I 'thought' I had started a thread on Cab Lights before, but the search turned up nada..

At any rate, I installed clear lens/amber LED cab lights this past weekend. My truck did not have them from the factory, so I bought some EuroLite 9-LED ones for a Ford, from eBay for $70 delivered. I liked the Ford-style ones better, so that's what I went with. They arrived in a box, no instructions, no packaging, only an invoice, lights, and packing peanuts...

Since my truck didn't have cab lights, I had to drill..

In a nutshell:

[*]Drop headliner (phillips screws hold visors, pinch clips for overhead console, T20 for pass. side grab-handle, T20 for QC latch trim covers, snaps for a-pillar trim

[*]Tape a straight line from top corners of windshield.

[*]Measured 6" up on each side, and taped another straight line across.

[*]Found Center line, marked it on the tape

[*]From center line, outward, measure 8.5", mark it

[*]From the center line, outward, measure 21". mark it

[*]Once you have these lines marked, measure 5.75" from top edge of windshield, back. This mark will be the forward-most point of the cab light. (this will put the wiring of the Ford-style lights right about over the inner cab-wall hole.

[*]Using the base of one light, make a cardboard template of the light base, and drill holes where wiring and screw holes will be.

[*]Mark center line on template. This will aid you in lining/centering/straightening up the lights and marking the drill locations.

[*]Align center line of template onto each parallel line for the light locations, taking into account the front of the light base on the 5.75" back-set mark.

[*]Drill the three holes required by the lights (2 mounting screws, one wiring hole)

[*]I used an 1/8" (.125) bit for making the #8 screw pilot holes. Also a pilot hole for the wiring, to be drilled out to 3/8", or .375

[*]Apply a dab of clear silicon on each mounting screw hole on the cab, and a blob around the wiring at the light base

[*]Place the light base onto the cab, carefully ensuring that it's aligned properly.

[*]Mount the light bases using (purchased separately) #8 x .75 SS sheet metal screws, and snug them down evenly

[*]Once all are mounted, move inside the truck and wire lights in series.

[*]I grounded them within headliner, and ran 'hot wire' down driver's a-pillar, to headlight switch (remove bezel, 3 phillips screws and slide headlight switch out. Wire is black/yellow.

[*]Check for proper operation.

[*]Reinstall everything if all is good to go!

Pictures to follow.. I didn't take many, but I've got a couple I could add.

Pics

I 'thought' I had started a thread on Cab Lights before, but the search turned up nada..

At any rate, I installed clear lens/amber LED cab lights this past weekend. My truck did not have them from the factory, so I bought some EuroLite 9-LED ones for a Ford, from eBay for $70 delivered. I liked the Ford-style ones better, so that's what I went with. They arrived in a box, no instructions, no packaging, only an invoice, lights, and packing peanuts...

Since my truck didn't have cab lights, I had to drill..

In a nutshell:

[*]Drop headliner (phillips screws hold visors, pinch clips for overhead console, T20 for pass. side grab-handle, T20 for QC latch trim covers, snaps for a-pillar trim

[*]Tape a straight line from top corners of windshield.

[*]Measured 6" up on each side, and taped another straight line across.

[*]Found Center line, marked it on the tape

[*]From center line, outward, measure 8.5", mark it

[*]From the center line, outward, measure 21". mark it

[*]Once you have these lines marked, measure 5.75" from top edge of windshield, back. This mark will be the forward-most point of the cab light. (this will put the wiring of the Ford-style lights right about over the inner cab-wall hole.

[*]Using the base of one light, make a cardboard template of the light base, and drill holes where wiring and screw holes will be.

[*]Mark center line on template. This will aid you in lining/centering/straightening up the lights and marking the drill locations.

[*]Align center line of template onto each parallel line for the light locations, taking into account the front of the light base on the 5.75" back-set mark.

[*]Drill the three holes required by the lights (2 mounting screws, one wiring hole)

[*]I used an 1/8" (.125) bit for making the #8 screw pilot holes. Also a pilot hole for the wiring, to be drilled out to 3/8", or .375

[*]Apply a dab of clear silicon on each mounting screw hole on the cab, and a blob around the wiring at the light base

[*]Place the light base onto the cab, carefully ensuring that it's aligned properly.

[*]Mount the light bases using (purchased separately) #8 x .75 SS sheet metal screws, and snug them down evenly

[*]Once all are mounted, move inside the truck and wire lights in series.

[*]I grounded them within headliner, and ran 'hot wire' down driver's a-pillar, to headlight switch (remove bezel, 3 phillips screws and slide headlight switch out. Wire is black/yellow.

[*]Check for proper operation.

[*]Reinstall everything if all is good to go!

Pictures to follow.. I didn't take many, but I've got a couple I could add.

thanks for the writeup. i am getting ready to install cab lights on mine too. my truck is black so i decided to go with the smoked recons. i think the factory amber ones look really ugly on black.

are the measurments that you used the standard measurements on the late 2nd Gen trucks? I've got the template from the cab light kit from dodge but I know it doesn't work for the 2nd Gen's because it was for the 3rd gen body style. Still trying to decide how I want to measure the lights and get them centered.

