Hella Xenon Driving lights Install

[BajaRider]

The lights look great and i commend you on your gutsy install location. It takes big balls to cut two holes in that grill.

Great job -but what i gotta know is where in the world did you get that ice cream paint job on a Raptor?

YouTube - ICE CREAM PAINT JOB - DORROUGH MUSIC "OFFICIAL VIDEO"

Thanks! I contemplated cutting into the grill for quite awhile. I knew the lights needed to be up high ideally at the same level as the headlights to give good light throw. I got the idea to mount the lights in the grill from Sue Mead’s Dakar Rally Raptor. Sorry about the pictures the florescent shops lights are tuff to photograph under.

 

[bfr]

BajaRider...awesome job! Love the look. Also how neatly you mounted everything. Good work.

Would love some close-up pics and description of how you cut up your grill. Did you leave it "raw as cut" or did you touch it up/paint the edges or what?

Driving over Teton Pass in blowing snow this evening...wished I'd had a little bit more light. Wondering if maybe a set up high and down low would give me more options...wired into separate Aux switches but triggered by the bright lights.

Also considering the LED bar behind the grill as an additional light source.

Thanks for the Sue Mead pic...will have to look for more of those.

Did I also see a profile pic of the light output from these? I guess maybe a comparison of regular, brights, brights + HID's is not possible yet with the way you have them wired.

Thanks for sharing.

edit: Oh yeah....how about aiming? Is there some adjustment possible or what?

 

[Raptor Retrofit]

Great job on the install, super clean. 5 beers, man you got some skills, that would have been a 12 pack at least for me. Got any night pics ?

 

[whtrapta]

The dakar truck is the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this

 

[BajaRider]

BajaRider...awesome job! Love the look. Also how neatly you mounted everything. Good work.

Would love some close-up pics and description of how you cut up your grill. Did you leave it "raw as cut" or did you touch it up/paint the edges or what?

Driving over Teton Pass in blowing snow this evening...wished I'd had a little bit more light. Wondering if maybe a set up high and down low would give me more options...wired into separate Aux switches but triggered by the bright lights.

Also considering the LED bar behind the grill as an additional light source.

Thanks for the Sue Mead pic...will have to look for more of those.

Did I also see a profile pic of the light output from these? I guess maybe a comparison of regular, brights, brights + HID's is not possible yet with the way you have them wired.

Thanks for sharing.

edit: Oh yeah....how about aiming? Is there some adjustment possible or what?

Thanks bfr!

I did not need to paint the grill it looked fine. I mounted the lights behind the grill using a Sharpie to trace the cut lines for the openings. Using a Dremel fitted with a small cutting bit I ruffed out the openings and then used a fine grit sanding wheel to finish shaping and clean up the edges. The lights have a small amount of adjusted side to side, back and forth and up and down. However, using the hood/grill bolts as a starting point made it very easy to line and square things up; very little adjustment was needed to aim the lights.
I real like the lights operating with the high-beam switch and probably will not wire them to aux switch. The ability to quickly turn the lights off is Hugh…you could really **** someone off with these lights! I’ll try and get some night shots soon. Next, I am looking into wide cornering/fog lights that I would operate with one of the aux switches and ideally mount low on the corners. https://www.bajadesigns.com/NET/P-613277/Fuego,+Hid+Wide-cornering+Black
I have not used LED lights, but I understand they do not throw light as well as HID, which may not be a problem under a 100!

 

[BajaRider]

Great job on the install, super clean. 5 beers, man you got some skills, that would have been a 12 pack at least for me. Got any night pics ?

Thanks Ducati! I used to have a Monster 900 it is an awesome bike, I miss her!

 

[bfr]

Awesome pics. Thanks for that.

RE: the wiring...I also want to have them wired into the bright lights switch so they are easily and quickly turned off and on. My thought is to have them wired through an AUX switch that just includes or excludes them from the bright lights circuit.

Not sure of all the legal fine print on accessory lighting while on the road (I have seen some pretty outrageous setups being used here in Wyoming on-road...not sure how law enforcement treats it)...we are the wild west.... However I would like the ability to take the additional lights out of the circuit so things can be run "stock" without any trouble.

 

[bfr]

I had bookmarked those same Baja Design lights last night. Apparently the same lights that were used on the Dakar project. I like the candy red rings and think they'd look great on a black truck. Also considering the Hella varieties with the red rings.

Attached are some more pics of the Dakar setup...including what I think are the 10 LED 11" light bars from Baja Design.

 

[BajaRider]

Awesome pics. Thanks for that.

RE: the wiring...I also want to have them wired into the bright lights switch so they are easily and quickly turned off and on. My thought is to have them wired through an AUX switch that just includes or excludes them from the bright lights circuit.

Not sure of all the legal fine print on accessory lighting while on the road (I have seen some pretty outrageous setups being used here in Wyoming on-road...not sure how law enforcement treats it)...we are the wild west.... However I would like the ability to take the additional lights out of the circuit so things can be run "stock" without any trouble.

Thanks!

Using a switching to control the 12v power going to the replay would give you the option to have the HID lights on or off when flipping on the high-beams, not a bad idea! But, connecting the “Upfitter Switches” aka aux switches is a Royal Pain there is no room to work. The wires from the aux switches run to a location behind the passenger side kick panel there you will also find the “Through Wires” going to the engine compartment through the firewall behind the battery. Behind the kick panel there is not much room to get tools in and make the connections, you can drop glove box door down and open the side panel by the door hinge, but it doesn’t help too much. I wish Ford had just run the switch wires all the way. This project will require beers and Tequila...

 

[Raptor Retrofit]

Thanks Ducati! I used to have a Monster 900 it is an awesome bike, I miss her!

Nice bro, if you ever want another one let me know. My boy is opening a new Ducati dealership in Connecticut soon. Ill get you a sick deal. Im seriously considering putting a order in for the new Diavel. Its a different bike for them but man its hot, google it if you havent seen it yet.