Okay, so I custom built a bull bar for my 2004 f150 and found (2) 5" square lights to mount on it, so I did that and now I'm stuck. Each light just has 2 simple wires coming off of them, but i don't know how I'm going to wire it up so they come on by a switch I mount inside the truck. Anyone know what kinda wire I need to use, where I should wire them into, and how do I wire up a switch to turn them on and off. I'm so confused, bare with me people, wiring is not my specialty. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks!

 

1 wire is power, the other is ground. You would run a 12v source (ignition source) to your switch, run the switch to a ground, and then run the power from the toggle switch to power wire of the light. Simply put the ground wire from the light to any ground source, or tap/drill on your frame (I did this for my fogs).

I would use 14ga wiring. Make sure you secure any loose wiring so that it cant get caught on anything while driving (off-roading mainly). All this make sense?

 

Ok, so I'de have a ground wire going from the switch and the lights to some sort of ground wire or metal frame, and then a wire from like the battery to the swtich and then from the switch to the lights?

 

And also what about any type of inline fuse or anything?

 

I would find a wire on the harness that only has power when the ignition is turned on. If you run straight from the battery to your toggle, then out to your lights, you run the risk of leaving the toggle on w/ a direct feed from the battery, resulting in the lights staying on even if you have the keys removed, and you returning to a dead battery (did this a few times til I ran from a 12v ignition source). You would run this wire to the toggle switch. The toggle switch has 3 wires coming/going to it. 1 is the 12v power we are discussing now. Another is needed to go to a ground source (any in the cab). The third would be ran from the toggle switch to the power source wire of the lights. Then you would just run the ground wire from the light to a frame or ground source. I suggest 2 seperate ground locations (toggle switch & light) so that you can minimize your wire run from the cab to the front of your vehicle (makes for an easier clean install).

This setup will allow you to turn on and off the lights while the key is on, yet turn them off like everything else when the keys are removed, to make sure you never run your battery down. I dont run any relays or fuses to my setup... but thats just me.

Clear like mud?

 

You should run a relay because of the amperage draw on the lighting system. A relay is a switch that is operated by electric current.

You need to fuse anytime you pull a new lead off of the battery, or change wire size.

Either always on or hot in start/run > SPST switch > relay turn on input
relay turn on output> ground
Battery +> fuse > relay switched input
relay switched output > both light +
both light - >ground

 

 

GATOR is the MAN!

 

Wow, I see what you guys are saying. Thank's to both of you, I'm gonna get a relay, switch, fuse, and some wiring tomorrow since it's storming here today and I'll see what i can do. I'll post up some pics when I'm all done. Thanks again!

 

nice diagram.
do not switch the ground. that can be dangerous.