I picked up a couple KC Cyclone LED Lights figuring I would fool around and find a use for them either on my truck or on my little bass boat. After installing my 30" KC LED behind the grille, I had to relocate my SDHQ under hood light. The SDHQ light is still more than sufficient, but while I was under there the wheels started turning a bit. SDHQ Under Hood Light Install
So here's what I did, this could be used by its self for some extra light under the hood or in addition to the SDHQ light like I did.
The lights are little round LED lights with a hole in the middle for mounting solutions.
I pulled the large head panel retainers out of the hood liner like so:
I needed a panel retainer with a smaller head and if possible something stronger than the standard push pin style panel retainers.
So I picked up some 5/16" nylon rivets. I wish the head was a little bigger on them but they worked perfectly.
On the left is the factory panel retainer and on the right is the new nylon rivets.
To mount the lights, I simply pulled the rivet part out of the retainer:
Put it through the hole in the middle of the Cyclone light:
And pushed the retainer in to the factory holes in the hood: I had to use a small drill bit to manually clean up the holes so the new nylon rivets would push in relatively easily. Once the retainer part is in, press the rivet part in to the middle of the retainer.
For wiring, I split open the wiring harness from the SDHQ under hood light and spliced in wiring for the KC lights. Then I twisted them up and ran the wires from the top of the grille down under the hood liner. I removed some of the other hood liner retainers so I could just snake the wire right under toward the cowl.
Then I connected the supplied KC ends to the wires I ran.
After pushing the "rivet" in to the nylon retainers and securing the lights, I simply plugged them in with the waterproof connectors and tried getting creative with some flex conduit to clean up the wiring.
Now when I click the switch for the SDHQ under hood light, these little guys turn on too. Pretty cool!
Is it bright? Yeah, surprisingly so. There aren't any optics on these lights, they are just raw LEDs rated at 400 lumens and together they definitely add ample light.
Are they secure? Yes. After installing them I took a small pry bar to the lights and couldn't get them to budge. They aren't going anywhere.
So here's what I did, this could be used by its self for some extra light under the hood or in addition to the SDHQ light like I did.
The lights are little round LED lights with a hole in the middle for mounting solutions.
I pulled the large head panel retainers out of the hood liner like so:
I needed a panel retainer with a smaller head and if possible something stronger than the standard push pin style panel retainers.
So I picked up some 5/16" nylon rivets. I wish the head was a little bigger on them but they worked perfectly.
On the left is the factory panel retainer and on the right is the new nylon rivets.
To mount the lights, I simply pulled the rivet part out of the retainer:
Put it through the hole in the middle of the Cyclone light:
And pushed the retainer in to the factory holes in the hood: I had to use a small drill bit to manually clean up the holes so the new nylon rivets would push in relatively easily. Once the retainer part is in, press the rivet part in to the middle of the retainer.
For wiring, I split open the wiring harness from the SDHQ under hood light and spliced in wiring for the KC lights. Then I twisted them up and ran the wires from the top of the grille down under the hood liner. I removed some of the other hood liner retainers so I could just snake the wire right under toward the cowl.
Then I connected the supplied KC ends to the wires I ran.
After pushing the "rivet" in to the nylon retainers and securing the lights, I simply plugged them in with the waterproof connectors and tried getting creative with some flex conduit to clean up the wiring.
Now when I click the switch for the SDHQ under hood light, these little guys turn on too. Pretty cool!
Is it bright? Yeah, surprisingly so. There aren't any optics on these lights, they are just raw LEDs rated at 400 lumens and together they definitely add ample light.
Are they secure? Yes. After installing them I took a small pry bar to the lights and couldn't get them to budge. They aren't going anywhere.
