View Full Version : How would these look for running board lights?
I've been shopping for some type of "different" looking LED light for my running boards. Found these today and really like the look of the BRIGHT amber light put off by this light ... I saw them at a local semi truck accessory store hooked up to a display ... but not exactly sure how they would look mounted as running board lights on my truck. I have black running boards shown in my sig link with the goal of finding a light that would blend in during the day (not very large and no amber lense) ... these LED's are clear when not on and ver bright amber when powered.
The link below is LED light I'm talking about ... only about 1.5" wide and 1" tall ... thinking about 6 per side just over a foot apart. I'd paint the stainless screw heads black so they blend in with the housing/boards. Thoughts? Thumbs up or thumbs down?
http://www.signaldynamics.com/images/Mini%20Stars/Courtesy/s3221.jpg
[ 10-07-2003, 08:32 AM: Message edited by: tophog ]
tophog,
I'm using (6) TruckLite model 19 (http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=23899&langId=-1)lights per side (4 on the cab section, 2 on the bed section), wired as courtesy lights. I like the model 19 lights since they are a generic light made by a number of different manufacturers - such as Grote - available at virtually any truck stop or heavy truck supplier and all should work with the same mounting base. The regular bulb versions are less tha $3 each, and a dual amber or red LED (with red or amber colored lens) is about $8.50 each. I recently changed (3) of the clear bulb model 19 lights to amber lens LED per side. There are pics of my DTA running boards with the clear model 19's at the 2nd link in my sig.
TRUCKLITE (http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=24192&langId=-1)offers a clear lens with amber or red LED version of this light.
http://www.truck-lite.com/tl/tl/catalog/images/grap/cmid/cm/led19clearlr.gif
Good luck.
mdrag, I really appreciate the info. I actually found your web site during my research and think your runningboard/light combo looks extremely nice. You've got a great combo there. I did find the Trucklite 19 lites on the Internet while searching for an amber LED with a clear lense. Since I have black running boards I thought a chrome base coupled with an amber bulb wouldn't look very good. I still may end using the 19 series lights. I did see another similar light to the 19 series that's about 1.5" long, clear lense and amber LED's. I'll probably try the LED courtesy lights first and if I don't like I'll fall back to something else.
Have you had any problems with feet kicking/breaking lights/lenses?
tophog,
The base is available in grey or chromed plastic. Either way, you really don't see much of the base. Another positive, it is very easy to change or replace the lights - using a small screwdriver to pry up one edge of the light from the bracket.
When I installed my top sider tool boxes, I used the same lights inside the boxes and it worked out very well.
No problems at all with breakage, kicking etc. I tried to place them so they were not in direct line while getting in/out.
mdrag
mdrag, think you sold me on the trucklite 19 LED's. Trying to find a place online I can order from ... also trucklitew web site shows the 19's mounted in black bases ... which I would prefer ... guess I could always paint the gray bases. Where did you purchase yours?
The Heavy Truck parts store is on the same block as my shop...I originally found the TruckLite site and was searching on-line then DUH....just walked over and paged through their catalogs.
I haven't seen the black bases, but wasn't really looking.
FYI, the model 19 brackets have only a hot wire attached to them. Grounding occurs via the screw holes' metal inserts. If your boards are non-conductive, you will have to run a ground wire to each bracket. You can daisy chain the lights together, but need barrell type connectors to go from one light to the next. Good luck.
mdrag
Found a shop within 40 miles(Portland, OR) that has 9 lights in stock and gray mounts. Going to have wife pickup after work. Will use 8 (4 each side) and have one for a spare. smile.gif Does $8 ea sound about right? Forgot to ask what the mounts cost ...
I found the black bases are only offered in amber or red or amber packages (light/mount) ... they are listed on the Trucklite web site but cannot be had outside of those pkgs which doesn't make sense. I'll see how the gray bases look and may paint them black if worse comes to worse.
My boards are made of aluminum covered with a rubberized material. They are bolted to the frame/truck via SS hardware. Will the aluminum be an adequate ground? The vertical part of the boards where the lights will be mounted is also covered with the same rubber-like material on top of the aluminum. I was hoping the mounting screws would provide the ground where the light base/mount would sit against the rubber.
Guess I'll have to get the meter out ... again, thanks for all your feedback! I post a few picts once I'm done ... just trying to find stuff to do to the truck these days since I've kind of ran out of ideas smile.gif Thinking about white-faced cluster is next ...
tophog,
The amber lens/LED model 19 style lights that I put on recently were made by Grote and $8.50 each. IIRC, the bases were about $1.75 each. I'll check later and re-post if these are wrong.
My boards are aluminum/stainless. and the lights are mounted on the aluminum part with no problems. I think sheet metal screws came with the bases...
mdrag
tophog,
One other suggestion to speed up the base mounting. I made a jig/template out of a scrap piece of plexiglass or PVC plate. Make it so the template rests on your boards with the holes at the correct height then drill the pilot holes.... zip zip zip.... No fussing with each base to make sure they are straight. It gets old real quick with so many lights to mount.
mdrag
The template is an excellent idea, thanks! I would have been taking a zillion measurements and fighting a tape measure for each light. Since I don't have the full-length boards, I'm just installing 4 on each side ...from viewing your pictures I like the spacing you used ... not too close and not too far apart.
