some light. So I made the brackets, made it where I can adjust all the attaching hardware with it installed. I can sweep them back like in the pics below or I can go back and make them all in line or straight. Got my bracket black anodized to match the TMX brackets. Got it all wired up and this is what I have. The light output is less than I hoped for. It lights a 180 degree sweep from the windshield fwd but these lights do not project way down the road. They will be ideal for night driving in the woods and fields but not for high speed desert blasting. They look good during the day as daylight driving lights! AHahaaaa. Don't look in your mirrors, eye's fwd! AHhaaaaa.
Let me know what ya think. If I change these out I will prolly go DD's or a set of the HELLA 500 BLACK MAGIC'S. The glass looks almost Black but they claim great light output.
BDRAG
Oh by the way, this is not a SLAM comment to any one group of people but a true story so it is what it is. On my way to work at 5:30 this morn, I drive down a street between some old apt's near work where many Hispanics live. As I wheeled around the corner onto this dark side street I flicked on the new lights. Just as I did I see 5 or 6 guy's on the side of the street. When I hit those lights 4 of them took off running???? HAHaaaaa. Who did they think I was anyway? HAhaaaaa. TRUE STORY!
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