Before. |
Dan at Off Your Rocker is now offering a version of his 3/16-inch steel corner panel guards in diamond-plate or smooth finish, with pre-cut holes made to install these lights. These are a great preventative measure against body damage and will cover up the holes that are no longer needed along with any pre-existing body damage. |
The taillights will need to be adapted to a Jeep wiring harness. We contacted Centech and bought these high-quality, waterproof GM-style Weather Pac connectors. The wires on the taillights are numbered and will install as follows:
21- taillights
22- stop/turn signals
23- blackout taillights (wire to separate switch or disregard)
24- Blackout stop/turn signals (wire to separate switch or disregard)
25- Ground to chassis |
Here is the finished installation. Note the subtle differences in the appearances of the LED light on the left and the standard version on the right. As good as both of these lights look, the installation wont be complete until the olive drab rattle cans are shaking. |
Some of us love seeing a well-built rig dressed in olive drab; in the same way we prefer a hot rod primer-black with a hot flame job. So when looking for the perfect taillights for our new Kevlar bodied CJ-7, we looked to the military. The military HMMWVs, or Hum-Vees, use a composite taillight that is common to many service vehicles.
The versions used on HMMWVs are unique because they are flush-mounted in removable, recessed buckets. Kascar is a company that specializes in all types of HMMWV parts and accessories. They have new, genuine replacement lights and mounting buckets available in two versions. They are both compatible with 12- and 24-volt electrical systems and feature blackout running lights. One uses standard, replaceable bulbs, and the other is an LED type. The standard version features a gasket-sealed, waterproof housing and each bulb is mounted on a trick little rubber airbag to isolate shock and vibration. The LED lights use a factory-sealed waterproof housing because the bulbs do not have an element to fail or replace. Not to mention that they are brighter than, and draw much less amperage than traditional bulbs. It will be necessary to run separate reverse lights, turn signals, and license-plate illumination in order to comply with state laws. Kascar sells turn signals and reverse lights from the same applications that will match the new taillights.
The military wiring is easily adapted to stock or aftermarket wiring harnesses. The gas filler will need to be relocated to the side of the vehicle using a TJ-style filler housing due to the larger physical dimensions of the new lights. To cover this hole and at the same time provide a great deal of protection to the corner panels, we installed corner panel guards from Off Your Rocker. The end result is one that would be well suited to any Jeep whose owner has painted over or traded out the stainless and chrome accessories that a previous owner installed.