I was checking out the Grote lights earlier today. Are the Trucklite/Grote bases the same where all you do is swap out the light? Do all manufacturers refer to this same light/base as model 19? If they are relatively popular among truck stops/accessory stores then it will be nice to be able to find relatively easily and swap out easily whereas the other LED lights I "was" going to try would have required removing the entire light, disconnecting wires, etc.
Wife should be home soon with the lights so I'm planning to tackle tomorrow ... burning a few vacation days to play on the truck... lights, new Duraflap mudflaps (aka Haydenco) and a few other toys.
Thanks again for all the info. What would a guy do without the Internet these days? smile.gif
tophog,
I haven't seen the GROTE (http://www.grote.com) bases first hand , but I can tell you that the GROTE SUPERNOVA U.S. 19 SERIES LED LAMPS (http://www.grote.com/cgi-bin/product.cgi?familyid=A0006) fit perfectly in the TruckLite model 19 bases - plug and play, no wiring changes etc.
http://www.grote.com/images/prodcat/large/47092ca.jpg
I've also tried a 'generic' no name model 19 in the TruckLite base - an exact fit.
My impression is that the heavy trucks have a number of 'standard' lights so they are easily replaced at almost any truck stop. Look over the offerings from either TRUCKLITE (http://www.trucklite.com) or GROTE (http://www.grote.com) and you'll see many similar appearing lights -Model or U.S. series 10, 15, 19, 30, 40, 60 etc.
I considered the interchangeability and wide availabilty major +'s with these lights. Once you become familiar with the model 19, you will know what will fit.
mdrag
Wife came home with black mounts! smile.gif Apparently the guy I talked to on the phone did some cross referencing, etc. and found the same mount in the "Maxxima" brand and all black.
Got the lights all mounted tonight and will wire tomorrow. How did you wire your lights? Did you wire both sides together to a single source or separately? What source did you use for power? I think I read there is a "marker lights" fuse tap in the passenger side fuse panel? Would be nice to wire them so they came on/off with the outside courtesy lights too ... although my running boards have built-in lights on the top and bottom of the ends ...
I was planning to make up a wiring harness ... soldering/shrink wrapping the wires but think it may be easier to use crimp connectors or something in case someday I have to replace a mount.
tophog,
My running board lights are wired as courtesy lights. I tapped into the underdash light on the DS and ran the wire under the hood to a relay. In this case, the wires to the underdash lights are both (+) when the light is off, and one goes to ground when the light is on. I ran the switched ground (with inline fuse) to a double pole relay as the (-) to switch the relay. Fused power leads to supply 12V power to the relay, with each side of lights getting power from one pole of the relay.
When the courtesy lights are off, the relay switch sees 12V on each leg of the switch; when the courtesy lights are off, the relay switch is then (+) and (-) and power is applied to the lights. I'm sure there is an easier way, but I did this pre-Helm's manual....
I don't have time right now, but I'll look through the manual later tonight and see if I come up with an easier solution. I've thought of converting some of the lights to running lights, so this will get me motivated.
Your wiring harness idea will make for a cleaner and more trouble free install. If one of the bases need replaced, then you could always cut/splice at that time. I've not had to replace any bases in 2 years.
mdrag
Since these lights draw so little amperage I was wondering why a guy couldn't splice into one of the rear license plate lamp wires (given this would only power the running board lights when marker/headlights are on) This is how I wired the 3500 rear tail light when I installed it on my truck. Could also tap into the trailer harness. This was real simple and don't think the 3 little LED's in the light are going to overload the circuit. If my numbers are correct, the amber LED's draw 1 amps each ... 8 lights would be around 8 amps.
tophog,
1 amp per light seemed too high for the LED model 19, I just checked and TRUCKLITE'S WEBSITE (http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=24192&langId=-1) specs show 14V, 0.05 amp.
When I installed mine: 0.33A per bulb X (2) bulbs per light X (12) lights = about 8A. I would rather not chance overloading the stock circuit and switch.
mdrag
Well I probably "jerry rigged" mine the way I wired them but they work. I started the harness for each side at the front of the running board and worked toward the rear. I ran the PS side over to the DS rear running board thru the round frame cross member. I tapped into the trailer wiring parking lamp circuit via the main harness that runs to the rear mounted on the frame directly above the rear of the DS running board. The brown wire is for the marker light circuit. I beleive it's rated for 15 amps and I also installed an inline fuse.
Link to picts below.
http://home.comcast.net/~tophog/duramax/images/runningboard_lights/runninglights.htm
mdrag, really appreciate all your feedback and tips. I may try and figure out the relay thing later so I can make the running lights come on with the courtesy lights ... have never wired a relay before so I have some homework to do. I'm thinking it should be relatively simply since both running board courtesy lights are already wired to the courtesy light circuit.
tophog,
Great job, lookin' good!
mdrag
Thanks. I'm very happy with the way they turned out ... thanks to your advice. Been thinking a set of those TTT mirrors with the built-in amber LED's would go nicely with the running lights. smile.gif I hate the way these types of mods lead to more mods ... it's a vicious cycle.
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