Nice work on the lights & write up.:cool:Dave

thanks for the writeup. i am getting ready to install cab lights on mine too. my truck is black so i decided to go with the smoked recons. i think the factory amber ones look really ugly on black. are the measurments that you used the standard measurements on the late 2nd Gen trucks? I've got the template from the cab light kit from dodge but I know it doesn't work for the 2nd Gen's because it was for the 3rd gen body style. Still trying to decide how I want to measure the lights and get them centered.

The measurements I used/came up with are on my 2001, so yeah, late 2G trucks. If you're using Dodge-style lights, then your front-to-back measurements may be different. I used the Ford style, so they're a little shorter, IIRC. My lights are 4" long, and the mounting screws are left to right. I think the Dodge mounting screws are front to back? Regardless, from centerline of the cab, you'll find (when you drop the headliner) that the lights are CENTER, 8.5", and 21" from center, either direction. (or center 0", left-inner @ 8.5", left-outer @ 12.5" from left-inner, same for right side. I think the wiring hole on inside of roofline (factory location) is about 7-3/4" from windshield edge.

Awesome write up. Ive been thinking about doing this to my truck.

Thanks, mystic. Drilling that first hole was nerve-racking! Once I popped it through, though, it was all cake from there..(I guess that could be applied to several in things ;) )

How was it removing the headliner?

How was it removing the headliner?

You don't really even have to 'remove' it, just drop the front.

[*]3 phillips screws on each visor

[*]1 phillips screw on each visor retainer

[*]OHC has 2 pinch clamps and pull backward

[*]2 T20 bolts retain pass. side grab handle

[*]both a-pillar trims pop off

[*]pull down door seals enough to clear the edges of the HL

[*]*if you have a QC, then torx20 takes the screws out of the overhead QC door latch trim covers

[*]Pop the two center plastic retainer pins in the rear/center headliner (leave the rear-most push pins in the headliner

Then I just let the HL hang down in the front, resting on the front seat headrests.. This provided plenty of room to get in there and wire it all up.

Grounded the cab lights to a single point in the ceiling, and ran a single power wire down the A-pillar, into the dash to the light switch, tagged the black w/yellow striped wire (PRK LIGHT wire) and reassembled it all back.

Takes like 5 minutes to drop the headliner.

Awesome thanks.

you can leave the middle dome light alone; it's fastened to the headliner, itself, not the roof.

What about the compass and map lights on the front of the HL?

That's the OHC. Overhead console. Open the garage door opener compartment. Two pinch clips in there. Pinch them and slide the console backward. Its a _____ but will come out. Sent from my rooted EVO's tiny keyboard with my opposable thumbs...

Nice write up, this is definitely one of the next things on my list when im back on my feet.-Jordan-

Nice write up!

thanks,hope it helps someone some day.

Good job on this... I winged mine on my first gen and ended up putting them a little too far forward or back which caused an annoying glare bouncing off the hood. sent from my cell...

Thanks to the OP for this thread. I'm getting all necessary items together to do this project in the winter. Not real excited to drill that first hole. I'm going to use a product called Sugru.com to seal the holes. It's a mouldable rubber that cures overnight. This will help insure no water leaks. I'll post when I'm done.

I would recommend getting a kit that comes with a template. Since I worked at a dealer at the time I decided to install my cab lights I went with the 2010+ style lights and the factory kit. Came with really good instructions too. Use masking tape to get the template lined up with the markings it has and drill your holes. Also make sure your using short drill bits or that the headliner is pulled far enough away from the roof. I learned the hard way by punching a small hole in my headliner. Luckily its behind the passenger visor so I never see it and thankfully it was with the small drill bit.. also I would recommend checking under the headliner for a second piece of sheet metal that has pre stamped holes in it for the harness and trying to line those up. It was a real pita to get the outside plugs in because it was off by like an inch from the factory holes.

31 minutes ago, 2000Ram2500 said:

I would recommend getting a kit that comes with a template. Since I worked at a dealer at the time I decided to install my cab lights I went with the 2010+ style lights and the factory kit. Came with really good instructions too. Use masking tape to get the template lined up with the markings it has and drill your holes. Also make sure your using short drill bits or that the headliner is pulled far enough away from the roof. I learned the hard way by punching a small hole in my headliner. Luckily its behind the passenger visor so I never see it and thankfully it was with the small drill bit.. also I would recommend checking under the headliner for a second piece of sheet metal that has pre stamped holes in it for the harness and trying to line those up. It was a real pita to get the outside plugs in because it was off by like an inch from the factory holes.

Yes I have a kit that comes with a template and I've had the headliner down before so no big deal there. Thanks for the tips.

27 minutes ago, rotohead said:

Yes I have a kit that comes with a template and I've had the headliner down before so no big deal there. Thanks for the tips.

 

I would hate for someone to make my mistakes. The least i can do is let people know i guess. Having the template is priceless it is so nice to have. Saves a ton of time measuring and marking all you gotta do is line it up tape it down and drill. That first hole is the worst but 15 holes in your roof later and you'll get over it haha